Helsinki holidays

Rail route of the month: gliding past Finland’s pristine forests and lakes

Our slow travel expert explores Finland’s borderlands with Russia as she embarks on a 300-mile journey from Helsinki to North Karelia

Nicky Gardner

02, Aug, 2022 @6:00 AM

A local’s guide to Helsinki, Finland: delicious seafood, islands to explore and a dash of Arctic cool

Former tour guide Heidi Johansson leads us to great local food, unisex saunas and fab cocktails in the Finnish capital

Interview by Matthew Brace

25, Apr, 2022 @6:00 AM

Helsinki's huge VR gig hints at the potential of virtual tourism

Finland’s biggest online event – a gig by JVG – was ‘attended’ by over half a million but Helsinki has even more ambitious plans to become the virtual capital of the world

Sarah Baxter

05, May, 2020 @12:34 PM

Six of Europe’s best cities for vintage and retro shopping

Locals share their go-to shops and markets for great-value items with bags of style and a tale to tell. Scroll down to see collectors’ favourite finds

Guardian writers

16, Nov, 2019 @7:00 AM

A local’s guide to Helsinki, Finland: 10 top tips

The Finnish capital, which has committed to being carbon neutral by 2035, is great for island-hopping, nightlife, cool design and steaming saunas

Kaisa-Reeta Koskinen

23, Sep, 2019 @10:00 AM

Seasonal city breaks: 10 of the best pre-Christmas European getaways

From a bedecked Zagreb to twinkling Turin, here are the best places to spark your festive spirit

Joanne O'Connor

25, Nov, 2018 @7:00 AM

Fetish for facades: the symmetry of Helsinki's architecture – in pictures

Helsinki photographer Kristo Vedenoja captures the colourful mix of architectural styles in Finland’s capital on Instagram, one square at a time

Francesca Perry

29, Mar, 2017 @10:25 AM

Move over Barcelona: four great alternative city breaks

For weekends away, we tend to stick to the same old places. Why not dodge crowds and high prices at these less high-profile – but no less interesting – cities: Parma, Cadiz, Helsinki or Hamburg

Sorrel Downer, Ida Kukkapuro, Malte Brenneisen and Urs Spindler

03, Sep, 2016 @6:00 AM

Finland’s sauna scene as hot as ever

Helsinki’s public saunas refused to throw in the towel to developers and are flourishing. Paul Hirons visits trendy spas and tiny shacks, and makes a dash to Lapland

Paul Hirons

28, Jun, 2016 @6:00 AM

Ai Weiwei the star attraction at Helsinki Art Museum reopening

Following a 14-month redevelopment, Helsinki Art Museum reopens with an exhibition by the Chinese artist – part of a wider plan to make the city a design destination

Will Coldwell

25, Sep, 2015 @3:47 PM

Winning Helsinki Guggenheim design 'a wake-up call to architecture'

Paris-based architects Moreau Kusunoki win controversial competition with design praised for restoring idea of public space to museums

David Crouch in Gothenburg

23, Jun, 2015 @5:26 PM

End of the car age: how cities are outgrowing the automobile

Cities around the world are coming to the same conclusion: they’d be better off with far fewer cars. So what’s behind this seismic shift in our urban lifestyles? Stephen Moss investigates

Stephen Moss

28, Apr, 2015 @6:00 AM