Helsinki, Finland — Activities
Helsinki Culture
Although young by European standards, Helsinki is alive with cultural activity. After WWI and Finland’s independence from Russia, the country boomed both economically and culturally. Helsinki is Finland’s hot-spot for cultural events. The major annual events are in summer, although there are productions throughout the year. The largest concerts are shown at the Hartwall Areena, Areenakuja 1 (tel: 0204 1997 or 0600 10800/020 for tickets; website: www.hartwall-areena.com), or the Hall of Culture, Sturenkatu 4 (tel: (09) 774 0270; website: www.kulttuuritalo.fi). Another venue with a constantly changing list of dance, music and theater is the Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory), Taliberginkatu 1C (tel: (09) 4763 8300; website: www.kaapelitehdas.fi), an ex-Nokia factory, now resident to over 100 artists.
For the latest events, visitors can pick up a copy of Helsinki This Week (website: www.helsinkiexpert.fi/helsinkithisweek_eng) at 200 distribution points around the city, or visit the online theater listings (website: www.teatteri.org). Tiketti is the Ticket Theater Information Center, Urho Kekkosen katu 4 -6 (tel: 0600 11616; website: www.tiketti.fi). Tickets are also available online, through Lippupalvelu Oy (tel: 0600 10800; website: www.lippupalvelu.fi), Finland’s nationwide ticket retailer.
Music: The main concert hall for national and international acts is Finlandia Hall, Mannerheimintie 13E (tel: (09) 40241; website: www.finlandiatalo.fi), which is home to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (website: www.hel.fi/filharmonia), founded by Robert Kajanus in 1882. The Hall of Culture (see above) is also used. Concerts are staged by the students at the Sibelius Academy of All Music, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 9 (tel: (09) 407 151400; website: www.siba.fi). Details of the times of performances and programs are available from the customer service desk at the City of Helsinki Tourist Office. Chamber music is held in various venues, including churches such as Temppeliaukio, Lutherinkatu 3 (tel: (09) 2340 5920). The works of Jean Sibelius are popular with Helsinki audiences, although the works of rising stars such as Magnus Lindberg are also widely performed. The Finnish National Opera, the Suomen Kansallisoopera (website: www.operafin.fi), has its residence at the Finnish National Opera House, Helsinginkatu 58 (tel: (09) 4030 2211).
Theater: There are two main venues, both showing mainly classical productions (such as Ibsen) in Finnish. These are the Finnish National Theater (Suomen Kansallisteatteri), Läntinen Teatterikuja 1 (tel: (09) 173 311; website: www.nationaltheater.fi), and Helsinki City Theater (Kaupunginteatteri), Eläintarhantie 5 (tel: (09) 394 022, tickets or 39401, information; website: www.hkt.fi).
Dance: The Finnish Ballet School also has its residence at the Finnish National Opera House (see above). More information on all the other various dance companies in Helsinki is available online (website: www.danceinfo.fi).
Film: Helsinki has many cinemas. Each week, a program showing times and venues is published by the City of Helsinki Tourist Office. Box offices open an hour before the first show of the day.
The Finnish Film Archive, Pursimiehenkatu 29-31 (tel: (09) 615 400; website: www.sea.fi/english), shows classic and cult films at its cinema The Orion, Eerikinkatu 15. Mainstream films can be seen at one of the city’s multiplexes: The Bristol, Mikonkatu 8 (tel: 0600 007 007), Kinopalatsi, Kaisaniemenkatu 2B (tel: 0600 944 944), Maxim, Kluuvikatu 1 (tel: 0600 007 007), and Tennispalatsiisti, Salomonkatu 15 (tel: 0600 007 007). Virtually all films are screened in their original soundtracks, with subtitles in Finnish and Swedish.
Finnish cinema is highly acclaimed - a large part of which can be attributed to a Finnish film-making fraternal team, Mika and Aki Kaurismäki. Both brothers set some of their films in Helsinki, including Mika’s gangster flick, Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987) and Aki’s take on Dostoyevsky’s classic Crime and Punishment (1983).
The Helsinki Film Festivalis held in September each year (tel: (09) 6843 5230; website: www.hiff.fi).
Literary Notes: One of Helsinki’s more noted writers and commentators is Eino Leino, whose work Helsingissä (1905) documented life under the Russians. Another work outlining this era is by Maila Talvio, who wrote Itämeren tytär (1929-36), a trilogy about 18th-century Helsinki. The widely acclaimed author Mika Waltari penned the trilogy Isästä poikaan, describing three generations in Helsinki from the 1860s to the mid 1930s. Other social commentators have included Anders Cleve, whose short stories in Gatstenar (1959) describe life in 1950s Helsinki and Alpo Ruuth, whose book Kotimaa (1974) documented a young working-class couple’s life in the 1960s. More recent works include Rosa Liksom’s popular collection of short stories, Yhden yön pysäkki (1985). Last, but not least, Tove Jansson (1914-2001), creator of the ’Moomin’ children’s books, was born in Helsinki. She wrote the originals in Swedish, but she is still considered the real Finnish international literary ’superstar’, translated into 25 languages worldwide.
Helsinki Tours
WalkingTours
HelsinkiExpert, Lönnrotinkatu 7B (tel: (09) 2288 1600; website: www.helsinkiexpert.fi), offers a two-hour guided city walk focusing on Finnish design.
BusTours
Year-round city sightseeing bus tours are available from HelsinkiExpert, Lönnrotinkatu 7B (tel: (09) 2288 1600; website: www.helsinkiexpert.fi). The tours that depart from the Esplanade Park and Katajanokka Terminal take one hour and 30 minutes and have pre-recorded commentary in eight languages, while the tours departing from the Olympia Terminal have live commentary by an authorized guide in English and Swedish and take an hour and 45 minutes. There are more tours per day in the summer than during the rest of the year. Tickets are available at the departure points, the Tourist Bureau and Hotel Booking at the railway rtation.
BoatTours
Two companies offer 90-minute cruises around Helsinki, which can include food and refreshments. These are RoyalLine (tel: 02071 18333; website: www.royalline.fi) and Sun Lines (tel: 02074 18210; website: www.sunlines.fi). Both companies are located at the waterfront by Market Square.
