the city

Helsinki faces Estonia and its capital, Tallinn, across the Gulf of Finland. Tallinn is far older. In fact Helsinki was established to compete with it as a port and trading centre.

That was in 1550 and Helsinki's founder was King Gustav Vasa of Sweden. At the time, Finland and Sweden were the same country.

Helsinki was not even the main town of Finland. That title was held by Turku, on the southwest corner of the country. For the next 200 years, Helsinki remained a dull backwater.

Its rise began with the construction of the fortress island of Suomenlinna, intended to combat Russia's growing power in the Baltic. The effort failed and Finland was ceded to Russia. Helsinki became the capital of the new Grand Duchy of Finland, and its construction began. A century later, Finland gained independence.

THE APPROACH
Helsinki is on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. The gulf has an average depth of only 37 metres (20 fathoms) and is very shallow at its eastern end near St. Petersburg. There is so little salt that the seawater here is similar to lake water – indeed, much of it comes from Russia’s great Lake Ladoga.

The northern coast of the Gulf of Finland is jagged and the approaches to Helsinki from either east or west are dotted with islands, a paradise for yachting. Cruise ships keep well out to sea where the islands are small, uninhabited and sometimes with hardly any vegetation.

Ships bound for moorings at Hernesaari pass two wooded islands just offshore Helsinki. The larger island, named Melkki, has a railway track and various eccentric buildings constructed by Chinese prisoners of war in the 19th century, when the Tsar of Russia ruled Finland. This island is closed to the public and owned by the Defence Forces, which jealously reserve it for the summer cottages of army personnel.

A second island to the west of Helsinki’s peninsular is Pihlajasaari (Rowan Island), which is owned by the City of Helsinki. Its eastern end has one of Helsinki’s few nudist beaches, although no one is likely to be frolicking in the chill morning hours when cruise ships sail past.

Cruise ships bound for Katajanokka or the South Harbour arrive father to the east and pass between the fortress islands that guard sea access to old Helsinki. The Sound of Kustaanmiekka (Gustav’s Sword) is just 145 metres (160 yards) wide, so passing ships tower above it. Passengers get an excellent view of the monumental Kings Gate, built in 1753 to mark a visit by King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden.

Alas the largest cruise ships can’t navigate the Kustaanmiekka Sound, and have to moor in the West Harbour instead of the centre. But whether or not you pass it on the way in, Suomenlinna fortress is one of the great attractions of Helsinki and well worth a visit if you have a couple of hours to spare. See Main sights.

If your ship is berthing inside the South Harbour, you'll pass two fine wooden buildings on islands in the middle of the harbour. The one with a green roof is the headquarters of NJK, the largest yachting club in Finland. It was established in 1861 and the pavilion here on Blekholmen island was built in 1900. Alongside it is the island of Klippan. Its red-roofed Empire Villa was built a couple of years earlier in 1898 and today hosts a summer restaurant. Diners reach it by a shuttle boat from just south of the Olympia Terminal.

THE CENTRE
The centre of Helsinki consists of low-rise buildings. Most of the historic sites are north of Market Square. The area is flat, compact and laid out on a grid. For most people, walking is the best way to get around and light shoes are adequate.

A visit to the island fortress of Suomenlinna calls for more solid shoes because many of its paths are uneven cobble stones.

PASSPORTS, VISAS
As a member of the EU, Finland does not require visas from citizens of other EU countries.

Finland is also a member of Schengen area of the EU, where visa policies are unified. Citizens of Australia, Japan, North and Central America and most of South America can enter the Schengen area for 90 days without a visa. Visitors from most other countries require a visa.

The same visa allows entry to any Schengen country. The Schengen area consists of most EU members and the EEA (Norway and Iceland) but not Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK.

LANGUAGES
Almost all Finns speak English, most of them very well. A minority of citizens speak Swedish as a first language, but among most Finnish-speakers, skills in Swedish, learnt in school, are usually very rusty.

Older people may speak some German. Very few can manage French or Spanish and hardly anyone speaks Russian, apart from a small minority of native Russian speakers, many of whom moved to the country in the 1990s.

PUBLIC ORDER
For personal safety Helsinki is one of the most peaceful Baltic capitals. Normally the only people who pester helpless visitors are locals trying to give directions. The central area is also impressively clean. And the summer dress code is relaxed.

But drivers are rarely courteous, and it is wise to be careful crossing roads. Even Finnish bus drivers are not renowned for their people-skills. The friendliest often turn out to be recent immigrants.

A few drunks on park benches and beggars kneeling in the street are an eyesore rather than a danger.The drunks are mostly old Finnish men while the beggars are almost certain to be foreigners, most commonly Roma from eastern Europe.

Some of the summer visitors are thieves. Pickpockets sometimes operate in crowded areas.

FOOD & WATER
Helsinki tap water is pure and tastes good. Buying bottled water is unnecessary and even counterproductive. Water that has been standing on the shop shelf for a few days often has a higher bacterial count than tap water.

Snacks from kiosks are subject to the same health regulations as restaurant food. Uncooked fruit and vegetables bought from market stalls are of course best washed before eating.

MONEY
Finland, like Germany, is in the euro zone. All the other Baltic Rim countries have their own currencies. A few market stalls and shops will accept dollars, but not usually at a very encouraging rate.

Fortunately credit cards are very widely accepted, even by taxis. For public transport, though, you will need euro cash.

The easiest way to get cash is from an ATM, using a credit card. There are ATMs throughout the central area.

PRICES
Prices seem high to visitors from southern and eastern Europe but fairly normal to those from the west. Comparing Helsinki with the rest of the Baltic and Nordic area, everyday items and services are more expensive than in St Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga and Gdansk but cheaper than in Copenhagen and Oslo. For things worth buying in Helsinki because of their price or quality, see Souvenirs.

SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, MUSEUMS
The opening hours of most central shops are from 9 in the morning to 5 or 6 p.m. though some stay open to 8 or 9 in the evening. There is no early-closing weekday.

Small kiosks can be open any time they want, but the opening hours of shops are restricted slightly by law on Sundays and other holidays. Maximum opening hours on Sundays are 12:00 – 21:00.

Public holidays	2010
Epiphany	6 January
Easter	2–5 April
May Day ("Vappu")	1 May
Ascension	13 May
Whit Sunday	23 May
Midsummer’s Day	19 June
All Saints’ Day	1 November
Independence Day	6 December

Museums often follow the examples of shops on special holidays. Restaurants are more competitive and don’t.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
There are four exceptional days during the cruise season May-September 2009.

On 1 May (Friday) and again on 21 May (Thursday) all shops will be closed. On 19 June, Midsummer's Eve, (Friday) shops are open only 7:00 - 13:00 and the following day they are closed.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Helsinki City Transport operates public buses, trams and metro trains. It also runs a ferry to Suomenlinna, the fortress island just off the coast.

Within Helsinki, tickets cost the same whether it's a bus, tram, train or boat. The fare does not depend on the distance traveled, either.

For day-trippers who want to get around by themselves, a tourist ticket is ideal. It costs 6.80 euros, lasts for 24 hours and can be used on all city buses, trams or trains, and the Suomenlinna ferry.

A three-day tourist ticket costs €13.60 and a 5-day ticket €20.40. One, three or five-day tourist tickets can be purchased from ticket machines or from bus or tram drivers.

If you need only one or two rides, buy a single ticket. It has a transfer right for an hour. This means that if you use another bus, train or tram within the hour, you just show the driver the stub of the old ticket.

The cost of a single ticket is 2.50 euros, if you buy it from the driver. If you get it in advance from a ticket machine, it costs 2.00.

There is a special cut-price ticket that can be used on the trams only and has no transfer right. It costs just 1.80 euros but you have to buy it from a ticket machine, not the driver, so if you board a tram with no ticket, the cheapest ticket you can buy is a single, at 2.50.

The fine for travelers caught without a ticket is 80 euros. Tariffs and warnings are posted in English as well as Finnish and Swedish so the obvious excuse doesn't work.

TAXIS
Taxi services are provided by licensed private companies and individuals, and their prices are regulated by law. There are a few illegal pirate cabs, but they don’t venture out in daytime.

There are many taxi stands around the centre of town but taxis rarely wait there and it's even harder to flag down a ride in the street. If you have access to a phone it makes sense to call the taxi booking centre and order one to come to where you are or will be.

To call a taxi from a fixed phone in Helsinki, call 0100 0700. If you are using a GSM telephone registered abroad, add the prefix for Finland i.e. +358 100 0700. You will be connected to a booking centre that will radio your request to the nearest available taxi. Naturally you can book in advance, even from another country, if you know when you will need the taxi.

The driver should not turn on the meter until the taxi reaches the pick-up place. On normal working days, the taxi meter starts at 4.70 euros and goes up 1.20 euros per kilometre (about 1.95 euros per mile) when there are 1-2 passengers. With more passengers on board it costs a bit more but even in a space wagon carrying more than eight people, the price is no more than 1.68/km (2.70/mile). There are no extra charges for normal amounts of hand luggage.

Naturally there are fewer invalid taxis available so, to avoid waiting, it makes sense to call a couple of hours before you want to be picked up. The number is still +358 100 0700 for invalid taxis and advance bookings. The taxi meter starts from a slightly higher minimum charge of 5.20 euros instead of 4.70 when a booking is made in advance.

Taxis are not cheap but taxi driving is an honourable profession in Helsinki and passengers are safe from harm or fraud. Customers are expected to pay what the meter shows but not to tip. Payment will rarely be accepted in any currency except the euro, but payment by credit card is usually possible.

COMMUNICATIONS
Almost everyone in Finland has a mobile phone - the number of subscriptions overtook the number of fixed lines years ago. No one needs public telephones so there are hardly any booths available.

This is a problem for the tourist who doesn't have a GSM phone. In an emergency, any passer-by will gladly phone the required service for you, but will probably be less helpful if you just want to call a taxi.

For travellers with small laptops or WiFi-enabled phones, Internet access is better. Many shops and other businesses in the central area offer hot spots for public use, though broadcast strength is generally weak and connections get very slow if there are a lot of people on line. Click here for a map.

The City of Helsinki provides hotspots in several central areas such as the Railway Station Square, around the Amanda statue at the Market Square and outside Kiasma, the museum of modern art. However, like private WLAN, coverage is spotty.

The City Libraries have a wireless internet access service but it was designed by bureaucrats so it can't be used without a library card! Most hotels have WiFi, too, but not as a free service.

WEATHER
Between the west winds and the arctic front, the weather in Finland is hard to predict. Carrying an umbrella makes good sense at any time of the year.

Summers are usually as warm as in England and the Netherlands but drier. July is the warmest month, but with a growing likelihood of thundershowers as the month goes on. Mellower weather follows in August. The winter is cold but in the south it doesn't start until October. Instead, summer visitors get to experience nightless nights.

Helsinki is too far south for the Midnight Sun, and the sun does indeed set in the late evening. But it’s only just below the horizon so the sky remains quite bright. At the height of summer, the capital has just a couple of eerie twilight hours between one day and the next. Outdoor fun can continue almost around the clock.

Late hours of daylight can upset your sleep rhythm. Locals are used to it, and many sleep less in the summer without feeling the worse for it. As for the greenhouse effect, no one knows what a warmer climate would do to the patterns of wind and rainfall. There are now fairly few storms and the frozen winter Baltic is a far safer place than the warm and turbulent North Sea.