Winter is back

And it happened again. After the first days and weeks of sunshine and warm weather, right when people have forgotten about winter the Takatalvi catches us off guard.

Middle and end of March are the most likely times for Takatalvi to hit. Many car owners will already have changed to summer tyres and many of you probably already put their heavy winter gear back down into the basement.

Up to 15 cm of new snow are expected. And it seems though that we have to deal with the wet sleet and winter weather at least until the end of the week. Then winter should really be over though.

Have a great day nonetheless!

375 years Helsinki University

Did you know that the University of Helsinki turned 375 years this year? It is not just the oldest but also the oldest university in the country. Originally founded as the Royal Academy of Turku during the time of the Swedish Empire, it was moved to Helsinki in 1829.

And for the big anniversary whole year is filled with lots of exciting events organized by the university. To find out more about what's happening, check their website.

Don't be late!

Dailight Saving Time started last night. Did you already adjust all your clocks, watches and phones to the new time? Better take care of it today before showing up at work an hour late tomorrow.

And beware! There might be small trolls and witches ringing your doorbell today, give you a branch with colorful feathers and demand candy in return. So if you open the door, have some candies ready.

Have a nice Sunday!

Crazy Weekend at Stockmann

The Hullut Päivät are going on at Stockmann again. And you still have today and tomorrow (both days until 18:00) to get some pretty good deals.

And since today and tomorrow will probably be the most crowded days at Stockmann you might want to check the special offers in advance online.

Good luck and have a nice weekend!

A bargain on books

Are you searching for something new to read? Then have a look at Senaatintorin Antikvariaatti in Torikortteli. Here you can get book in Finnish, Swedish but also in English for prices as low as 20 cents.

But also if you want to get rid of some of your old books you should drop by. If they are in good shape they might buy them off of you.

Have a look at the small shop in Sofiankatu and for more information also visit them online.

Cowboy Lunch

Searching for a new lunch experience? Then head to Shanghai Cowboy for a change. The offer one of the probably best lunches you can find in Helsinki.

At the cozy restaurant below König in the city center you get everything you could wish for for an amazing lunch. As a starter five delicious and fresh salads are waiting for you. The main dishes are changing daily and introduce you into the Mexican fusion kitchen Shanghai Cowboy is famous for. But don't take too much. Otherwise you might miss out on the outstanding dessert.

The Cowboy lunch is 10,10 € and is served on weekdays from 11 to 15.00. Give it a try!

Kauppatori comes back to life

The coldest time of the year is over and slowly the streets of Helsinki come back to life. As does the traditional market on Kauppatori at the Southern Harbor. Some tents are here all winter but now most of the other vendors are back again as well.

Have a stroll along the stands. Maybe you find something nice.

Dreams of a better world

Building and the use of the built environment are the cause for many environmental problems. But on the other hand they can also help us find solutions to these problems.

Some of those solutions are displayed at Laituri at the moment. Dreams of a better world is an exhibition on sustanaible building and worth a visit.

Laituri is open from Monday to Saturday and the entrance is as always free of charge.

Down by the harbor

The Southern harbor is ice free again. It it time for a boat trip already? What do you think?

Have a good start into the week!

Kamppi Chapel of Silence in March

This March has been surpisingly warm and sunny. Even if temperatures still drop below zero during the night occasionally it feels like spring already.

To see all the monthly pictures from Kamppi click here.

Last chance for skating

Are you still up for skating this season? Well, then you should be fast. Most ice rinks are already gone and also Jääpuisto at Rautatientori is not going to be open that long anymore.

The big Jääpuisto ice rink will close at the end of the month. And depending of the weather might even stop opperating a little bit earlier. So if you still fancy some skating you should heard there soon. 

Information on opening times and prices can be found on the Jääpuisto website.

Streat Helsinki EATS

Don't make any lunch or dinner plans for this weekend and head to Torikorttelit both on Saturday and Sunday where Streat Helsinki EATS takes place.

Numerous vendors from Finland and abroad sell excellent street food here during the next two days. It is the culmination of this weeks Streat Helsinki festival that brought together street food enthusiasts from around the world. After one week of talking about street food now its time to also taste it. And everyone is invited.

You can find a list of all vendors as well as the bites they offer online. The vendors open from 11.00 till 19.00 both on Saturday and Sunday.

Enjoy!

Helsinki Coffee Festival

Finns are crazy about coffee. They consume around 12 kilos of beans per person every year. Quite a bit number. Not surprising that there is also a coffee festival for all those coffee lovers. And that starts tomorrow.

It is the first time the Helsinki Coffee Festival takes place. Here you get to learn different roasteries and coffee shops from around Finland, learn how to make the perfect coffee yourself and of course get to try it.

The Helsinki Coffee Festival goes on until Sunday and takes place in Suvilahti. Entrance fees differ depending on time and day and tickets can be bought online.

Enjoy a good cup o' joe and have a great time at the festival!

Tasting at the Old Market Hall

Are you into food? Then you should head to Vanha Kauppahalli tomorrow for Maiskiaiset.

From 16.00 to 20.00 many of the vendors at the Old Market Hall offer tasting bites for low pices such as meat and vegetarian dishes as well as smoothies, cakes, pastries, chocolate and coffee. It's an ideal way of getting to try many of the delicacies sold there every day.

Check it out and enjoy!

Terrace season starts

This March brings some beautiful weather. And due to the warm and sunny days the terrace season starts a bit earlier this year. On sunny days you can now already sip a coffee, beer or cider outside. Mbar opens its terrace for visitors depending on the weather.

So enjoy the sunshine outside with your friends and have a great week!

All about street food

This week Helsinki is all about street food. For seven days street food enthusiasts from around the country and abroad come to the city to talk about, discuss and of course taste street food at Streat Helsinki.

And you can be part of that. Until Friday lots of interesting events and workshops take place all around the city that you can sign up for on the Streat Helsinki website. Have a look and register as soon as possible. Seats to all events are limited.

And of course don't miss Streat Helsinki EATS next weekend where Finnish and international vendors turn Torikorttelit into a huge street food fest offering some of their best bites.

Enjoy!

Kisama is back

After a long rennovation Helsinki's museum of contemporary art Kiasma has opened its doors again for visitors. 

The museum starts into the new season with a photography exhibition of Robert Mapplethorpe.

Admission fee for Kiasma is 12 € for adults and free of charge for under 18 year olds. And as before every first Friday of the month entry is admission free for everyone.

Helsinki from Above

During the Nordic Blogger Experience in January travel bloggers from around came to Helsinki. During their stay some of them went for a helicopter ride over the city.

Marcela and Felipe from Fotostraße joined as well and made some amazing pictures from above. But see for yourself.

Have a great Sunday!

Hello weekend!

The weekend is about to start. And it is going to bring some more sunshine. In fact it looks like the sun is going to stay for the next seven days.

So enjoy the beautiful weather and have a great weekend!

Cine Aasia 2015

Do you like movies from Asia? Well then you will be busy during the next days. Today the Cine Aasia Movie Festival starts in Helsinki. Until Sunday films from around all around the Asian continent will be shown at Bio Rex, Andorra & Duvbrovnik and at Orion.

All tickets are 8 €. If you are a real movie geek then you might also be interested in the 5 ticket voucher for 35 €. More information on the movies shown as well as the timetable can be found online.

And don't worry about the language barrier. All movies are subtitled in English.

Enjoy the films!

What is your Finnscope sign?

Everyone knows their zodiac sign. But wouldn't you also like to know your Finnscope sign? Maybe you are a shy reindeer herder, an impulsive shaman or maybe a passionate gold hunter. You can find it out on VisitFinland's new Finnscope generator.

Have a look and find out more about your very own sign. The page provides lots of additional information and you can learn something new about Finland, its culture and its people. Give it a try right away on the Finnscope website.

From Peru to Asia

Want to try another excellent restaurant in Helsinki? It's not that easy to make a choice. But why not try Pastor this time?

The new owners hava turned the former home of Cuba on Erottajankatu into a beautiful restaurant and bar. The menu here is a mix of different word. The food is based on the Peruvian kitchen but also has influences from East Asia and Spain. All this together forms an excellent combination for a great meal.

If you want to get the best experience you should go for one of their set menus that consist of four, six or seven dishes. But be aware that in contrast to other fine dining restaurants the portions here are quite big and seven dishes might be quite a challenge to finish.

The food is excellent and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Pastor is definitely worth a visit. Give it a try. And to be on the save side better make a reservation before.

Enjoy!

Why you should never visit Finland ;)

BuzzFeed put together 38 reasons why you should definitely not visit Finland. Do you agree?

Have a good start into the week!

A feeling of spring in the city

In the center of Helsinki all remains of winter are gone. And more sunny days are about to come.

Enjoy the Sunday!

Free walking tours

New to Helsinki or just here for a visit? Then you probably would like to have a tour around the city and get to know the most imporant sights and facts about Helsinki.

picture by Luminoucity

Why don't you take a free guided walking tour then? Happy Guide Helsinki offers those every Saturday and Sunday at 12.00. Meeting point are the stairs of Tuomiokirkko (the big white church). Look out for someone with a reindeer hat. That's your guide. The tour lasts 2-3 hours and gives you a good first impression of the city. Tips at the end of the tour are of course welcome.

Give it a try and expore Helsinki!

Stations in timelapse

Train stations are usually pretty busy places. In his short film Tuomas Kaisti from hkistreet managed to take the hectic and stress out the daily traffic madness. Ironically he achieved that by speeding things up even more with a timelapse video. But see for yourself.

Have a nice start into the weekend!

Everything for expats

Are you an expat in Finland? Then you should definitely join IESAF (International English Speakers' Association of Finland).

IESAF arranges excursions, restaurant visits, picnics, sports outings and various beer-related activities, family outings, charity events, pay dates and every Wednesday a pub quiz at Molly Malone's.

Most of all IESAF is about sharing experiences, tips and suggestions and about helping each other. To join into the discussions you should sign up for their Facebook group as well as apply for a free membership on their website.

As an IESAF member you also receive lots of benefits here in Helsinki and the whole country.

Check it out!

Early bird haircuts

Need a cheap haircut? That used to be impossible to find in Helsinki until a little while ago. Now competition is getting stronger and more and more hairdressers start offering special prices.

One of them is HairStore at Kamppi Kaupakeskus. Here the price depends on when you get there. A haircut can be as cheap as 9,90€ for men and 19,90€ for women. For that price you have to be there between 8.00 and 9.00 in the morning though. Every hour the price goes up 2 € until it goes back to the usual price at 15.00.

So if you have time in the morning, drop by!

Creative and cozy

Wanna get creative? Then check out Rupla. The new place on Helsinginkatu is a so called creative space. You can come here for art exhibitions, to look for cool vintage furniture or designer clothing and accessories, join a workshop, visit one of their many events like from live music to theatre. Or you can just come for a good cup of freshly grainded coffee and a piece of cake.

 

Raw cake, to be more specific. And they are pretty good. One of their most popular ones is the mint chocolate one. They also have a wide selections of organic teas and raw chocolate.

Give it a try! It's worth dropping by!

Statues taking selfies

Helsinki has lot so statues. But often they are overseen. To put them in the spotlight again the photographer Rio Gandara from Helsingin Sanomat had a great idea. He helped statues around the city to take selfies of themselves.

Very prominent onese like Havis Amanda and Philip Melanchton are among them but also some less known and more hidden ones. Have a look!

Sunset over Lauttasaari

This February brough quite some sunshine and some bautiful sunsets as well.

Have a nice Sunday!