You probably know Finland shares a border with Russia, gets cold and dark in winter, and enjoys seemingly endless midnight sun in summer. You might even know Finland is the only Nordic country to have adopted the Euro. But if you haven’t been to Helsinki, you probably don’t know Finland’s capital city is young and hip-a fast-growing metropolis that’s one of the rising stars in the European Union.

Helsinki surprises visitors with its trendy hotels, popular restaurants, hopping nightlife, impressive modern design offerings and year-round arts scene. Nearly everyone speaks at least some English (the official languages are Finnish and Swedish). And the high-tech craze here can be mind-boggling.

Nokia, the Finnish company that is the world’s largest maker of cellphones (known in Europe as mobiles) is king, with more than $34 billion in annual sales. And the cellphone company has
spawned a whole sub-industry in and around Helsinki of small content providers working on things like games and logos, according to Jari Sinkari, New York-based consul for Finland.

Nokia itself is poised for international growth in areas that go beyond the use of cellphones as, well, phones. “In Europe, for instance, 40 billion text messages are sent every month. In the U.S. 1.5 billion,” Sinkari noted.

Helsinki is a testing ground. As such, you see mobile phones used to pay for things as mundane as car washes. (The charge appears on your phone bill.) The popular “cash or credit card” adage has been humorously adapted in Finland to “cash or mobile.”

Other major industries are wood/paper/forestry and metals/machinery, the latter including shipbuilding. Kvaerner Masa has yards in Helsinki and Turku, where vessels under construction include Carnival cruise ships.

Finland is a politically and socially progressive country. President Tarja Halonen, the country’s first female president, is known for her down-to-earth manner. Halonen recently received a popularity rating of more than 90 percent, leading some pundits to say the country was making “a declaration of love” for the leader. Last March, Finland also elected its first female prime minister. Her tenure was short-lived, though, as she was promptly ousted in a scandal that involved the alleged leaking of political material. Think Finnish Watergate.

Corporate taxes are a current hot-button issue. When the E.U. (of which Finland has been a member since 1995) is enlarged in May, there’s some concern that new members-including Estonia
right across the Gulf-will have an advantage because of their lower corporate tax rates.

The capital city is home to 560,000 residents. One million people reside in the greater metropolitan area. Helsinki is an easy city to navigate by foot or by mass transit, which includes a comprehensive network of buses, trams and a subway. Taxis are expensive, but plentiful.

Driving is done on the right side and highway signs are usually printed in English. A word of advice-ask your rental car company to explain the somewhat confusing honors parking system, which requires you to display a sign designating the time you parked the car.

Finns, as a people, have a good sense of humor. Wacky annual contests are prevalent throughout the country. The ever-popular Wife-Carrying World Championships require men to compete on an obstacle course while each carries a woman (not necessarily his wife) on his back. Still, Finns are not by nature smiley or particularly conversational. Americans may feel the urge to fill silences. It’s not necessary.

“The Finns don’t have this need,” Sinkari explained.

On the other hand, once a Finn gets to know you-or perhaps has a few drinks under his belt-he’s likely to open up.

Of course, shyness wanes when it comes to the traditional Finnish sauna, where you and your hosts get naked (modest visitors may don a towel or swimsuit) and relax in a sauna hotter than what most Americans are used to. The ritual, designed to release tension in mind and body, usually involves drinking beer. Finns love their sauna so much, at one point there were nearly as many saunas in the country as there were cars.

I once asked a Helsinki driver to describe why he thought sauna here was so great. “It’s more a feeling than anything else,” he responded.

Hotels

Hotel Kamp
In a case of everything-that’s-old-is-new-again, the best hotel in Helsinki is the five-star Hotel Kamp, a member of Starwood’s luxury collection. The property, originally opened in 1887 and reopened by Starwood in 1999, is on the city’s central Esplanade (Pohjoisesplanadi), where it played an important role in Finnish history.

Starwood’s renewal does the property proud. The company replicated the original chintz curtains, ordered new chandeliers to match the old; and reproduced chairs based on an original design. The resulting 186 rooms and suites (some with private saunas) retain the hotel’s 19th century character. The hotel’s Est. 1887 restaurant is once again a prime fine-dining venue, and CK’s offers a casual bistro alternative. The Bar and Library (where tea is served) are relaxing meeting spots.
Hotel Kamp, Simonkatu 9, Helsinki, Finland
tel 00 358 9 576 111, fax 00 358 9 576 1122
www.hotelkamp.fi

Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel
The Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel, near the train station and National Theatre, is a modern property in a historic building that dates to 1917. A popular business hotel, the Radisson also has a
thriving bar scene that attracts both visitors and locals. The 301 guestrooms include 43 rooms designated as Business Class, which means they come with freebies like buffet breakfast and
movies. Guestrooms, decorated in Italian classic or Nordic style, feature white marble bathrooms. The hotel’s six suites include one inspired by the work of Finland’s most famous designer, Alvar Aalto. Some rooms offer views of the train station-a surprisingly cool sight (see attractions below).
Radisson SAS Plaza, Mikonkatu 23, Helsinki, Finland
tel 00 358 9 77590, fax 00 358 9 7759 7100
www.radissonsas.com

Hilton Helsinki Strand
In January 2003, Hilton entered Finland with the opening of the Hilton Helsinki Strand in the former Strand Inter-Continental. The elegant 192-room hotel overlooks the Gulf and is close to the historic city center. The property underwent minor changes to become part of the Hilton brand, including the addition of an Executive Floor with an Executive Lounge. Guestrooms include seven suites, and some rooms have sea views. There’s a business center, restaurant and café/bar. The hotel also has a rooftop sauna, sea-view swimming pool and gym. In February, Hilton is also opening Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa, a seaside property just over three miles from Helsinki Center.
Hilton Helsinki Strand, John Stenbergin ranta 4
Helsinki, Finland, tel 00 358 9 39 3514
fax 00 358 9 3935 3255, www.hilton.com

Scandic Simonkentta Helsinki
The Scandic chain, founded by Swedes and now owned by Hilton, has several midrange hotels in and around Helsinki. The most convenient is the Scandic Simonkentta Helsinki, a sleek, glass and steel structure close to the train station and shopping. The airy property is well suited to the business traveler. Its Business Centre is open daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (The hotel’s gym is open those same hours.) The property has 360 rooms and suites, done up in modern Scandinavian décor. Deluxe rooms feature private saunas and balconies. There are also three public saunas, and the hotel has both a restaurant and café.
Scandic Simonkentta Helsinki, Simonkatu 9
Helsinki, Finland, tel 00 358 968 380
fax 00 358 968 38 111, www.scandic-hotels.com

Restaurants

Helsinki restaurants serve everything from Finnish reindeer and Russian specialties to Thai curry and Tex Mex. There are gourmet restaurants, cozy bistros, fast food joints and bustling cafés (in summer, check out the outdoor cafés). For a quick meal, head to the indoor marketplace on the waterfront, where some of the vendors have sit-down counters. Many restaurants feature a Helsinki Menu, which designates the use of local seasonal ingredients, such as mushrooms in late summer.

G.W. Sundmans
Tops with business travelers for fine dining is G.W. Sundmans, an innovative, one Michelin-star restaurant located in a 19th century naval captain’s mansion overlooking Market Square. A four-course fixed menu might include salted whitefish with roe of whitefish, a terrine of foie gras with fig compote, lightly smoked fillet of deer with mushrooms, and a plum soufflé with cognac ice cream. Service is classic and refined. The main restaurant is in several elegant rooms on the second floor. The ground floor has the more low-key Sundman Krog with a nautical theme. Fixed menu $62 to $105 (dinner), $37 to $79 (lunch). A lá carte also available.
G.W. Sundmans, Etelaranta 16, tel 00 358 962 26 410
fax 358 9 661 331, www.royalravintolat.com

Lasipalatsi Restaurant
The Lasipalatsi (glass palace) in center city was built in the 1930s to host a temporary bazaar in anticipation of the 1940 Olympics, later canceled because of World War II. Today the restored building houses the upstairs Lasipalatsi Restaurant, furnished in functionalist 1930s style complete with Winter Garden, and featuring fine service and a menu that takes into account Finnish traditions. Specialties include lamb served with baked potato, pickled cucumber, beetroot and sour cream. Open for lunch and dinner. At street level is the more casual Café Lasipalatsi. Main courses cost $16 to $32.
Lasipalatsi Restaurant, Mannerheimintie 22-24
tel 358 9 612 6700, fax 358 9 612 67070
www.ravintola.lasipalatsi.fi

Strindberg Café
A fun contemporary venue is Strindberg Café, named for Sweden’s famous playwright and located on the Esplanade near the Swedish Theatre. The street-level café has an open kitchen serving sandwiches and pastries. Upstairs is a book-lined bar with comfortable couches and a dining room
offering an international menu including such local treats as grilled Baltic herring in herb sauce, and good takes on both Caesar’s salad and steak. Open for lunch and dinner. Sandwiches and pastries $5 to $14; main courses $12 to $28.
Strindberg Café, Pohjoisesplanadi 33
tel 00 358 9 681 20 312, fax 00 358 9 681 20317
www.royalravintolat.com

Shopping

The Finns love design and art and that’s very much on display when it comes to shopping. A stop at a Marimekko store is a must (there are several on the Esplanade and elsewhere). The brightly colored fabric creations, once worn in the 1960s by Jacqueline Kennedy, are “in” again. And the company has branched out into a variety of home goods. Two other brands to watch for are iittala for crystal and Arabia for cool porcelain and ceramic dishes (both can be found at Hackman Shop Arabia, Pohjoisesplanadi 25, and other stores throughout Helsinki).

The city’s prime shopping districts are the Esplanade, for the best of Finnish design at prices that reflect that (this is a great place to people-watch and browse even if you don’t buy
anything); and Central, which runs from the Esplanade to the Railway Station. On the Esplanade, the Kamp Galleria, near Hotel Kamp, is an upscale indoor shopping mall with 50 shops. In Central, you’ll find Stockmann (Aleksanterinkatu 52), Helsinki’s largest department store and a must-do stop-there are special sections featuring craft items from throughout Finland. The store offers immediate VAT tax refunds and will ship your goods home if you like.

For the latest in Finnish design, visit Design Forum Finland (Fabianinkatu 10, tel 358 9 62 92 90), which has revolving museum displays of the latest and greatest and an excellent gift shop.

Market Square (Kauppatori) is the place to go for a fun market scene, food (including caviar), souvenirs, handmade woolens, crafts and trinkets. There’s an indoor market, an open-air market in summer, and at any time of year you are likely to see someone from Lapland dressed as Santa.

Visitors can shop tax-free, reclaiming VAT tax refunds of up to 16 percent on purchases of more than $50.

Attractions

Soumenlinna Fortress

The “Gibraltar of the North” is accessible by ferry from Market Square. tel 358 9 684 18 80.

Finnish National Gallery

A collection that fills three museums. Kauvokatu 2, tel 358 9 17 33 61.

Senate Square

View 19th century neoclassical architecture from the period when Finland was an independent grand duchy of Russia.

Railway Station

Eliel Saarinen designed the avant-garde station with giant Egyptian sculptures that have influenced movie set designers, including those who did “Batman.”

“Church in the Rock”

Temppeliaukio in Finnish, this church was literally built into solid rock and topped with a copper dome. Lutherinkatu 3, tel 358 9 49 86 98.

Getting There

Finnair (tel 800 950 5000; www.finnair.com) flies daily nonstop to Helsinki from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Flights are also offered twice a week in fall and winter between Helsinki and Miami. The carrier has an unusual program that lets business travelers fly Business Class one way and economy the other. Lufthansa (tel 800 399 LUFT, www.lufthansa.com) flies to Helsinki through Munich, Germany. Scandinavian Airlines/SAS (tel 800 221 2350, www.scandinavian.net) flies to Helsinki via Sweden, Norway or Copenhagen. British Airways (tel 800 AIRWAYS, www.ba.com) has flights through London’s Heathrow Airport.