Sailboats in Helsinki harbour

Photo: Graham Simmons

Helsinki’s historical charms unwind slowly and gracefully, in a city that blends youth with antiquity.

On Suomenlinna Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site just 10 minutes by ferry (€1.50) from Helsinki Harbour, history leaps out at you, in the form of the old Nevsky Cathedral, standing on a hill right in the middle of the island. Suomenlinna Fortress dates from the days when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. The island also boasts a number of excellent museums - including the Nordic Art Centre  - and even has its own brewery, complete with a very pleasant beer-garden.

New museums keep sprouting all over Helsinki like mushrooms after rain. One such offering is the Kaapelitehdas, or “Cable Factory”, set in an old Nokia factory by the harbour. The biggest cultural space in Europe, Kaapelitehdas features three sub-museums, devoted to theatre, photography, and restaurants and bars.

Another establishment well worth visiting is the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, which boldly bills itself as “the world’s most popular contemporary art museum”.

On the second weekend in June every year, Helsinki’s Samba Festival brings people out onto the streets in droves, partying all night long under the unearthly midnight sun.