Guide to Helsinki

Hotel Kamp (29 Pohjoisesplanadi, 957 6111, hotelkamp.com, deluxe rooms from €206) has been standing since 1887 and it's unquestionably the best in town. Rooms are impressively spacious, the bathrooms are a sea of marble and the little things, such as plug sockets in the perfect position for working at the desk, are spot on. Otherwise, the €229-plus junior suites at the Sokos Torni (26 Yrjonkatu, 201 234 604, sokoshotels.fi) have roll-top baths and balconies, while "luxe" rooms at Hotel Haven (17 Unioninkatu, 9681 930, www.hotelhaven.fi, from €219) offer a much sought-after but rarely found quality: barnstorming sea views.

SHOP + PLAY

To market

Helsinki's markets are a big part of city life. The scattergun stalls at Market Square mark the seasons — in summer it's busy and buzzing, in winter it's a few hardy souls in what look like tents, selling warm hats. The daily flea markets at Hietalahti Square are a hive of eccentricity; you can probably pick up unicorn horns and magic elixirs if you rummage among the stalls. Come winter, it's all about the St Thomas Christmas Market. It sprawls along the Esplanade Park, with more Santa hats and roasted chestnuts than you could possibly wish for.

Go shop

The Design District, which is broadly to the south of Bulevardi and Esplanade Park, is a pleasure to browse around. The chain stores generally don't hold sway here, meaning plenty of interior design, indie clothing, jewellery and antiques stores. If you have to pick just one spot, then Design Forum Finland (7 Erottajankatu, designforum.fi) is probably the most interesting all-rounder. It has everything from vases and wooden stools to bags and necklaces, and just about everything looks ooh-I-want-that cool. Stockmann (52 Aleksanterinkatu, stockmann.com)is the big department store, a seven-storey behemoth that takes up a city block and has an upmarket vibe.

Live music

Helsinki is hardly New Orleans but the Happy Jazz Club Storyville (8 Museokatu, 9408 007) is an appealing spot for anyone feeling like getting a dose of Dixieland or swing. For rock music, Tavastia (6 Urho Kekkosen katu, 977 467 420, tavastiaklubi.fi) is generally the safest bet — it attracts a fair smattering of international acts, as well as guitar-wielding locals. But if you're going for a proper cultural experience, head for a metal club such as PRKL (4 Kaisaniemenkatu, 942 832 792, www.prklclub.fi). The Finns tend to like it brutally loud and morbid, and recent line-ups at PRKL have included delights such as Torture Killer and Sacrilegious Impalement. Leave granny at home.

Nightclubs

Ahjo (2 Bulevardi, 207 704 711, ahjoclub.fi) at the Klaus K Hotel is the sort of place people turn up at to look cool but the house music and admirable line-up of international DJs gets the small dance floor pretty busy as the night goes on. Club Playground (10 Iso Roobertinkatu, 405 114 082, clubplayground.fi) is a relatively new kid on the block in Helsinki but it is seen as one of the most credible, serious, electronic music-loving options. Headbangers can join sweaty, like-minded cohorts at late night metal club Heavy Corner (2 Hietaniemenkatu, 9458 4309, heavycorner.com).

SEE + DO

Helsinki icons

Senate Square is Helsinki's biggest set-piece but the grand buildings are dwarfed by Helsinki Cathedral. An odd combination of columns, domes and apostolic statues, it is both raised and on a slope, making it seem about three times as big as it actually is. Another architectural standout is Helsinki Central Station, a genuinely striking building rounded off by enormous granite statues guarding the front. The must-do, however, is the €4-ferry trip from Market Square to the Suomenlinna island fortress (suomenlinna.fi), which is packed with museums and military remnants.

Culture

The top art fix is the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art (2 Mannerheiminaukio, 917 336 501, kiasma.fi). It works as a hang-out, meeting place and modern architectural statement as much as an on-the-pulse gallery. The Finnish National Opera (58 Helsinginkatu, 940 302 211, opera.fi) tries to innovate and break newly written operas to a younger crowd, rather than just relying on stalwarts to keep the grey-haired converted happy. Meanwhile, the Cable Factory (1 Tallberginkatu, 947 638 300, kaapelitehdas.fi) is a huge cultural centre, packed with odd museums and galleries and playing host to theatre and dance performances. No prizes for guessing what it used to be.

Foot work

One of the things that Helsinki does very well is distinctive architecture, so walking routes can be based around gawping at buildings. Art nouveau, functionalism and modernism are best represented; a map to base your stroll on can be bought at the Tourist Information Centre (19 Pohjoisesplanadi). If you want to dust off the cobwebs, a stroll along the coast to the north-west of the centre takes you through a string of parks, past monuments and along a causeway to the open air museum at Seurasaari Island. A lap around Toolonlahti Lake is as good for walkers as it is for the joggers they encounter, too.

Follow the leader

Helsinki is the World Design Capital for 2012, and it is milking it. Two-hour walking tours around the newly branded Design District, pictured, pointing out some of the more enterprising shops and artists, are available through Helsinki Expert (922 881 600, helsinkiexpert.com) for €15 during the summer months. Helsinki Expert also runs the €27 Audio City Tour, a bus trip with recorded commentary about the highlights, which is handy for orientation and getting a good overview. Between May and September, Royal Line (207 118 333, royalline.net) runs €20 sightseeing cruises around the islands and coastal highlights.

EAT + DRINK

Cafe culture

The Karl Fazer Cafe (3 Kluuvikatu, 207 296 702, fazer.com) has been around since 1891 and once you tuck into the open sandwiches, soups and cakes by its big people-watching window, you start to understand why. It's the sort of place that you go into with good intentions, yet find yourself with a disgracefully unhealthy dessert. Don't worry - it's been destroying diets for well over a century and will probably do so for at least another 100 years. Kitch (30 Yrjonkatu, 966 6001, kitch.fi) has an unpretentiously cool neighbourhood hangout feel, with the tapas dishes and pastas a good bet.

Snack attack

The gigantic deli section on the second basement level of the Stockmann store is something approaching heaven. The meals section has hundreds of items to choose from, featuring everything from tuna salad or meatballs to chicken vindaloo. For food court-style cheap eats, you'll struggle to do better than the Old Market Hall next to Market Square. You can pick up local box-ticks such as reindeer sandwiches and lingonberry pastries, while the massive bowls of soup from the soup kitchen are hugely popular. For cakes and gourmet chocolates, the patisserie at Cafe Ekberg, pictured, (9 Bulevardi, 968 118 660, cafeekberg.fi) hits the spot.

Top of the town

Chez Dominique (4 Rikhardinkatu, 9612 7393, chezdominique.fi) is the double-Michelin-starred top dog in town. The extremely inventive nine-course tasting menu will set big-walleted diners back €139, with another €134 if you want matching wines. Luomo (8 Vironkatu, 9135 7287, luomo.fi) is a fairly new pretender to the throne, again specialising in tasting menus with bold dishes such as Thai quail and foie gras, or veal with garlic and coffee. High-quality mains at Postres (8 Etelaesplanadi, 966 3300, postres.fi) come in at €30 but as any Spanish-speakers will infer from the name, the real star attractions are on the dessert menu.

By the glass

Start off with a cocktail at the Ateljee Bar, pictured, at the top of the Sokos Hotel Torni. It could do with a revamp as the plastic chairs look tacky but the views from the 14th-floor terrace over the city are unmatched. Bar Llamas (14 Iso Roobertinkatu, 453 230 504, barllamas.fi) is a young, fun joint with sofas wrapped in hessian sacks, swings to sit on at the bar and big pinatas hanging from the ceiling. It's the pick of the pedestrianised Iso Roobertinkatu party strip. Villi Waino (4 Kalevankatu, 103 872 350, villiwaino.fi) is another genial spot, with a cracking range of beers, ciders and whiskies to match a friendly vibe.

Hot tip

With many cities, the trick is to aim for the shoulder season. Not Helsinki. Arriving in summer (June to August) is the best bet on almost every score. The weather is at its best — you might just need one jumper rather than three — the most interesting tours are running and the outdoor attractions are open. Best of all, hotel rates tend to be lower as well, as many Finns disappear to their country cabins with the family at this time of year and business travel is far less prevalent.

Getting there

Finnair ( 1300 798 188, finnair.com) offers the only one-stop route to Helsinki from Sydney and it's often the cheapest way of getting there. Fares start at $2107, flying via Bangkok. The Sydney-to-Bangkok leg is a codeshare with British Airways.

Visas and currency

Unless planning to stay for more than three months, Australian passport holders don't need a visa to enter Finland. The currency is the euro; one euro is about $1.30.

Calling Finland

The international dialling code for Finland is +358, so add 00 358 to any number listed here if calling from Australia. If in Helsinki, add a zero to the front of the local number.

More information

visithelsinki.fi.