The recent heatwaves have left me craving cooler escapes. After a sweaty summer in London, all I wanted was to be surrounded by water, so I headed to Helsinki's archipelago. I visited in spring with my husband and our children, aged five and two. I wasn't sure what to expect. A friend had warned me not to expect charming red wooden cabins; the word "brutalist" had been mentioned. And I wondered whether my children would go anywhere near reindeer sausage.
From touchdown, the air feels different. Cooler, yes, but often with glorious sunshine, and it just feels fresh. Much of the city spreads around harbourside districts, some looking to the open sea, others to lakes. The centre has an almost European feel, with wide, car-filled roads, vast buildings and tree-lined boulevards spanning out from Esplanadi Park.
It is little wonder Helsinki has become Europe's most rapidly trending city break, with a 265 per cent increase in searches over the past year.
Made for winter
Helsinki's infrastructure is designed to look after its inhabitants during the long winter months. The city is as user-friendly indoors as out, and part of it is underground. On a quiet Sunday evening, I headed to a market to buy wine, only to find it unbelievably expensive, and then discovered half of Helsinki was relaxing in bars on underground streets.
The city library, Oodi, is an unusual place to spend part of a holiday, but this one is different. It feels like a huge living room for people who spend half the year in semi-darkness. Its floors are zoned: climbing areas, soft play and play tables for small children, a nap area for babies, a cafe zone, gaming areas packed with teenagers, film-watching areas with headphones, work desks and reading areas.
Around the city
Punavuori is a lively urban design district with 200 design stores, including independent shops, galleries and boutiques such as the popular thrift store Relove Freda. I also loved upmarket Ullanlinna and nearby Kaivopuisto, known for their waterfront promenades, sea-view cafes and tall, brightly coloured architecture.
Wander around the centre and see the big white church made famous by the Sandstorm music video. Shop Nordic style at Marimekko, Stockmann, a design-centric John Lewis, or Iittala, and find second-hand pieces at Artek Second Cycle or Fasaani Antiques. The Töölö neighbourhood has calm, leafy streets, museums, iconic theatres and the landmark Finlandia Hall, a vast modernist white-marble gem designed by Alvar Aalto, recently restored and refurbished, with a new waterfront cafe and shop. Aalto's work also dominates many restaurants and houses in Finland; a set of his furniture is apparently a common wedding present.
If the weather is nice, head to the seafront opposite the lush island of Uunisaari. There are ice cream stands, boats and cafes. I loved the loungers in front of the champagne bar Mattolaituri, where you can see people washing rugs in the sea, an old Finnish and Swedish tradition. The seafront also offers examples of Jugend architecture, and the upmarket district of Eira is renowned for its curved, tree-lined streets and ornate, colourful 1910s three-storey villas and private gardens.
Sea, sauna and islands
Is it over the top to say it's worth coming to Helsinki for the Allas Sea Pool seaside sauna alone? I don't think so. There is a plunge in the two-degree seawater pool, lengths in the 27-degree pool, then the sauna to warm up, all with the sun twinkling on the sea. The complex has a beautiful rooftop terrace, a cafe and a sand area for children, with loungers where you can lie staring out at sea and think that this is how I want to do summer, rather than sizzling in 40-degree heat on the Med.
While not a huge fan of zoos, the one on its own island is worth mentioning. You travel there by ferry from the Kauppatori market place. It houses mostly cold-tolerant species such as Finnish forest reindeer, Amur tigers, snow leopards, wolverines and Bactrian camels, with no large mammals from warm regions. There is a decent cafe and a barbecue area.
On a blue-sky April day with temperatures still only two degrees, we took the 20-minute, very windy ferry across to Suomenlinna, a UNESCO heritage site and one of Helsinki's 330 islands, built around a former 18th-century fortress. This is where to find the pretty Scandi huts. We had lunch at Cafe Silo - Mexican-style tomato soup and salmon toasts, followed by blueberry cheesecake - visited the museum with plenty of Moomins, saw a submarine and hit the excellent playground before taking the ferry back.
Where to eat
Restaurant Savotta in Senate Square is like stepping back in time, cosy and rustic, with hearty food inspired by Finland's lakes and forests. We had reindeer sausage with lingonberry sauce and a warm salmon salad with potato salad and buttermilk sauce. Ihana Kahvila Baari, behind Esplanadi Park, is a family-friendly cafe serving coffee, pastries and wine. Bob's Laundry in Punavuori is a cool cocktail bar and still a working laundry, with a vintage Palm Springs-meets-Andy Warhol style and delicious cocktails.
The Old Market Hall in the harbour has stalls selling traditional fare; I loved the creamy salmon and potato soup and salmon on rye flatbread circles with a medium glass of wine for 11 euros. The reindeer salami was an unexpected highlight. Baskeri & Basso in Ullanlinna is an East London warehouse-style restaurant with modern Finnish cooking; try their other spot, Basbas Kulma. Cafe Regatta is a lakeside spot serving coffee and sandwiches, plus sausages and marshmallows to cook on the open fire, with playgrounds, a beach and a canoe and SUP station in a sheltered bay.
Where to stay
The Grand Hansa Hotel, behind the central railway station, has 224 rooms in upmarket Scandinavian style. The breakfast buffet has everything from pancakes to freshly cooked eggs and practically its own salmon bar. The basement spa uses traditional Finnish treatments. Rates start from €279 / £239 per night.
Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 is a recently renovated design-led hotel. Its cavernous entrance hall is breathtaking; bedrooms have curved chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the harbour, and some rooms have a private sauna. Even if you are not staying, go for the breakfast - for 25 euros for non-guests, it includes fresh bread from Kannisto's, local gourmet cheeses, organic porridges, cold cuts and plenty of salmon, homemade smoothies and granola. Rates start from €145 / £125 per night.
Planning your trip
Employers must pay staff double on Sunday, so many places do not open. For transport, download the HSL app to buy tickets for buses and trams.
Finnair offers return fares from London Heathrow to Helsinki from £168 in Economy and £496 in Business, including all taxes and charges. It flies direct from London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh all year round, with the Heathrow service operating up to six times a day. Flights can be booked on the Finnair website.
For more information on visiting Finland, see the Visit Finland website. Harriet was a guest of Visit Finland and Helsinki Partners.
