Off to Esplanadi

Today Vappu starts. And the place to be for that is Esplanadi. At the lower end of the park people gather to see Havis Amanda get a white cap.

Havis Amanda is the woman on the fountain. And every year on April 30 she gets a white cap exactly at 18.00 from the students of the city. At the same time everyone else also puts their caps on. It is always very busy. So if you want to see something try to be there early.

Have a great start into Vappu!

Changing timetables during Vappu

Vappu is approaching. It is quite an exceptional time in Finland. And it also affects the public transport.

To check how busses, trams and metro opperate during the next two days you should have a look at HSL's website.

Get ready for Vappu!

Charge your own batteries

You just missed your flight and now have to wait for hours in those uncomfortable airport seats? Well, that can't happen at Helsinki Vantaa Airport anymore. They have GoSleep now.

Those small sleeping pods provide enough space for one person to lay back, relax and shut out the world aorund you.

You can find the GoSleep pods at gate 18 and 38. The price for one hour is 9 €. For more information also check out their website.

A foggy day

The fog got very thick yesterday in Helsinki. After a sunny Friday and Saturday the weekend ended grey and rainy. Some decribed the view as everything looking like Lonkero.

The next days might stay grey. But have a nice start into the week anyway!

The sunny time of the year

This week has brought lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. And it seems like it's going to stay nice.

Have a nice and relaxed Sunday!

Citizens' flashback

How would an exhibition look that is organized purely by the citizens of a city? No idea? Well, then have a look at the #flashback exhibition at Helsingin Kaupunki Museum.

All the photos displayed here have been selected by a group of Helsinki citizens. The group has also decided on the themes and the way it should be organized.

The entrance to #flashback is free and the exhibition can still be visited until the end of April.

Beer from the Ferry Island

Did you know that many of Helsinki's neighboorhoods have their own beer? Stadin Panimo from Helsinki is producing different brews for different areas.

One of them is Larun Lager from Lauttasaari. And it's not just all about the taste here - which is pretty decent - but also about the local connection. The watertower, Lauttassari's main landmark as well as the bridge are printed on the label.

So give Larun Lager a try. Or check out your neighboorhood's beer. And have a nice weekend!

Animatricks Animation Festival 2015

You like animated films? Then you have a fun weekend ahead. Tomorrow the Animatricks Animation Festival starts. The festival presents the funniest, oddest, wittiest and loveliest animated films from around the globe. This year the festival has two themes: Sound and Crowdfunding.

The festival is held at the Bio Rex Theater in Lasipalatsi. Single tickets for movies are 7 €. You can also buy a 4-ticket festival pass for 20 €. All tickets can be bought online or from the Bio Rex ticket office. To get a first idea of what is shown their have a look at the trailors posted on their website.

Have fun!

Recycle your phone

Don't you also still have some old phones laying around somewhere at home? Those ones you that you don't use anymore? 

Instead of having them laying around or throwing them into the trash you should get them recycled. One place to put them is Citycenter Kauppakeskus right next to the Samsung store. Just throw your phone into the big blue container. Especially the metal built in there can still be used for new electronic products.

Espoo Jazz 2015

Hei jazz fans. If you don't have anything planned yet for the upcoming days then be prepared to fill up your calendar. Today the yearly Espoo Jazz Festival starts again.

A program filled with finest jazz is awaiting you. Finnish and international jazz musicians will play in different locations around Espoo. You can buy your tickets online from the official website. And some events are even for free. The festival goes on until Sunday.

You get to Espoo easily by bus from Kamppi. Have a look at the program and enjoy the music!

Kamppi Chapel of Silence in April

The weather in April has not changed much from March. But what has made Kamppi look very different during the last couple of weeks is the election campaign.

To see all the monthly pictures from Kamppi click here.

Election Day

Today is the big day of the parliamentary elections in Finland. Over the last weeks politicians have been very present everywhere around town. Tonight we will find out about the results of their efforts.

But what exactly happens at those elections, how is the voting process and what will happen after the elections? ThisisFINLAND has looked at some of the most important questions during and after the elections and put the most important points together.

You can follow the election live tonight starting from 19:30 on Yle 1.

Have a nice election Sunday!

Films from all around Europe

The European Film Week began. During the next days 23 movies from around Europe will be shown at the Eurooppasali at Kampintori.

The movies cover themes such as immigration, education, the situation of women and girls as well as peace and security. These films bring their stories from different parts of the world close to the viewer by means of drama, documentary, music and humour.

All screenings are for free. You can collect your ticket one hour before it starts. The Eurooppasali can fit up to 100 people. So to make sure to still get in try to be there early enough.

The European Film Week still continues until April 29. You can find more information and the program on the website of the European Commission.

Have fun at the movies!

A beer to rock on

Would you like to try a new beer over the weekend? Try the Rock And Roll Hurriganes Lager Beer then. It is truely Finnish. Not just because it is brewed by the Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas Micro Brewery from Western Finland. But also because it is named after the famous Finnish rock and roll band The Hurriganes.

And after all it is actually quite a good beer. So give it a try and have a rockin' weekend!

Live tv on the street

Would you like to follow how live tv is made? At the moment you can. At Lasipalatsi MTV3 has put up their news truck that broadcasts live from the city center.

Here the journalists talk to politicians and report about the election campaign. Have a look if you like. And follow up on what is happening shortly before the elections on Sunday.

Freeze coffee pop-up

Want to try some really good coffee? And have it prepared by someone that really knows how to make it good? Well, then you still have a few days left to check out the Freeze Coffee Pop-up in Forum.

Right next to the entrance at Mannerheimintie you find the small cafe that serves some really good cappucinos, lattes, espressos and also some amazing filter coffee. 

The pop-up is still open until Sunday. And if you are really fast you will even get a half prized coffee there. The first 10 people that come to Freeze and mention HelsinkiIn get their coffee for a 50% discount. 

And if you want to know more on how to make really good coffee at home check out their youtube channel. There you get some useful tips.

Free Cone Day

Today is Free Cone Day. That means that at all Ben & Jerry's ice parlors you get ice cream for free. You can choose a flavor and get one ball without paying anything.

Queues tend to be quite long. So prepare to wait a while to get your free ice cream treat.

Ben & Jerry's has parlors in Kamppi Kauppakeskus as well as on Pohjoisesplanadi. Enjoy!

Street Gastro meat

One of the best places in town to get sandwiches is for sure Street Gastro. Their beef, pork, lamb or chicken sandwiches are just delicious.

But did you know that you can do them on your own at home now? At least the meat, probably the most important ingredient can now be bought from their bistros as well as from selected supermarkets. For information check out their website.

Have a nice start into the week!

Summer feeling in Helsinki

Wasn't that a nice day yesterday? Temperatures climbed up to 15 degrees.

Have a nice, even if not as beautiful Sunday!

6 reasons for education excellence

Finland has a high reputation internationally for its school system. But what makes Finnish schools so good?

The Online University of Finland, which makes Finnish university courses available online, has put together six reasons. Would you agree on them?

Have a nice weekend!

Brewing dogs and dead ponies

It's Friday! Looking forward for a good beer tonight? Then head to Punavuori and drop by at BrewDog. You might now their bars from other places around the world. Especially in the UK, the origin of the company, you can find their bars in many cities.

But even though BrewDog basically belongs to a chain it has a really original atmosphere to it. And the selection of beers in incredible. Aparts from a good variety of draft beer they have countless bottled ones. Many of their beers are their own productions, such as the Dead Pony Club Ales.

You can get your beer in normal but also in very small sizes which gives you the opportunity to try many different ones on the same visit.

Give it a try and have a great evening!

Election time

The parliamental elections are just a few days ahead. On April 19 Finland will elect a new eduskunta. If you don't have a Finnish citicenship you are not entiteled to vote this time though.

You can still follow up on what the parties stand for. And thanks to Yle you can even listen to what Finnish party leaders have to say and stand for. Yle News has interviewed the heads of all big Finnish parties.

You can find all the videos on the Yle News page. Have a look.

First flowers

The first flowers raise their heads out of the still cold soil. In the parks around Helsinki the first crocuses can be seen.

Spring is now coming and the next days promise sunny weather with temperatures above 10 degrees. Enjoy the Finnish spring and have a nice day!

Talking statues

All around Helsinki you can find lots of statues. But do you know who they are for and what the story behind them is? If not, then just go there. They will tell you themselves.

Now you find a small plaque next to them that shows you two QR codes. One is for the Finnish and one for the English version. Scan them with your phone and you can watch a video that will explain you everything you need to know.

Let Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Zacharias Topelius and many more tell you more about their lives and their own statues.

And if you don't have mobile internet on your phone don't worry. You can find a free wifi spot pretty much anywhere in the city.

Some Mämmi?

Have you had some mämmi over the Easter holidays yet? It's the probably most traditional Easter dish you can find in Finland. And it unfortunately has a bad reputation especialyl among foreigners.

But don't let the look scare you away. The brown rye mash might not look too appealing but it can be surpisingly good. And not all mämmis are the same. Some self made ones might really surprise you. Some even come with different tastes like vanilla or caramel.

And of course you should not eat mämmi just on its own but always with some cream and sugar on top.

So be brave enough and give it a try. You might be surprised.

Hyvää pääsiäistä!

Happy Easter to all of you! Have a great Easter Sunday!

And good luck finding all those eggs.

Easter in Helsinki

So many days off and you don't know what to do? There are quite a few fun Easter activities going on around the city.

Today big Easter bonfires will be lit at Seurasaari to scare away evil spirits. Children dress up as trolls and witches. The entrance is free.

Helsinki Zoo has put together a whole spring program around this long weekend called the Easter Island. Among other things visitors can witness the bears waking up from their winter hibernation.

During the Easter days also many concerts are held in the churches around town.

To find more information on what's going on around Easter in Helsinki have a look at VisitHelsinki.

Have a great Easter weekend!

Easter timetable

If you want to get from A to B today by public transport you might have to calculate in a little bit more time. During the Easter holidays the timetables are a little different. 

Today as well as on Sunday and Monday all metros, busses, trams and trains operate according to the Sunday timetable. On Saturday nothing changes though. You can find more detailed information on all the changes on HSL's website.

So be sure to check your connection before heading out.

Have a nice Easter weekend!

Easter opening times

Easter is about to start. And quite often people are not exactly sure how stores and shops will be open during that time. Here is a short list of the regular opening times during the upcoming few days:

02 April (Maundy Thursday)

Normal working day. Some shops might anyway already close at 18:00

03 April (Good Friday)

Closed.

04 April (Holy Saturday)

Most shops are open till 18:00

05 April (Easter Sunday)

Closed.

06 April (Easter Monday)

Closed.

If you still need some groceries on one the the holidays don't worry. Many of the small supermarkets such as alepa, siwa and k-extra as well as the big k-market in Kamppi Kauppakeskus are open every day.

Burger with a view

The location of Kiila is probably one of the best in town. Through the big glass windows you have an excellent view over the busy square at Mannerheimintie/Aleksanterintie. Watch people passing by while enjoying your breakfast, dinner, lunch or just a glass of wine or beer.

If you are just up for small meal then check out Kiila's burger menu. Every day starting from 15.00 you get good burgers for just 10 € like e.g. the pulled pork, the vegie-halloumi or the salmon burger.

Give it a try and enjoy!