Discussion
AlexH said:
Booked a trip there on a whim (staying for 3 nights) with other half and two other couples for NYE, now wondering what there is to see!
Anyone been, and what would you recommend?
The girls
Only been there for a day, but definately go to a bar that sits on the 10th floor of a tower right in the centre of town. The name escapes me ATM, but some-one more knowledgeable will know what I mean. Gives you a great view on the whole city.
For the rest, I can only vaguely remember some really good clubs................
los angeles said:
It's a city full of surprises: terrific traditional Russian style architecture - black roofs with romantic domes, mingled with brutal modern concrete buildings from Communist era, a sign of its colonised history. Some fine art deco ornamentation on old buildings. It has a language borrowed from a dozen sources allowing spelling to vary wildly. Place names almost completely incomprehensible. Good safe subway service, national art gallery and Sibelius museum worth a visit. Lots of trees. Tramcars that bend in the middle a hoot. Goods and food expensive. Lost count of all the lakes (Guinness Book of Records for those, I believe) but a visit to the nearest will give you a good feel for the farm and island culture of the place.Did I mention there are lots of trees. People pleasant but not openly so. Take a jacket, a sweater, and a heavy pair of socks if going there between October and May. Look out for 19th century adverts painted on tenement gable ends.
LA
Helsinki?
I guess you know your stuff having been, but that isn't how I imagined it at all.
I pictured it being more modern in a Ikea (yes I know that's Sweden) sort of way.
I work for a Finnish company and have been to their HQ in Helsinki about 20 odd times!
Where are you staying?
What are you interested in?
What type of night-life do you want?
Oh, and you are aware that its getting cold at the moment. I was out last week and the wind was bitter. Down to about 3-4 degrees C at the moment. Expect snow to come soon - maybe a couple of weeks. Take lots of warm clothes.
Where are you staying?
What are you interested in?
What type of night-life do you want?
Oh, and you are aware that its getting cold at the moment. I was out last week and the wind was bitter. Down to about 3-4 degrees C at the moment. Expect snow to come soon - maybe a couple of weeks. Take lots of warm clothes.
off_again said:
Where are you staying?
What are you interested in?
What type of night-life do you want?
Oh, and you are aware that its getting cold at the moment. I was out last week and the wind was bitter. Down to about 3-4 degrees C at the moment. Expect snow to come soon - maybe a couple of weeks. Take lots of warm clothes.
Staying at the Radisson, whereever that is...
Bit of culture, bit of anything worth seeing really!
Probably just a good bar or two, might take in a nightclub...
Am planning on being very well wrapped up!
Cheers for info so far guys!
Very little daylight as well, I'd imagine, around NYE. I was there in June and it got dark around 10:30pm and then by 1am the sun was coming up again. Plays havoc with your body clock if you're not used to it.
Be prepared to drink lots of Finlandia Vodka - it's the national drink!
>> Edited by T5-R on Thursday 17th November 15:49
Be prepared to drink lots of Finlandia Vodka - it's the national drink!
>> Edited by T5-R on Thursday 17th November 15:49
AlexH said:
Staying at the Radisson, whereever that is...
Stayed there - top hotel that's centrally located. Although saying that I think Radisson have 2 or 3 in Helsinki. The one I stayed in is across the square from the main train station up a dead end street, so you get a quiet night's sleep. It was also within 5-10mins walking distance from the main shopping areas and the harbour front.
>> Edited by T5-R on Thursday 17th November 15:47
AlexH said:
Staying at the Radisson, whereever that is...
Bit of culture, bit of anything worth seeing really!
Probably just a good bar or two, might take in a nightclub...
Am planning on being very well wrapped up!
Cheers for info so far guys!
Ok, if its the SAS Radisson Seaside, then supprisingly you are at the sea. Rather nice area and some nice boats to see. A short walk and you can watch the seacats come in from Talin in Estonia. Also the odd big ship is quite good. Bit commercial but a short walk to the city centrel
If its the SAS Radisson Royal then its bang in the middle of the city centre. Easy walk to just about everything and its a rather fine hotel. Very nice and definately 4 star (if not more).
Finally, if its theh SAS Radisson Plaza then you are almost as convenient to the city centre as the Royal. But its right next door to the national gallery and a very short walk to the entertainment district of Helsinki (near the train station). Not stayed there, but it is rather nice from what I can tell.
Bit of culture - as mentioned the Sibelius Park Monument is nice, but might be a bit cold. Check out in the hotel if they have any events running, since it can be nice with something happening (though tends to be summer only though). Also the Soumenlinna Fortress is quite good - they have a submarine there captured from the Germans! But the other stuff is fairly interesting too. You need to take a boat there, so again check with the hotel the times and if it is still running. Also the Uspenski Cathedral is good. Its very odd looking as its a clash of architecture, but I always say its very Russian Orthodox looking - though it technically isnt. Its not the bleedin' bit white one.... its the other one....the Temppeliaukion Kirkko is the white one which is quite nice too....
Nightlife - well where to start. Most of it is good and lacks the drunken nightmares of the UK. But top ones to check out are as follows:
Tenth Floor in the Sokos Hotel Vaakuna is suprisingly on the 10th floor - quite nice
Kaivohuone is quite good, but might not be so good in winter.
Club Helsinki is very sad but worth a hoot and has casino tables (well used to!)
Other than that, shopping is quite good. Try Stockmanns (big store) or the main street which leads to Stockmanns. Everything from Gucci to Prada - but be warned, its expensive. Alternatively, a short walk away is Marimekko which has cheaper shops like H&M - the SAS Radisson Seaside is very close to this part of Helsinki.
But, almost every part of Helsinki is walkable. Its not big and given the air is clean and traffic fairly light, its a nice place to wander around. But, taxis are cheap and frequent so it might be easier to use them. Other than that enjoy. Check out the following link though - its the official government run guide to Helsinki:
www.hel2.fi/tourism/EN/matko.asp
www.hel.fi/english/index.html
los angeles said:
Hi there. Didn't realise you were a native until I checked your profile. Fine country. I loved it there, and I got out of Helsinki to do some fly fishing, and meet a few farmers and locals. One "local" was a renegade cow that I had to chase back to its night barn from its escape attempt through dense woods. It walked home only when it wanted to.
Finlandia rule OK!
Hiya! Glad you enjoyed the country 
Fly fishing is heaps of fun. Good way to relax and be totally by yourself out there by the water. I lived in Helsinki for a year...
Stockmanns is good for a wander round if you have a few hours to spare. They have a fantastic bookshop too.
Wander down to the end of the main shopping street (argh, I've totally forgotten the name! anyone?) and havae look at the bit white cathedral. Some nice buildings around there (the one on your left facing the church is the uni, the one on the right the government, basically). The orthodox cathedral is worth a look too. The modern art museum and the national mueseum are both worth going to.
Rock church, as someone said, is very nice. The park south-east of the centre is nice. The district with all the embassies in is also worth a wander round, very nice, the russian consulate is a great bulding!
Make sure you take the time to get the ferry (every 30 minutes, takes 10 minutes) to Suomenlinna (literally: Swedish Island). It was a swedish naval fortress when Finalnd was occupied by sweden. It's really nice to have a wander round there.
There are lots of good bars/clubs in the centre around the train station.
As for what LA says about communist architecture - I never saw any! Helsinki hasn't been occupied by the communists ever. Finland was part of the Russian Empire but it gained it's independance from Russia before the stalinist style architure all got built. There are some big concrete tower blocks but they're nothing on the ones I saw in Moscow and St Petersburg.
oh yeah - expect it to be about -10 around this time of year...
and if you are staying in the Raddisson Seaside one (nice hotel) you won't see the sea-cat type ferries - they don't run in the winter because of the weather!
The other Radisson I've been too (the one near the national opera I think) was quite nice though.
>> Edited by D_Mike on Saturday 19th November 14:59
oh... around New Year's Eve (I assume this is what NYE is) The sun will rise at about 9:30am and set at 3:30pm...
Lowest temperatures I saw in the winter around that time were around -15 - -20... -25 at night sometimes (if it's very cold). It doesn't get too cold really in Helsinki because it's near the sea.
If you are going then - you must visit the beach near Kaivopuisto park and walk on the frozen sea!
>> Edited by D_Mike on Saturday 19th November 15:03
Stockmanns is good for a wander round if you have a few hours to spare. They have a fantastic bookshop too.
Wander down to the end of the main shopping street (argh, I've totally forgotten the name! anyone?) and havae look at the bit white cathedral. Some nice buildings around there (the one on your left facing the church is the uni, the one on the right the government, basically). The orthodox cathedral is worth a look too. The modern art museum and the national mueseum are both worth going to.
Rock church, as someone said, is very nice. The park south-east of the centre is nice. The district with all the embassies in is also worth a wander round, very nice, the russian consulate is a great bulding!
Make sure you take the time to get the ferry (every 30 minutes, takes 10 minutes) to Suomenlinna (literally: Swedish Island). It was a swedish naval fortress when Finalnd was occupied by sweden. It's really nice to have a wander round there.
There are lots of good bars/clubs in the centre around the train station.
As for what LA says about communist architecture - I never saw any! Helsinki hasn't been occupied by the communists ever. Finland was part of the Russian Empire but it gained it's independance from Russia before the stalinist style architure all got built. There are some big concrete tower blocks but they're nothing on the ones I saw in Moscow and St Petersburg.
oh yeah - expect it to be about -10 around this time of year...
and if you are staying in the Raddisson Seaside one (nice hotel) you won't see the sea-cat type ferries - they don't run in the winter because of the weather!
The other Radisson I've been too (the one near the national opera I think) was quite nice though.
>> Edited by D_Mike on Saturday 19th November 14:59
oh... around New Year's Eve (I assume this is what NYE is) The sun will rise at about 9:30am and set at 3:30pm...
Lowest temperatures I saw in the winter around that time were around -15 - -20... -25 at night sometimes (if it's very cold). It doesn't get too cold really in Helsinki because it's near the sea.
If you are going then - you must visit the beach near Kaivopuisto park and walk on the frozen sea!
>> Edited by D_Mike on Saturday 19th November 15:03
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