Wrap up well!
But apart from being a destination for culturetas and moderns, Helsinki, when winter arrives, becomes, like all the capitals of northern Europe, a place that smells of Christmas in every corner . In that it is no different from any other city in northern Europe. Although, as a curiosity, the Finnish capital has a store Kankurin Tupa (Pohjoisesplanadi, 35) where you can buy Christmas items throughout the year.
Christmas in Helsinki has started early this year, on November 22, when the illumination has been lit and some of the Advent events have begun, such as the different Christmas markets. One of the newest is the Kaapelin joulu , which takes place at the Cable Factory cultural center from December 11 to 20. Although without a doubt the most traditional Christmas market (hipsters, please get into the Christmas spirit and buy decorations for your home, I don't think anything will happen to you if you bring a doll dressed as Santa Claus for your favorite nephew) is the one located in the Plaza del Senado where they are placed between December 4 and 22 over 100 Finnish craft and design stalls.
MadeBy Helsinki Store
And what would Christmas and winter be in Helsinki without the ice rink that they install near the train station. Okay, if you feel cold afterwards (unlikely because skating involves exercising) you can go to one of the two saunas that open especially during these dates. One of them is in the inner courtyard of the Bock House , near the Christmas Market of the Senate Square and the other on the island of Unisaari which offers a special sauna on Sundays December 20 and 27 and January 3 between 12 and 3 pm. In Unisaari even the most daring can try winter swimming.
And since we are talking about the most typical custom of this Nordic country, I am going to give you a sneak peek since, in the spring of 2016, it will open in Hernesaari , south of Helsinki, a new public sauna called Loyly that will have a place for 600 people and that it will have a terrace with a cafeteria and a restaurant open all year round.
The ice rink, pure fun
To combat the cold of the Nordic winter, not only is the sauna a great ally, but also coffee. In fact, Finns lead the world in terms of coffee consumption (yes, you read correctly). The average consumption is high, very high, since on average each person consumes 10 kilos. It is because of them that the city is dotted with bars such as Johan & Nyström , Café Engel , Torrefazione and Fratello , Teemu & Markus or Café Aalto , most of them with a bohemian touch in their decoration.
At this point I think it goes without saying that Helsinki, in any season of the year, is one of the most liveable cities in the world. And that's not what I'm saying, but rather the prestigious English publication Monocle, whose annual Quality of Life issue provides a ranking of the 25 best cities in the world and In 2015, the capital of Finland was placed in eighth place on the list. Four years earlier, in 2011, it was in the first position.
The entrance of the Music Center
But I am sure that in 2016 it will rise again thanks to the improvement of the connection between the airport and the city center; accessibility to visitors to the island of Vallisaari who will have the opportunity to enjoy its impressive combination of unspoiled nature and historic fortifications; and the construction of the new headquarters of the Amos Anderson Museum of Art , whose new facilities will be located in the heart of the city.
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Helsinki, also in winter (and especially at Christmas)