






GARDEN – NEW COLLABORATION COLLECTION NOW AVAILABLE

Kalevala Flagship Store: Keskuskatu 3, Helsinki
Kalevala Factory Store: Hankasuontie 11 A, Helsinki | See visiting hours: kalevala.fi




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GARDEN – NEW COLLABORATION COLLECTION NOW AVAILABLE

Kalevala Flagship Store: Keskuskatu 3, Helsinki
Kalevala Factory Store: Hankasuontie 11 A, Helsinki | See visiting hours: kalevala.fi




The former factory site of the iconic Finnish brand Arabia, the Arabia135 block has been reimagined as a dynamic hub for services, experiences and creative innovation. Enjoy top-tier shopping, trendy restaurants, a deep dive into Finnish design history or a strengthening Pilates session — take your pick.

The block’s opening hours
7-20 Monday to friday 10-17 Saturday 12-16 Sunday
Please note that opening hours may vary.
Let Arabia 135 inspire you. Experience its museums and exhibitions, and immerse yourself in the block’s culture, rustic industrial architecture and design.
Enjoy a day exploring high-quality, sustainable Nordic design from iconic brands such as Iittala, Arabia and Pentik to unique pieces created by independent artisans.
The Arabia 135 block is home to many cosy restaurants, bars and cafés where you can spend the day. Don’t forget to try beer brewed right here in the block!

Design by Jussi
Louesalmi
High-quality diamond jewelry collection designed and crafted in Helsinki

Au3 Goldsmiths, Unioninkatu 27, Helsinki | Mon–Fri 11am–6pm, Sat 11am–4pm +358 9 43650090 | au3@au3.fi | @au3goldsmiths | au3goldsmiths.com







27°C outdoor pool and sea water pool – open all year round. 5 saunas – from traditional heat to panoramic views. Children’s pool – open in summer season.
www.allaspool.fi Katajanokanlaituri 2 A, 00160 Helsinki
Welcome to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area 8 Theater in the summer night 10 The Iceman vs. the Boogeyman 14 Hiking with a caveman 18
Map of the metropolitan area 20
Hotels providing Metropolitan Times 22
Characterful portraits and secret spiritual knowledge: Exploring the 2026 Season at the Ateneum Life in a new language
Captain Finland: How to make it in Finland, Part 3 A hotel night in Paris – Column by Rosa Liksom


Metropolitan Times Magazine for Visitors Issue 1/2026 Summer www.metropolitantimes.fi
ISSN 2489-2688 (print)
ISSN 2669-8277 (online)
Graphic design & layout
Petteri Mero
Mainostoimisto Knok Oy
Editor in chief
Roope Lipasti
Sales manager
Raimo Kurki
raimo.kurki@aikalehdet.fi
Tel. +358 45 656 7216
Sales manager Kari Kettunen
kari.kettunen@aikalehdet.fi Tel. +358 40 481 9445




Published by Mobile-Kustannus Oy Betaniankatu 3 lh FI-20810 Turku, Finland
Member of Finnish Magazine Media Association (Aikakausmedia)
Publisher Teemu Jaakonkoski
Printed by Newprint Oy
Digital
The
Cover photos
Helsinki from above.
Photo: Kari Ylitalo / Helsinki Partners
Summer by the sea in Helsinki archipelago . Photo: Svante Gullichsen / Helsinki Partners Lonna restaurant.
Photo: Teemu Lautamies / Sherpa
Dinner under the sky on Helsinki Day .
Photo: Svante Gullichsen / Helsinki Partners Rosa Liksom.
Photo: Pekka Mustonen


In the world’s happiest country, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area offers a unique balance of lively urban culture and peaceful green spaces.
In Helsinki, the most sustainable travel destination in the world, history and modernity meet seamlessly. Start at Senate Square, then walk into the bold architecture of Oodi Central Library, a symbol of Finnish openness and innovation. Continue to Finlandia Hall to witness the iconic works and designs of Alvar Aalto. The Helsinki Design District bursts with creativity and local character. The creative and growing food scene is a highlight. Try the modern flavors of Bardot, the timeless elegance of Savoy, or enjoy a relaxed lunch at the Old Market Hall by the harbour. For a full view of the city’s beautiful skyline finish your day at the Ateljee bar
Just minutes from downtown, island getaways like Suomenlinna, and Vallisaari offer peaceful escapes by the sea. Every island has a unique nature and feel worth visiting. Finally, no visit is complete without experiencing Helsinki’s sauna culture – whether it’s the stylish Löyly, the traditional Kotiharju Sauna or a visit to Allas Pool. For an indoors experience try out the beautiful and historical Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall, the first and oldest public swimming hall in Finland. We can’t wait for you to experience everything that Helsinki has to offer.
To the west, Espoo invites you into a world of diverse nature and vibrant culture. Its beautiful seashore and archipelago, with over 40 kilometres of Waterfront Walkway, is open to everyone – you can cycle, hike, or simply breathe in the sea air along its countless trails and viewpoints. The scheduled boats take you to Espoo archipelago and its five islands on summertime. Or take a break from the hustle and visit Nuuksio National Park up north and enjoy the wilderness
views, marked routes and countless activities. Nature is always within reach and carefully protected.
Would you fancy a sauna and a dip to the sea or some water sports? Choose the Water Sports Centre Laguuni where you can enjoy sauna experience sauna experience around the year and top water sports during summertime. Check also the cafés and restaurants like Nokkalan Majakka, Lucy in the Sky or Restaurant Plats along the seashore. Two favourite Finnish activities are ice-skating and cross-country skiing – test Tapiola Ice Garden or well-maintained skiing tracks.
But Espoo isn’t just about peace and quiet – it also hosts some of the region’s most exciting events. Whether you’re in the mood for concerts or theatre, Espoo’s event calendar is as diverse and dynamic as its nature. Culture enthusiasts can also enjoy the exhibitions from the works of a national artist to modern art and history. Check at least EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Pentala Archipelago Museum and Gallen-Kallela Museum.
Vantaa most likely was your first step into Finland. Vantaa is proud to be the home city of Helsinki Airport, one of the world’s most sustainable airports, powered by renewable energy. In Vantaa it is easy to be an environmentally friendly traveller as all the airport hotels offer eco-conscious stays with comfort and convenience. But Vantaa is more than a gateway – it’s a destination of its own. Sipoonkorpi National Park, a hidden gem of ancient woods and moss-covered trails, offers a deep immersion into the Finnish wilderness just minutes from the airport. Nearby, Kuusijärvi is a beloved local escape: a lakeside oasis where you can swim, hike, and unwind in authentic smoke saunas – a rare and soulful experience deeply rooted in Finnish tradition.
And for a sweet touch of local tradition, don’t miss Fazer Experience, the iconic home of Finland’s most beloved chocolate and bakery brand.

At 72 metres from the ground, the Tower of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium is one of the best places to admire Helsinki from high above. The Tower is open on weekdays until 21:00 and on weekends until 18:00.
More information and detailed opening hours: www.stadion.fi








Art, and especially theater, doesn’t take itself too seriously in Finland. Or at least not in the summer, when Finns swap their jeans for track pants and decamp to summer cottages in remote villages with practically nothing to offer: just a shop, a seasonal farmer’s market, a gas station, and a local history museum with old plows on display.
And a summer theater!
Finland has more summer theaters relative to population than anywhere else in the world. No one even knows exactly how many there are, but estimates hover somewhere around 600. And they’re popular, too: over a million people attend summer theater performances each year, which is quite an impressive figure in a country of five million people.
Summer theaters perform outdoors, so a hat might be useful, and a windbreaker will help with the mosquitoes. It’s a good idea to
bring along a blanket and a seat pad. An umbrella too, if the seating isn’t covered.
Standards of behavior are also looser. It’s not unheard of for there to be a group of people in the audience who have had enough drinks before the show that they find everything really funny – to the extent that the rest of the audience thinks they find everything too funny. So it’s well-advised to moderate your intake, at least during the show.
Every Finn knows more or less what to expect when they buy tickets to a summer theater performance in cottage country. More likely than not, there will be humor, some of it off-color, as well as plenty of funny hats and wigs. The genre is farce – or “bush farce,” as we say in Finland. The actors are for the most part amateurs: the local
shopkeeper, the bus driver, and a few others. If there’s money, a real actor will play the main role. The sets are a volunteer effort, as are the concessions sold at intermission. The director’s uncle provides security.
As an alternative to humor, the theater might offer local history or a well-known classic of Finnish literature.
To be honest, that’s an overblown caricature of summer theater. Summer theater is also put on by professionals. Especially in larger cities, all the theater companies also produce their own summer theater, in which case the end result is just as professional as it is indoors in the winter, down to the same actors. But it’s still summer theater.
So what’s really the essence of summer theater? Let’s ask Satu Rasila. She’s one of Finland’s most popular playwrights and the dramaturg of Turku City Theatre.
Rasila points out that it isn’t actually the content that makes a summer theater, because it can be anything, as mentioned earlier.
“The common factor must be something else. And it’s probably the circumstances, the summer. The performances are outdoors, and the weather could be anything: oppressively hot, or then again, snowing. And maybe a squirrel will decide to come and take part. Things going on outside the play are present in a very concrete way, and the conditions can affect the performance in all kinds of ways.”
Summer theater audiences are also in some ways more forgiving than at a regular theater. They tend to be more tolerant of double-entendres and drunken humor.
“Summer theater features a kind of communal camp humor, an aesthetic of bad taste. And the audience agrees to go along with the idea that now it’s okay to laugh at stupid things. The audience puts up with a lot of other things too, like sitting on hard wooden benches in the rain! I remember one performance where the audience had covered seating, but the actors were out in the open. It started raining so hard that you couldn’t make out anything the actors were saying in the midst of all the noise. Eventually, lightning struck the sound booth. At that point, they finally stopped the performance.”
According to Rasila, summer theater is also a very communal form of theater, for both the creators and the audience. It’s theater from the heart, and Finns love it:
“Perhaps it’s where Finns’ love of so-called normal theater also stems from. People in Finland go to the theater about 3.5 million times a year, which is really a lot,” says Rasila.
Rasila notes that summer theater is often associated with a certain old-timiness or nostalgia, sometimes also with a homespun feel:
“My own grandfather once gave me the advice, when he was performing, that if you forget a line in summer theater, you can always just say, ‘So, anyway,’ which gives you a little time to think. To this day, the aesthetics of summer theater still often spring from that kind of ‘So, anyway’ world!”
Nonetheless, a successful summer theater succeeds for the same reason as any other theater:
“It has to be exciting. The performance has to somehow give you a nudge, strike a nerve, make you laugh or cry. A lukewarm effort doesn’t cut it in summer theater either.”
The play is written to be completely impossible for an actor - in one case, Miska is on stage in two roles at the same time.
Summer theaters generally have some kind of specialty: some do only comedy, some do classics, some do musicals.
Rasila has written summer theater plays for Emma Teatteri in Naantali, which is a comedy theater. Comedy is more difficult as a genre today than in the past, as perceptions of what is appropriate to laugh at have been changing. Many old comedies don’t resonate with audiences of today because of the way they portray people.
“On the other hand, comedy and summer theater give you the opportunity to do practically anything. For example, we once did a show called Hockey Night. Ice hockey at the summer theater on a summer evening! It was completely ridiculous, but audiences liked it,” Rasila recalls.
One audience favorite has been comedies that have many more roles than there are actors. These generally involve attempting something “impossible,” such as telling the eight-hundred-year history of Turku in two hours (and the program promised to present the history of Helsinki and Tampere as well!).
“Quick role changes make for good comedic pace and tension. For example, in one play, the actor Miska Kaukonen, who has done a lot of these, had just six seconds to change his whole outfit. Your foot had better land in your shoe on the first try, or it’s all over. Audiences have also learned to enjoy seeing how an actor manages – or whether he can manage – to pull off his seemingly impossible task.”
Kaukonen will have the chance to show off his clothes-changing skills this summer as well:
“We have a play at Emma Teatteri called Loistojuttu (A Brilliant Idea). It’s an award-winning French comedy that centers around the idea that everyone has a doppelganger. Miska Kaukonen plays three different characters, and the play is written to be completely impossible for an actor – in one case, Miska is on stage in two roles at the same time. It’s going to be fun!” s





Discover the colourful phases of Finnish military history. In our exhibitions come face-to-face with historical objects from the Second World War, explore the wonderful collection of trench art and frontline illustrations and learn more about the Finnish conscript service and training.





Shattered tree stems standing lonely in a ghastly moonlight, gentle waves glistening in a sunlight across the shores, a solitary soldier looking at the ruins of his destroyed home – these are some of the images captured by the Information Company illustrators during the Continuation War.
The Continuation War began in the summer of 1941 and ended in the autumn of 1944. As the front line advanced deep into the lost territories of Karelia, art was used to record a land and people shaped by the battles fought there.
The exhibition Altered by War explores the history of Continuation War through art and follows ordinary soldier´s journey from home through the battles of war to an altered reality of life after the war.


Finnish sports history is full of legends with equally legendary nicknames
Written by Matti MäkeLä
by Christina saarinen



Let’s start with the one that’s been used most often. Of those who have been called “The Flying Finn”, the most famous – and, in the opinion of many, the only true – bearer of the name was 1920s running legend and nine-time Olympic champion Paavo Nurmi However, the same nickname had already been used for Finnish running star Hannes Kolehmainen, who predated Nurmi and won three gold medals at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and the marathon in Antwerp eight years later. Since Nurmi, the name has been used ad nauseam for countless Finnish runners, not to mention Formula and rally drivers. The most recent runner to earn the title was Lasse Virén, who won the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at both the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics. Anyone who knows anything about athletics knows that using the word “flying” to describe Finnish long-distance runners today wouldn’t even pass for a bad joke.
Due to his sullen and quiet nature, Nurmi was also called “The Great Silent One,” which as a nickname goes, is pretty clumsy; it even sounds a bit North Korean (which is rarely a good thing). Its clumsiness is all the more apparent when compared to “The Iceman,” the nickname that Formula team principal Ron Dennis gave Kimi Räikkönen for exactly the same character traits. Räikkönen earned the nickname, of course: his Garbo-esque response to his race engineer on team radio has gone down in Formula history: “Just leave me alone. I know what to do.” What elevates the story to Casablanca level (as is well known, neither Bogart nor anyone else ever said, “Play it again, Sam,” in the film) is that Räikkönen is often misquoted as saying, “I know what I’m doing,” instead.
World Championships in 1995. He wasn’t called “The Giant” or “The Colossus of Kemi” (a small town in Northern Finland), but instead, “The Fairy of Kemi.”
Similarly, the best ski jumper of all time, Matti Nykänen, was known early in his career as “Masa the Mouse,” which referred to his small stature and was also a twist on the given name of Japanese ski jumper Masahiro Akimoto (“Masa the Mouse” is Masa-hiiri in Finnish, and Masa is a common nickname for Matti). This not-so-cool name was abandoned at the 1982 World Championships in Oslo when Nykänen earned the first elite gold medal of his career by jumping by far the longest jump in the competition, in an almost impenetrable fog. Mice don’t jump like that.
He scored his goals by smashing them into the net from right in front of the goal, after sneaking past the defenders as if from out of nowhere.
The young players that led Finland to its first World Ice Hockey Championships win in 1995, Saku Koivu, Ville Peltonen, and Jere Lehtinen , were nicknamed the “Huey, Dewey, and Louie Line” after Donald Duck’s nephews. Koivu’s and Lehtinen’s successful NHL careers earned them cooler nicknames in North America: with his all-around skills, Lehtinen was known as “Mr. Fix-It,” and Koivu, who played as captain of the Montreal Canadiens for many years, was known simply as “Captain K” (which you might also interpret as having a certain comic-book quality). When Koivu returned to Finland and his hometown club, TPS, during the NHL lockout season, he was greeted at his first home game with a huge "Return of the King" banner, a reference to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Alongside “The Iceman,” another contender for coolest nickname is world motorcycle road racing champion Jarno Saarinen’s “The Baron.” The name is based on a nickname Saarinen’s mother gave him, “The Cat Baron,” after he brought home a stray cat he found somewhere as a child. It’s fitting of this aristocratic style that statues of Saarinen, who died tragically at the 1973 Grand Prix race in Monza, have been erected both in Assisi, Italy, and in his hometown of Turku. Abroad, Saarinen was also known as – surprise, surprise – “The Flying Finn.”
Royal nicknames are particularly popular in football: among many others, Pelé (“Rei Pelé”) and Michel Platini (“Le Roi”) are called kings, while Franz Beckenbauer is an emperor (“Der Kaiser”). In Finland, too, the best football player of all time, Jari Litmanen , has been unimaginatively titled “The King,” but in general, people here seem to prefer more humorous – and sometimes even slightly mean – nicknames (like those given in Mexican drug cartels, whose hard-nosed bosses have been given nicknames like “Shorty” and “Chicken Little”). Take, for example, Mika Halvari, a 190-centimeter-tall shot-putter who weighed 140 kilos when he was competing and won silver at the
A top candidate on the list of strangest-sounding nicknames is definitely that of 1985 World Rally champion Timo “Slack” Salonen. For a long time, the nickname was said to have come from Salonen’s habit of driving rally with only one hand on the steering wheel. However, Salonen himself later corrected the story, explaining that he had called Erkki Pitkänen, who had driven the same kind of car as Salonen in Finnish rally races in the 1970s and whom Salonen had squarely beaten, “Slack Pitkänen.” The jeer came back to bite him, however, and became Salonen’s own nickname.
Hockey player Marko Anttila got his nickname “The Boogeyman” already in his school days, based on his large size and first name (which sounds similar to mörkö, meaning boogeyman in Finnish), but he only truly lived up to his nickname at the 2019 World Championships. During the tournament, he scored four crucial goals in the playoff rounds: first a last-minute equalizer against Sweden in the quarterfinals, then the winning goal against Russia in the semifinals, and finally two goals in Finland’s 3–1 championship victory over Canada. He scored his goals by smashing them into the net from right in front of the goal, after sneaking past the defenders as if from out of nowhere – just like the father of all boogeymen, Michael Myers, in the Halloween movies. s




































Tuomo Kesäläinen has a list of the hundred best geological sites in Finland. He reminds us we have the Ice Age to thank for the uniqueness of Finnish nature.
When nonfiction writer and nature guide Tuomo
Kesäläinen visits the forest, he generally isn’t looking for berries or even at the views. Instead, he’s looking for something more exciting: caves, ravines, giant’s kettles, and the inland shingle beaches known as “devil’s fields.” The places where Finland’s Ice Age history can be seen most plainly.
Kesäläinen, a Naantali native, has spent years mapping Finland’s geological curiosities, places that tell the story of a time when an ice sheet shaped the landscape in a way that is rarely seen elsewhere in Europe:
“There is nowhere where the Ice Age is as visible as it is in Finland – well, maybe in Sweden,” Kesäläinen says.
His interest in unusual natural places arose early in his childhood. Kesäläinen’s family were caravanners and spent their vacations traveling around Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
“Whenever we stopped, we always hiked a nature trail. Or if there was an interesting giant’s kettle or cave somewhere, we went to see it. When I got my driver’s license, I started heading out on my own. First, I worked through all the known sites, and when I ran out of those, I started to think that there must be more. That’s when the real search began.”
One major source of inspiration for Kesäläinen was caver Aimo Kejonen , who had spent decades mapping Finland’s caves and collecting folklore about them. Kesäläinen became Kejonen’s man in the field, as Kejonen was already elderly. Kesäläinen searched for and checked sites, documented them, and collected stories. The collaboration resulted in several books.
It turned out that there were plenty of stories to tell. Many of Finland’s unusual natural sites are linked to stories about devils, giants, and other supernatural creatures.
“When you see a devil’s field, which is actually an old seabed and just filled with heaps of rocks, it’s no wonder that people have thought them supernatural. It’s simply hard to comprehend how all those stones got there.”
Some of these unusual places were considered sacred in pagan times. The devil stories may have been linked to them later, when Christianity arrived, so that the old worship practices would be forgotten. Similarly, many churches were built on the sites of former sacred groves.
“And obviously, giants and devils are much more interesting explanations than a boring old Ice Age,” Kesäläinen says with a laugh.

Giants and devils are much more interesting explanations than a boring old Ice Age.
In his latest book, Suomen kauneimmat retkikohteet – 100 geologista erikoisuutta, Kesäläinen presents one hundred of his own favorite nature spots in Finland. The sites are divided into categories: caves, ravines, devil’s fields, ridges, and kettle holes created by the Ice Age.
“For each site, I give a scientific explanation and a QR code to help you locate it. I wanted to make the book as comprehensive as possible: it covers the whole country, from Åland to Koli and the northernmost reaches of Lapland. Ostrobothnia, too, which is often left empty on nature maps.”
So, what is it that’s special about Finnish nature?
“Our landscapes aren’t ostentatious, like in Norway. They’re more restrained. But the traces of the Ice Age are unique. I would want foreign visitors to see the big bogs and lakes – and of course the midnight sun.”
If you’re exploring the forest without a specific destination, Kesäläinen has a simple tip: climb up onto the exposed bedrock.
“The higher, the better. A typical Finnish forest is often dense and hard to navigate, but it’s easier to move around on the rocks, and the views are better. Plus, old trees and twisted pines often grow there.”
Another underappreciated and sometimes even slightly feared destination is a bog:
“You don’t have to be afraid of sinking in up to your neck. Boots are good enough. It’s also interesting that a completely normal Finnish forest is a place that can make people nervous. I’ve had visitors from Central Europe who found the silence and untouched nature of the forest even frightening. An exotic experience is surprisingly close by.”
According to Kesäläinen, one of the greatest treasures of Finnish nature is Everyman’s Rights.
“Anyone can go almost anywhere in nature. That’s unique. In Finland, you won’t find much nature you have to pay for.” s
Tuomo
Helsinki area: “There too, I would direct my gaze toward the sea. From on the water, you can also get a view of a beautiful national landscape, the skyline of Helsinki, which is worth seeing. There are several islands designated for recreational use, and they can be reached by ferry from the Market Square. Some of the islands are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Again, if the sea doesn’t interest you, it’s not a long way to Nuuksio National Park, which is another place you can get to by bus. There you can experience the Finnish forest and lake landscape. It’s a reliable and easy attraction, for both foreigners and Finns.”
Jyväskylä: “The lake view is also worth seeing in Jyväskylä. The Kanavuori nature trail is one great option. It starts quite close to the city center, and the scenery is stunning. It’s sometimes even compared to Koli. And there are plenty of other nature trails in Jyväskylä, too.”
Tampere: “Pyynikinharju is a stunning natural attraction right in the city center. The ridge reaches 80 meters high, with a beautiful lake on either side, and of course, the old wooden houses are idyllic.
By tram, you can get to a different sort of destination: the Hervantajärvi hiking trail. It’s a beautiful and interesting trail, where you can easily walk 10 kilometers. You can even go swimming while you’re at it.”
Turku: “The obvious choice is the sea. The rugged archipelago, with its thousands of islands, is unique, and you can get there right from the center of Turku. Even just the water bus ride to Ruissalo is nice. You can get further out by taking a ferry. For example, the island of Seili is great.
If you’re not interested in water, I recommend a bog. Kurjenrahka National Park can be reached by bus from the Market Square in 45 minutes. The scenery is beautiful, and there’s no danger of getting lost.”
Saimaa: “The whole area is special, of course, but if I have to be more specific, Punkaharju is my personal favorite. It’s a unique geological formation, and it has all the recreational amenities you could hope for, from bicycles to SUP boards and boats. Punkaharju also has the country’s best scenic road, which you can travel by car. Imatrankoski is another impressive and easily accessible destination. It’s one of the largest rapids in Europe, and when the dam is opened, it’s a sight to behold. It’s also a geologically interesting place, with many giant’s kettles, for example.”
Tuomo Kesäläinen: Suomen kauneimmat retkikohteet – 100 geologista erikoisuutta. (Readme.fi, 2026)
Metropolitan Times digitally www.metropolitantimes.fi

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Hotels providing Metropolitan Times are marked on the map with numbered dots. The list of hotels can be found on page 22.

Fredrikinkatu 45, 00100 Helsinki kauppa.wilhelmiina.net
Open Mon–Fri 10–18, Sat 10–16

Helsinki became the capital of Finland in 1812. Back then, it was merely a village, although it was founded as early as 1550. Nowadays Helsinki has got 694,000 inhabitants and is the largest city in Finland. More information: myhelsinki.fi.
The first mention of Espoo dates back to 1431, but it was not granted city rights until 1972. There are several centres in Espoo, of which Leppävaara is the largest. It is the second largest city in Finland with 326,000 inhabitants. More information: visitespoo.fi.
Vantaa is Finland’s fourth largest and the oldest city in the capital region: the first mention of it dates back to 1352. Helsinki Airport is located in Vantaa. Just like Espoo, Vantaa has several centres. Inhabitants: 253,000. More information: visitvantaa.fi.
The metropolitan area and the municipalities or cities of Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Nurmijärvi, Sipoo, Tuusula, Mäntsälä, Pornainen and Vihti form the greater metropolitan area with a population of about 1.4 million inhabitants. Together with the cities of Porvoo, Lohja and Riihimäki, the population of the greater metropolitan area rises to about 1,600,000.
01 bReak SokoS hotel flamingo
Tasetie 8, 01510 Vantaa
Tel. +358 20 123 4605 www.sokoshotels.fi
02 claRion hotel helSinki
Tyynenmerenkatu 2, 00220 Helsinki
Tel. +358 10 850 3820 www.nordicchoicehotels.com
03 cRowne plaza helSinki Mannerheimintie 50, 00260 Helsinki
Tel. +358 30 030 8480 www.ihg.com
04 hilton helSinki aiRpoRt
Lentäjänkuja 1, 01530 Vantaa
Tel. +358 300 308 489 www.hiltonhotels.com
05 hilton helSinki kalaStaJatoRppa
Kalastajatorpantie 1, 00330 Helsinki
Tel. +358 300 308 487 www.hiltonhotels.com
06 hilton helSinki StRanD
John Stenbergin ranta 4, 00530 Helsinki
Tel. +358 300 308 488 www.hiltonhotels.com
07 hotel anna
Annankatu 1, 00120 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 616 621 www.hotelanna.fi
08 hotel aRthuR
Vuorikatu 19, 00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 173 441 www.hotelarthur.fi
09 hotel haaga centRal paRk Nuijamiestentie 10, 00320 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 580 7877 www.hotelhaaga.fi
10 hotel helka
Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 23, 00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 613 580 www.hotelhelka.com
11 oRiginal SokoS hotel albeRt
Albertinkatu 30, 00120 Helsinki
Tel. +358 20 123 4638 www.sokoshotels.fi
12 oRiginal SokoS hotel pReSiDentti
Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4, 00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 20 123 4608 www.sokoshotels.fi
13 oRiginal SokoS hotel tapiola gaRDen Tapionaukio 3, 02100 Espoo
Tel. + 358 20 123 4616 www.sokoshotels.fi
14 oRiginal SokoS hotel tRipla
Fredikanterassi 1 B, 00520, Helsinki
Tel. +358 20 123 4611 www.sokoshotels.fi
15 RaDiSSon blu alekSanteRi hotel
Albertinkatu 34, 00180 Helsinki
Tel. +358 20 123 4643 www.radissonhotels.com
16 RaDiSSon blu SeaSiDe hotel Ruoholahdenranta 3, 00180 Helsinki
Tel. +358 20 123 4707 www.radissonhotels.com
17 RaDiSSon ReD helSinki
Vuorikatu 24, 00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 20 123 4720 www.radissonhotels.com
18 ScanDic gRanD maRina Katajanokanlaituri 7, 00160 Helsinki
Tel. +358 30 030 8404 www.scandichotels.fi
19 ScanDic helSinki hub Annankatu 18, 00120 Helsinki
Tel. +358 30 087 0680 www.scandichotels.fi
20 ScanDic kaiSaniemi Kaisaniemenkatu 7, 00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 30 030 8403 www.scandichotels.fi
21 ScanDic paaSi Paasivuorenkatu 5 B, 00530 Helsinki
Tel. +358 30 030 8409 www.scandichotels.fi
22 ScanDic Simonkenttä Simonkatu 9, 00100 Helsinki
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Written by anna kari
Since 1888, the Ateneum has served as a home for art in the heart of Helsinki. Designed by architect Theodor Höijer, this historic building invites visitors to explore works from both Finland and abroad, helping us to understand the world from the past to the present. Whether you pop in for a quick viewing or spend the whole day, the Ateneum Art Museum offers a place to challenge established ideas and gain new insights. From the reflections on Finnishness and nature in the permanent collection exhibition to the diverse temporary exhibitions, the Ateneum encourages every visitor to open themselves up to the power of art.


The Eero Nelimarkka exhibition takes a fresh look at the versatile artist
The exhibition covers the entire career of Finnish painter Eero Nelimarkka (1891–1977), marking the first comprehensive display of his work since the 1980s. Nelimarkka’s life story is notable: he rose from being the son of a washerwoman in Vaasa to becoming one of Finland’s most popular artists.
Eero Nelimarkka is known as a painter of the landscapes of South Ostrobothnia, but he was also particularly skilled in portraying people. Nelimarkka’s work includes a large number of diverse characterful portraits, as well as many self-portraits.
In Finnish visual art, the 1910s was a decade of searching for something new, and at the time, Nelimarkka’s paintings displayed a reduction of colour and form, in keeping with the modern spirit of the era. During his career, in addition to rural landscapes, he often portrayed cities, such as landscapes in Helsinki and views from his many trips abroad.
There is an ambiguous strangeness in the artist’s interesting compositions, which feature characteristics of magical realism. The subjects of the paintings are quite simple – a pair of shoes left on the floor, or a pile of hats – but there is a sense that the compositions include many meanings. There is something inexplicable in the works, the presence of which the viewer can only sense. Until 13 September 2026.
Tip: Draw at the Nelimarkka exhibition
Would you like to try creating art yourself? On Wednesdays from 18 March to 9 September, Ateneum’s workshop guides will be present at the exhibition with tips and drawing tools from 16:00 to 19:00. More information: ateneum.fi/events
The Ateneum’s new Modern Classics series presents intriguing 20th-century artists from the Finnish National Gallery collections. Within the Finnish National Gallery collection, the Ateneum is responsible for a wide range of modern art, which the exhibition series will give more visibility. The first artist in the series is Elga Sesemann (1922–2007), known for her expressive style.
Elga Sesemann’s life story is an exceptional and interesting example of a professional woman artist making a career for herself in Finland. She began her career in the 1940s and continued to work actively until the mid-1990s. Sesemann’s artistic oeuvre is extensive, and her style of expression changed many times over the decades.
The exhibition of Elga Sesemann’s work is the first research-based artist’s monograph to be shown in Finland. Works that were once considered startlingly modernist have found favour with today’s audiences, and they deserve to be seen and incorporated into modern-era Finnish art history. From 18 August 2026 to 8 August 2027.
Elga Sesemann’s life story is an exceptional and interesting example of a professional woman artist making a career for herself in Finland.
Arcana Borealis shows how Northern women artists have combined art and alternative spiritual currents
The exhibition Arcana Borealis – Northern Women and Esotericism shows how Northern women artists have, since the late 19th century, combined art and alternative spiritual currents. It also highlights the forgotten networks between artists and the importance of cooperation both in the Nordic countries and internationally.
How have women used art to explore and reach beyond everyday experiences and to connect with the universe? The key themes of the exhibition include the relationship between people and the universe and nature, the connection between spirit and matter, and the question of life after death. Esotericism refers to secret spiritual knowledge.
The featured artists, from a period of more than a hundred years, include both big names in art and names new to the general public, such as Anna-Eva Bergman, Anna Cassel, Ilona Harima, Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, Maja Fjaestad, Hilma af Klint, Iria Leino, Outi Pieski, Laila Pullinen, Elga Sesemann and Ellen Thesleff. The exhibition features art from the Nordic countries, Sápmi, Åland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. The diversity of media used in the featured works blurs the boundaries between, for example, art and craft. From 23 October 2026 to 28 February 2027.
The exhibition A Question of Time sheds light on today’s big questions through the mirror that visual art places in front of us. The exhibition offers a fresh look at Finland’s oldest and most extensive art collection and its formation through three themes: The Age of Nature, Images of a People and The Modern Life. The exhibition also discusses the role of power in collecting and presenting art.
Discover more on a guided tour
Participate in a guided tour included in the museum ticket price! Guided tours to the collection exhibition are held on Sundays 3 May, 7 June, 5 July, 2 August, 6 September and 4 October 2026. A tour in English begins at 13:15. More information: ateneum.fi/events
Pop into Ateneum Bistro or Café Höijer, and visit the museum shop
Take a break from the everyday rush and come to the Ateneum Bistro on the first floor for a meal, a coffee or a drink. The Ateneum Bistro has the same opening hours as the museum.
On the third floor, Café Höijer offers classic café products in a unique milieu of an old sculpture gallery. Café Höijer is open during the third floor’s temporary exhibitions.
In the museum shop located in the light court, you can find souvenirs to take home or give to friends. The shop sells merchandise related to our collection and changing exhibitions, as well as publications, cards, and gift items. s


ATENEUM ART MUSEUM
Kaivokatu 2, 00100 Helsinki | www.ateneum.fi

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The journey starts: Gateway to Northern Lakeland
Begin your journey in Joensuu, the lively gateway to North Karelia, where culture and creativity are part of everyday life. Discover the brand new Eliel Museum and Botania’s tropical garden, enjoy local flavors at Kerubi or Filipof, stay at the welcoming Lietsu Boutique Aparthotel, and explore the craft-filled Taitokortteli.
With vibrant summer events, atmospheric winters, and easy access from Helsinki by car, train, or plane, Joensuu is a smooth and inspiring starting point for your Northern Lakeland adventure.
Into the Mythical: The heart of Karelia & Kalevala
Iconic and deeply rooted in Finnish heritage, Koli is all about breathtaking landscapes and experiencing the age-old call of the wild. Hike the famous Koli Peaks Trail to achieve the Mythical Peak of the journey and immerse yourself in Finland’s national scenery. Visit the Ukko Nature Centre to learn about the region’s geology and stories.
From Koli, continue to Nurmes and Bomba, where Karelian tradition and tranquility come together. Join a handson pastry workshop, savor local cuisine, enjoy seasonal activities from kick sledding to e-fatbiking, and unwind at the Kalevala-inspired Bomba Spa.

Journey into North Karelia’s mythic landscapes by Lake Pielinen. Visit Pielinen Museum and Paateri, where heritage, art, and nature come together.
The Lakeland Peaks tour takes you to five destinations, including Joensuu, Koli, Nurmes, Tahko, and Vuokatti, blending culture, nature, wellness, and adventure.

Finish with a bang: The Peaks of Adventure & Activities
For those hungry for speed and more action packed adventures, Vuokatti is the playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Feel the thrill of a husky ride or explore rugged terrain on an off road SUV safari. The list just goes on: snowmobile adventures, hiking fells, speedboat cruising, and unforgettable bearwatching evenings elevate Vuokatti’s appeal. Enjoy local cuisine at Restaurant Kippo or Haapala, and settle into welcoming hotels or cabins to cool down after the day filled with activities.
End your journey in Tahko, where year-round adventure blends seamlessly with relaxation. Experience reindeer safaris in winter, ice karting, ziplines from the summit, and peaceful paddling to Kammonluoto Island. Savor meals at Havu, Pehku, or Hillside, stay in scenic hotels or cabins, and unwind at the atmospheric Forest Spa surrounded by nature.
Explore the full journey!
visitlakelandfinland.com
Ever heard of an inkfish, river horse, salmon snake, wash mushroom, or peeing boy? No? Well, they are literal translations of Finnish words into English. The words actually mean octopus, hippopotamus, dragon, sponge, and windshield washer nozzle. And they are also examples of how Alicia Iredale makes her followers laugh on her popular Instagram account, @britinfinland, where she talks about learning Finnish.
moved from the UK to Finland to be with her boyfriend about six years ago and decided to learn this difficult language. A little more than a year ago, she started making videos on Instagram in which she speaks Finnish and wonders
The videos have become hugely popular, and a single video might get five million views. And it’s no wonder: Iredale’s pronunciation is exceptionally good, and she’s a natural performer, as if she were born in front of a camera. And
Moving to a new country was also interesting, as Iredale knew hardly anything
“For example, I didn’t really understand that there’s a proper summer here! It’s actually a rather common misconception: people think that there’s always snow in Finland, though in fact, the summer is often warmer here than in England. In the same vein, when we were at a cottage for the first time in the winter, I was told that it would be by a lake, and I wondered where the lake was. I didn’t
Iredale has training as an early childhood educator, so when she came to Finland she thought she would work at an English-speaking daycare center. But then she spotted a year-long language course for foreigners and decided to dedicate the
“I discovered that I really enjoyed studying and learning new words. I’d never studied languages before, so it was something new. And I learned a lot in a year. Of course, at first, I understood a lot more than I could actually speak. After studying for a year, I went to work at a Finnish-speaking daycare, which was great for language immersion. I was with one- to three-year-olds, and they don’t speak very well yet either. The sentences are short and the
From the children, Iredale also learned that the most important thing is to be understood, regardless of whether the grammar is perfect. It was
“It was only through work that I really started to become fluent in the Because of course there are many differences there: while a task may be

In Finland, almost everyone speaks English, so you can get by here without knowing Finnish. But on the other hand, language opens many doors:
“At first, we lived with my boyfriend’s parents, and I didn’t want everyone to always have to switch to English because of me. I wanted to learn at least enough to understand what everyone was talking about. These days, I understand maybe 95 percent. Thanks to knowing the language, I was also able to participate in staff conversations at the daycare. And people in Finland definitely appreciate it when someone even tries to learn the language! It’s sort of an icebreaker.”
On the other hand, it’s often a problem that Finns can be quick to switch to English if they notice someone is fumbling with the language:
“For example, if I asked something in a store, they would immediately answer in English because they wanted to be helpful. That doesn’t happen anymore. The other side of the coin is when people assume I speak perfect Finnish, and then they use complicated sentences and speak quickly, as if speaking to a Finn.”
Finnish is also not the easiest language. Compared to English, for example, Finnish is completely the same – except for the vocabulary, grammar, structure, and pronunciation...
Iredale finds the different noun forms particularly tricky. There are 15 of them.
“When I ask for a cup of coffee, is it kuppi kahvia or kupin kahvia? But on the other hand, I don’t really care anymore if I make mistakes. I would never say anything if I always had to speak perfectly.”
Another tricky thing is the way consonant sounds change in Finnish. Iredale has even made a video about this: how Finns delete letters in the possessive form of words.
“For example, the possessive form of the word ‘Turku’ is ‘Turun.’ Of course, there are rules about when to delete letters, but there are quite a few exceptions. Sometimes the inflected form of a word can look so different that it can easily be mistaken for a completely different word. For example, the negative form of the phrase sataa vettä [which means ‘it’s raining’] isn’t ei sataa vettä, it’s ei sada vettä. And that word looks completely different!”
Though we could also point out that in English, a person who lives in Liverpool is called, against all logic, “Liverpudlian,” so other languages are guilty of it, too…
When you change countries, you also encounter many oddities and differences in everyday life:
“For example, a dish brush is something we don’t have in Britain. We also don’t have cheese planes. Cheese is either cut with a knife or comes ready sliced. Once, when I had just started working at the daycare, I was asked to get the cheese plane from the kitchen, which was tricky because I didn’t know what it was. And to top it all off, the Finnish word has ä and ö in it.”
Or how about Finnish interior design culture:
“Every single kitchen in Finland has Fiskars scissors and Moomin mugs. And there will usually be something from Marimekko somewhere in the home. The UK doesn’t have such a homogeneous culture.”
And even the cultural clichés are true:
“People’s personal space is so important that they will wait for the bus a long way from the stop so that they don’t get too close to anyone else. Personally, I don’t want to be that far away, so I just rudely go right up to the stop. And the funny thing is that it’s usually

1) Understanding language begins with speech. Don’t focus on written language alone because it won’t help in everyday communication. If you only read the written language, you won’t understand anything in ordinary speech situations.
2) Practice in different ways: by listening, writing, and thinking. For example, podcasts have been good for me. Even though you listen to them, they also help a lot with speaking. You can learn different phrases and structures – and words, of course. I also often talk to myself in Finnish.
3) Write down new words so they’ll be easier to remember. And if you can somehow contextualize them, that will also help you remember.
the same people waiting there at the same time for the bus every weekday morning!”
Accessing culture through language
Iredale has been making content about her life in Finland on Instagram for quite some time, but when she started making videos in which she speaks Finnish and shares her observations about the language, a little more than a year ago, her social media blew up.
The most popular seem to be videos that have some kind of “learn with me” angle, where Iredale wonders about or teaches some quirk of the Finnish language – and most of the students are Finns.
“They always give me a lot more examples. I suspect that the videos lead Finns to discover things about their own language that they might not have thought about.”
Another hit product has been various direct translations. For example, the Finnish word rautatie, meaning railroad, would translate to “iron road” in English. Or animals: if you translate the Finnish words for raccoon and anteater directly into English, you get “wash bear” and “ant bear,” which is admittedly funny.
“Learning the language is also always a key to the culture. If you don’t know the language, there are essential things you won’t understand. For example, Finns are very matter-of-fact people, they go straight to the point, and even sound a bit blunt to outsiders. And when a Finn speaks English, that Finnish abruptness often carries over into their English, but that’s not how English people speak! We like to mince words and sugar-coat things. But when you learn to speak Finnish, you realize that it’s not that they’re rude, it’s a way of thinking.” s



Southwest Finland’s vast archipelago is a destination for bold adventurers: 40,000 islands, no crowds, and time that isn’t planned for you. Find your own way — and stay a little longer than you meant to.
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In the couRSe of the trip from Charles de Gaulle Airport to central Paris, the grumpy, middle-aged taxi driver managed to curse the city’s system of roads, the government, the president, and elderly care. I looked out the backseat window at late autumn’s black Seine, where I had once swum, in the intoxication of youth; at Pont Neuf, where a few years earlier I had photographed women dressed in blue burqas.
The hotel was near the Saint Denis metro station, down the side street. The receptionist, an old man, stumbled wearily out of the back room. I apologized for my late arrival and explained that my flight from Helsinki to Paris had been delayed by several hours.
I climbed the narrow, creaky stairs to the third floor. The stairwell smelled of a bygone century, of dust, cigarettes, and 4711 Eau de Cologne. My room key hung on a heavy keychain carved from walnut wood. I wondered how many people had held this key before I was born. I threw my small backpack on the bed and opened the thick drapes. The large window looked out on a rainy street that was lit by dim street lamps. The dark windows of the tired old house next door stared back at me.
The mahogany bed creaked as I slipped under the heavy blanket. For a moment, I counted reindeer, until I fell into a deep sleep.
Early in the morning, I woke up to the strange feeling that I wasn’t alone in my room. I flicked on the bedside lamp and saw a suitcase with a big Pikachu sticker on the side. Someone was sleeping in
the armchair. He had hidden his face inside the hood of his white sweatshirt, but from the sticker on the suitcase and the sleeper’s childlike hands and slim torso, I deduced he was a Japanese teenager. I didn’t get up, out of fear that I would wake him. I wondered what I should do. I decided to lie in bed until the boy woke up.
At seven o’clock, the boy was still sleeping. I got out of my bed, took a shower, got dressed, and opened the window. The boy woke up, jumped from his chair, pulled the hood off his head, and without looking at my face, apologized in a quiet, shy voice.
“Sorry! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said.
“I’m very sorry, but this is my room,” the boy said. He explained that he had come from the airport during the night, found me, an older woman, in his bed, and been too exhausted to start straightening things out.
“What’s your room number?” I asked.
The boy answered: number six.
I said that couldn’t be because my room number is six.
When I handed him my room key, I realized that my room number was actually nine. It was my turn to apologize. The boy covered his mouth with his hand and said that he could take room nine.
I sat alone at a table by the window in the breakfast room and looked down at the street. The morning was sunny, the sky turquoise.

The mahogany bed creaked as I slipped under the heavy blanket. For a moment, I counted reindeer, until I fell into a deep sleep.
A stout wind carried dry maple leaves over the street. Over there, someone was hurrying along; over there, cheek kisses were being exchanged; over there, some people were chatting while their dogs peed on the autumn leaves. The boy sat at the next table and smiled at me sympathetically. I asked what had brought him to Paris.
“Long story short,” he said, looking at me ruefully, “a year ago, the week after my mother was buried, I was at a sushi bar with my friend when an older, middle-aged French woman came up to me and asked if I was interested in modeling. The woman seemed nice, but I said I wasn’t interested in modeling. I thought she would turn out to be a scam artist. Or maybe even a pervert, luring depressed young people into prostitution. After a short conversation, the woman handed me her business card and said to call if I changed my mind. A few months later, when I had finished school and life with my father was really hard, I called the number, and now I travel between Tokyo and Paris. What about you? Why are you in Paris?” the boy asked.
I told him I was an author and on my way to a literary festival in Normandy. He said he had only ever read a single novel in his life and still wondered how he managed to finish it. We chatted, laughed, and ordered more coffee, and when it was time to move on, the boy asked if I would like to come see a fashion show in the evening; he would be modeling accessories by Alexandre Mattiussi
“I would love to,” I said, “but Normandy is calling.”
When I gave the boy my email address, he smirked and said, “Don’t forget to lock your hotel room door.”
The next fall, I received an email from the boy. He said that he was living in Milan and had seen my book Scompartimento n. 6 in a bookstore window. s

Rosa Liksom is an author whose works have been translated into many languages. Hytti numero 6 (Compartment No. 6) won the prestigious Finlandia Prize and was made into a film that won the Grand Prix at Cannes.







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