Helsinki

The town of Helsinki was founded by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden (which Finland belonged to for many centuries) as a new trading post in southern Finland and a competitor to Tallinn in Estonia, the Hanseatic city on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Finland. The King then ordered the burghers of Rauma, Ulvila, Porvoo, and Tammisaari to move to Helsinki; the date on which this order was issued, 12.6.1550, is regarded as the date on which the city was founded. For the town founded by Gustavus Vasa, the war was a major turning point. Helsinki was proclaimed the Finnish capital in 1812 and Finland's only university, which had been founded in Turku in 1640, was transferred to Helsinki in 1812. Finland declared its independence in 1917.

Helsinki is built on a peninsula, and there are links by bridge and ferry with nearby islands. Surrounding towns include Espoo to the west and Vantaa, site of the international airport, to the north. Helsinki is Finland's capital and the centre of its cultural, financial and economic activity. While it embodies much of the Finnish spirit and its progressive hi-tech push, it is unlike any other Finnish city, due in part to the fascinating combination of Swedish and Russian influences.

Due to the small size of the centre of Helsinki, one difficulty in describing the bar and restaurant scene is the division of it. One reprehensible fact in this city, is the never-ending battle with age. At the age of 24 you are guaranteed admission to all places; below that there are no guarantees. Many clubs and pubs demand proof that you are twenty, others permit those above the age of eighteen. Kaisaniemi Park is a beautiful little spot for enjoying the summer sun, located next to the railway station. After visiting the Botanical Gardens here for a minimal entrance fee, enjoy the veranda seats at the old and extraordinary Restaurant Kaisaniemi for a light lunch or just a drink to kill your thirst. Continue on towards the Hakaniemi-Kallio area around the beautiful Elaintarhanlahti Bay where everything is one notch cheaper.

Helsinki, despite its status as a capital and world-renowned political summit centre, is actually quite a small city. For a tourist this is ideal, as thus nothing is too far from anything. For example: the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in the centre of the city, is a five-minute walk away from the Finnish National Museum which in turn is just across the street from the marble-clad Finlandia Hall.

The largest shopping mall in Scandinavia, Itäkeskus Shopping Center is located in the eastern part of Helsinki, Finland. You can find practically everything there. Besides shops, stores, and restaurants (from fast food to ethnic), it also hosts various governmental and city offices, banks, real estate agencies, etc. Next to Kauppatori Market Suqare behind the ports and the Kolera-allas part of the port stands the Old Market Hall, a red and yellow-brick building built in 1888. The recently renovated, polished-pine hall is a great place to do some shopping for Finnish delicacies, especially in the winter. Here you will find fishmongers, butchers, bakers, cheese, fruit and vegetable shops, and souvenirs. If you are not interested in shopping it is always worth walking here just to have some lunch in one of the little restaurants and cafés. Kultasuklaa is a paradise for chocolate-lovers, and Robert Paulig has an excellent coffee and tea selection. One of the few sushi bars in Helsinki is situated here, too.

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