Berlitz Pocket Guide Helsinki (Travel Guide eBook)

By Berlitz Publishing

Berlitz Pocket Guide Helsinki is a concise, full-colour travel guide that combines lively text with vivid photography to highlight the very best that this vibrant, modern city has to offer.

The Where To Go chapter details all the key sights, from the entertainment district to the cathedral, taking in colourful markets, first-rate museums and galleries, the historic Suomenlinna Fortress and dignified state architecture. There are also excursions to nearby Porvoo, Tampere and across the water to Tallinn, the Estonian capital.

To inspire you, the book offers a rundown of the Top 10 Attractions in the city, followed by an itinerary for a Perfect Day in Helsinki. The What to Do chapter is a snapshot of ways to spend your spare time, from shopping for colourful Spectrolite jewellery to catching a hockey game, Finland's favourite sport.

You'll also be armed with background information, including a brief history of the city and an Eating Out chapter covering its adventurous cuisine. There are carefully chosen listings of the best hotels and restaurants, and an A-Z to equip you with all the practical information you will need.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Feb 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781785730900

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Helsinki, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Helsinki, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Helsinki are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Helsinki. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Berlitz Pocket Guides

The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

© 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

Helsinki’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Day In Helsinki

Introduction

City of the Sea

Meet the Finns

Architectural Heritage

Culture

A Brief History

The Swedish Era

The Founding of Helsinki

Russian Rule

Finnish versus Swedish

Independence

The Years of Danger

Modern Helsinki

Historical Landmarks

Where To Go

Rautatientori

Ateneum Art Museum

The Esplanadi

Market and Senate Squares

Katajanokka District

Senate Square

Helsinki Cathedral

State Buildings and the University

Mannerheimintie

Kamppi

Mannerheimintie’s Sights

Natural History Museum and Temppeliaukio Church

Töölönlahti Bay and the Olympic Stadium

The Design District

Art and Architecture

Bulevardi and Hietalahti Market

Along the Waterside

Ullanlinna and Kaivopuisto

Observatory Hill

Kaivopuisto Park

Sea Views

Kallio and Around

Hakaniemi Market

Kallio Church

Sornäinen

Lenininpuisto and Linnanmäki

Suomenlinna Fortress

Construction of the Fortress

Military Action

Artistic Enclave

Suomenlinna’s Museums

Suomenlinna Church

Helsinki’s Islands

Seurasaari

Korkeasaari

Pihlajasaari

Harakka

Greater Helsinki

Tarvaspää

Espoo

Nuuksio National Park

Hvitträsk

Excursions

Fiskars

Getting There

Porvoo (Borgå)

Getting There

Tallinn, Estonia

Raekoda Plats

Church of the Holy Ghost

City Walls and the Cathedral

Toompea Castle

The Danish King’s Garden

Getting There

What To Do

Entertainment

Concert and Theatre Tickets

Music and Theatre

Cinema

Bars and Nightclubs

Shopping

Ceramics and Glassware

Clothing and Textiles

Department Stores

Finnish Specialities

Jewellery

Markets and Flea Markets

Shopping Centres

Sports & Activities

Saunas

National Parks

Water Activities

Spectator Sports

Activities for Children

Calendar of Events

Eating Out

Where to eat

Finnish cuisine

Fish

Meat and game

Vegetables, fruit and grains

Sweet treats

Speciality food

Meal times

What to drink

Reading the Menu

To Help You Order…

…and Read the Menu

Restaurants

Rautatientori

Market Square and Esplanadi

Katajanokka

Mannerheimintie

The Design District

Ullanlinna and Kaivopuisto

Kallio

Suomenlinna Fortress

Helsinki’s islands

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Bicycle Rental

Budgeting for Your Trip

C

Camping

Car Hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime and Safety

D

Disabled Travellers

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and Consulates

Emergencies

G

Gay and Lesbian Travellers

Getting There

Guides and Tours

H

Health and Medical Care

I

Internet Access

L

Language

M

Media

Money

O

Opening Times

P

Police

Post Offices

Public Holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephones

Time Zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist Information

Transport

V

Visa and Entry Requirements

Y

Youth Hostels

Recommended Hotels

Rautatientori

Market Square and Esplanadi

Katajanokka

Kamppi

Mannerheimintie

The Design District

Kallio

Suomenlinna

Further Afield

Dictionary

English–Finnish

Finnish–English

Helsinki’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

iStock

Suomenlinna Fortress

A Unesco World Heritage site, guarding the Gulf of Finland. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #2

iStock

Senate Square

Pristine 19th-century town planning. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #3

Shutterstock

Esplanadi

This long, elegant park is lined with Finland’s flagship design stores. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #4

iStock

Temppeliaukio

The Rock Church is hewn from solid stone and shrouded in shining copper. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #5

Shutterstock

Market Square and Hall

Buy bear meat, wild strawberries or fish direct from bobbing boats. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #6

iStock

National Museum of Finland

Explore Finland’s history from the Stone Age to the present day. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #7

iStock

Kiasma

This striking gallery challenges visitors with its avant-garde exhibitions. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #8

iStock

Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral

The red-brick edifice proclaims Russia’s might from its hilltop in Katajanokka district. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #9

Visit Helsinki

Kamppi Chapel of Silence

A hallowed space by the bustling bus station. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #10

Public domain

Ateneum Art Museum

The Ateneum contains the largest collection of art in Finland. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day In Helsinki

9.00am

Helsinki Cathedral

After feasting on a Finnish breakfast at your hotel, head straight for the neoclassical Kruununhaka district. In the morning light, before the crowds descend, the startling white cathedral floats above Senate Square like a dream.

10.00am

Havis Amanda

Wander down Unioninkatu to have a gander at the city’s sauciest mermaid. Next, stop at the orange tents on the Market Square for a fortifying slug of coffee before admiring the many stalls, tumbling with fresh produce.

11.00am

Archipelago tour

Helsinki is a city of the sea. The Royal Line boat tour threads between the archipelago islands, offering stunning views of Suomenlinna Fortress and a whole new perspective on the city.

1.00pm

Lunch in Esplanadi Park

Back on dry land, head for lunch at the 140-year-old Restaurant Kappeli (for more information, click here), in prime position on tree-lined Eteläesplanadi. A favourite of Sibelius’s, the restaurant has one of the biggest terraces in the city, perfect for people-watching and listening to live music on the nearby summer stage.

2.00pm

Walk up Mannerheimintie

Stroll through the park to the beginning of Mannerheimintie. This is Helsinki’s longest street: on the left-hand side are venerable institutions such as the Parliament Building and the National Museum; while on the right are the modern Kiasma and Musikkitalo. Stop at Finlandia Hall to admire the work of Alvar Aalto, one of Finland’s greatest architects, before taking a pleasant walk across Hesperia Park to the Olympic Stadium.

4.00pm

Olympic Stadium Tower

Although the Olympics were held here over 60 years ago, walking into the stadium will still give you goosebumps. However, the highlight of a visit is a clanking lift ride up the tower for fabulous views of Helsinki and its archipelago backdrop.

5.00pm

Sauna

Catch tram No. 8 (Arabia direction) along Helsinginkatu, and prepare yourself for a quintessentially Finnish experience. Kotiharjun, dating back to 1928, is a rustic wood-burning sauna where you can get to know the locals. Pace yourself with plenty of breaks and cold water. If you’re here on Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, be brave and get a scrub from the traditional washing-woman.

6.30pm

Sámi Dining

The metro from Sörnäinen will whisk you back to the centre in 10 minutes, hopefully with an appetite. Lappi Ravintola (for more information, click here), a cosy wooden affair on Annankatu, can supply a taste of the wild north, with dishes of reindeer, wild mushroom, and Lappish cheese served with cloudberry jam.

8.00pm

Death metal?

Helsinki’s operas and orchestras take a well-deserved rest over the summer, but the city is full of music. Bar Bäkkäri is a rock/metal bar with a fantastic atmosphere; if that’s not to your liking, you’re guaranteed a good time at the Happy Jazz Club Storyville, with live music every night in summer.

Introduction

If you’re looking for riotous razzamatazz, a sleepless, strung-out, 24-hour city where the party never ends, look elsewhere. Helsinki is a city of cool northern charms, floating serenely above the hot-headed European mainland. One of the world’s newest capitals, it is a city that rewards the curious. If you want something unusual – fascinating architecture and design, offbeat galleries and museums, a piquant blending of east and west – you’ve come to the right place.

Helsinki is one of the world’s most liveable cities, a safe, tolerant, modern metropolis with a clear identity of its own. Startling new buildings are transforming the city’s silhouette, but its dwellers are still people of the forests and lakes at heart, with a passion for nature that is reflected in Helsinki’s many gorgeous parks and gardens.

City of the Sea

Long referred to as the Daughter of the Baltic, Helsinki owes its fortune to the sea. The city was founded to compete with the Hanseatic port of Tallinn, just across the Gulf of Finland, and the great offshore fortress Suomenlinna was built 200 years later to protect this vital harbour. In post-war years, shipbuilding was a major industry, and Helsinki is still a centre for specialised Arctic ships, with 60 percent of the world’s icebreakers being built in its western dockyards. Today, however, cruise ships have taken over from the merchant vessels and battleships, bringing in 400,000 visitors each summer.

The sea and Helsinki are intrinsically linked. Salty inlets poke their way into metropolitan boulevards, and countless yachts and ferries thread their way through the archipelago islands. The city has even captured a piece of the Baltic and built a kind of shrine around its edges. Public edifices such as Musikkitalo Music Centre, the Winter Gardens, the brand-new library, Linnanmäki amusement park, and two stand-out Alvar Aalto buildings, the Opera House and Finlandia Hall, encircle Töölönlahti Bay, the peaceful watery core of the city’s cultural and recreational area. The entire Katajanokka district, stuffed with Art Nouveau buildings, appears to