Christmas in the city

Today it's worth paying a visit to the center of Helsinki. There are lots of Christmas events going around town.

Visit e.g. the marrimekko Christmas stage on Mikonkatu to watch one of their Christmas shows. Performances will be on stage the whole day through.

Or come to Kamppi Kaupakeskus and enjoy live music from Lenni-Kalle Taipala at 14:20 and 15:10. At 14:00 a 500 people choir will sing Christmas songs. And of course don't miss the fireworks at 16:30. To see the full program for today and tomorrow at Kamppi visit their website.

Also the Christmas Bazaar mentioned on HelsinkiIn yesterday will be open the whole day through.

Have a great weekend!

Weihnachtsbasar at the German School

The German Weihnachtsmarkt is famous all over the world. To get a little bit of this feeling you should come to the German School right in the center of Helsinki this Saturday.

From 10 to 17.00 the gates are open for everyone and the school turns into a Christmas bazaar offering everything that belongs to a proper German Christmas. Sip some Glühwein and have some of the delicious Christmas cookies. Or look for some traditional German Christmas decoration. Listen to German Christmas songs and enjoy the atmosphere.

Have a nice and Christmassy weekend!

The last boats

Now the harbors in and around Helsinki are empty again. Most boats have been lifted out of the water for the winter. When the ice is gone in spring they come back. Really few anyway still have their vessels in the water. But that will also just take another few days. 

So far the weather has not been that cold yet for November. Let's see what December brings.

Little Saturday

Why is the working week just so much longer than the weekend? Why couldn't the weekdays be shared a bit more equally? The Finns also saw this problem and found a solution for it. They just divided the working week in half and invented the small Saturday.

Wednesday is the so called Pikkulauantai. Meaning that if there is a day during the week where you would go out for drinks or partying it would usually be Wednesday night.

Walking through the streets of Helsinki on a Wednesday evening you will realize that there are way more people on the street than normally. Especially among students this is quite popular and a good excuse to go for a drink in the middle of the week.

So why not have a Pikkulauantai drink yourself today? To find suggestions for a nice place to go click here.

Stockmann's Christmas window

It's a sign that the Christmas season has started. The Stockmann Christmas window is open. Especially among children it is extremely popular. On the corner of Keskuskatu and Aleksanterinkatu a winter wonderland with moving plush animals and music is awaiting anyway who wants to get into the Christmas mood.

This year there is also an additional Lego Christmas window.

Take a look! 

The Christmas lights are back

In a big celebration on Senaatintori the Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu where illuminated yesterday. The highlight - especially for kids - was the big Christmas parade through the city. The big star of the event was of course Joulupukki (Santa Claus) who also joined the parade with his sleigh.

The lights on Aleksanterinkatu make the city look very Christmassy already. Come and take a look!

Sunrise over Helsinki

The sun is shining today. Enjoy the beautiful day for a nice Sunday walk. But don't forget to wear warm clothes. The temperatures are close to 0°C today.

Have a nice Sunday!

All you need for brunch

Aren't weekends a great thing? And what could be better on a Saturday or Sunday morning than a late brunch with loads of delicious food?

One really nice place for brunch can be found right in the center on Kalevankatu called Flada 13. Brunch is served here Saturdays and Sundays from 10 till 16:00. And you will find everything you wish for here. A big buffet with several different salads, a big variety of bread, cheese, ham, fruits and loads of other stuff. Included in the brunch is also an omelette with toppings and fillings of your choice like bacon, peppers, cheese, chili and even rips.

What about some freshly baked waffles as a desert after that? And maybe some home made cake as well?

One more great thing about Flada is that it's relatively small and provides a cozy atmosphere. Since space is limited you should order a table in advance though. Brunch is 22 € per person.

Enjoy your weekend!

A drink by the fire

You want to check out something new in Helsinki this weekend? If you are a fan of modern design and lounge style you should visit the bar at Hotel Haven by the sea.

Bar Haven is a really nice stylish hangout where you will always still find a free table or sofa. Even during the busy pikkujoulu weekends there is always enough space.

And they have quite and amazing selection of drinks. You can find big varieties among spirits and wines.

Bar Haven is an upper price location but definitely worth visiting at least for one drink. So make yourself comfortable next to the fireplace and enjoy the weekend!

Always order from the bar

Especially among visitors and tourists I still see it quite often that they sit down in a pub or bar and wait for the waiter to take their order. Sometimes they might be lucky but in most cases they will just wait in vain.

In Finland it's not really common to serve drinks to the table. You'll have to get whatever you want from the bar yourself. If the order takes a while to prepare like a cocktail or so the bartender might be kind enough to bring you the drink later.

For those of you who haven't been to Finland before this might be good to know.