Welcome to the Metropolitan area

ESPOO HELSINKI VANTAA

photo: olli urpelA

Urban culture and experiences in nature!

Located just a metro ride away, Espoo is a vital city, offering each and every one interesting things to see and experience.

Espoo has a lot to offer for those craving culture: visit a fascinating museum in Exhibition Centre WeeGee or participate in one of our city’s many events.

Large natural areas are characteristic of Espoo: seashores, the archipelago, the wilderness in nature reserves and the waterways of the lake highlands. The cultural landscapes, constructed environments and natural areas of Espoo are like Finland in miniature.

The special feature of Espoo is an urban structure that relies on five different centres. Four of them along the railway, and the fifth soon to be connected to the metro line.

Espoo is growing fast, and the growth is focused strongly around the metro stations. Espoo has twice been ranked as the most ecologically, economically, socially and culturally sustainable city in Europe. We have also been invited to act as one of the pioneering cities implementing the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in cooperation with Aalto University and companies. We want to ensure that our city will grow in a manner that will provide future generations with equal or better living conditions than those enjoyed by us.

Welcome to Espoo!

Jukka Mäkelä Dear reader,

photo: Jetro StAvén

Warm welcome to Helsinki! You have made an excellent choice on your travelling destination. Of course, from my point of view, Helsinki is one the most exciting and interesting cities in the world and I am delighted for your choice to experience the many adventures our capital has to offer.

The global pandemic may have temporarily affected our travelling habits, but as we move forward, the longing for new thrilling experiences has become stronger than ever. Helsinki is creative, safe and a unique place where bubbly urban life meets fascinating, diverse nature.

Helsinki lives and breathes throughout every season of the year. Sometimes this means sun or snow – other times it means slush and rain. But don’t you worry – Helsinki is always fun, exciting and provides unexpected experiences regardless of the season.

I can assure you every day is a new adventure in Helsinki and I can’t wait for you to explore our best features! We have collected all the best tips for your stay into one service: myhelsinki.fi.

Enjoy your stay – and I hope to see you back soon!

Juhana Vartiainen

mAyor of helSinki

photo: SAkAri mAnninen

Vantaa of Innovations is open to new ideas

Vantaa welcomes everybody to develop the global city. Everyone is welcome to Vantaa! At the beginning of 2022 Vantaa released its new strategy “Vantaa of Innovations”. The city’s vision is: brave, relaxed, and attractive Vantaa is a forerunner of sustainability.

Last year we were nominated a European Rising Innovative City, which was due to, among other things, our rapid growth, as well as our widescale development of carbon neutrality, social innovations, and digital solutions. We will continue our journey on this path, as guided by our new strategy: bold innovations will move our city forward.

This year we launch a new innovation competition that seeks ideas to develop the urban city, as well as solutions for the cities’ challenges. We firmly believe that innovations will help to boost the robust growth we have experienced. In the course of a few decades, Vantaa has grown from a small rural municipality into the fourth biggest city in Finland where almost 120 languages are spoken.

You are very welcome to take part in this new competition! We hope to receive ideas that will help the residents’ everyday life and better meet the challenges posed by, for example, heavy growth. The rules, schedule, and prizes of the competition will be announced in more detail at a later stage.

We at Vantaa want to keep building a better future. Join in the Vantaa of Innovations!

Ritva Viljanen