Why Helsinki is Europe’s hottest coolcation city break

A fan of the Finnish capital for more than 20 years, Sarah Marshall says the city surrounded by forest and sea is finally coming of age.

London (PA Media/dpa) – Tickling the brass keys of his gleaming trumpet, Finnish performer Jukka Eskola took me back 20 years.

Two decades ago, the musical maestro and his fellow band members from the Five Corners Quintet took Sixties-inspired jazz to the dancefloor when they performed at a new festival called Flow. Back then, the tiny event held in the industrial outskirts of Helsinki attracted a niche but committed crowd of music fans – and I was one of them.

My love affair with the Finnish capital started with a hybrid of club-friendly jazz in the early 2000s when I was 24. Since then, I’ve visited the country multiple times, developing a fondness for its food, culture, nature and design. In that time, I’ve watched the Helsinki grow into one of Europe’s most exciting capitals – an evolution summed up by the explosion in popularity of Flow.

One of the biggest events in Finland’s summer calendar is held over three days in August in the grounds of the defunct Suvilahti power plant, attracting more than 90,000 people. This year’s headliners included FKA Twigs, Charlie XCX, Burna Boy and Kneecap – but it was the Five Corners Quintet reunion gig that excited me most.

The pursuit of sentimental nostalgia too often ends in disappointment. But sat beneath a giant inflatable orb at the Balloon Stage, listening to music as familiar as a close friend’s warm embrace, memories of awe and excitement were re-lived and amplified.

Just like the music scene it has nurtured, Helsinki has aged well. Bars have sprung up in abandoned buildings, exciting new restaurants like The Room By Kozeen Shiwan have earned Michelin stars, and a deeply embedded sauna culture has sparked a global wellbeing craze.

Never once, however, have residents forgotten the value of community. This is still a city where anarchists defy police by building free-to-enter bathhouses out of disused building materials and businesses prefer to please everyday people rather than shareholders.

A changing climate is also having an impact. As southern Europe sizzles, Nordic cities bask in a cooling breeze. Slowly, travellers are creeping north and discovering better prices, fewer crowds and longer days of more tolerable sunshine.

Playing to a full house, the Five Corners Quintet reminisced about coming full circle.

So much about the city has changed since my first visit, but the irresistible rhythm of life remains unchanged. In tune with Jukka Eskola, Helsinki hits the right notes every time.

Coasting through the archipelago

There are around 300 islands in the Helsinki archipelago – meaning a beach and isolated picnic spot is never far away. The best-known cluster of granite outcrops forms fortress island Suomenlinna, where well-maintained military structures tell the story of Swedish, Russian and eventually independent Finnish rule. Next door, Lonna has one of Helsinki’s best public saunas, while Vallisaari has been transformed into a giant outdoor art gallery for the Helsinki Biennial which runs until September 21.

Most key islands are connected by the FRS ferry service which departs from the Market Square. Newly opened last year is Kivisaari island, home to a grand villa built by architect Eliel Saarinen in 1918. To reach more remote spots, Helsinki Odyssey runs private tours.

Cool kiosks

Originally built in 1952 for the Summer Olympics, serving snacks to hungry spectators, dozens of retro canopy kiosks – known as ‘lippakioski’ – are dotted across the city. Many remain unchanged but have been out of use for several decades. Last year, several young entrepreneurs seized the opportunity to breathe new life into the spaces and restore them as community hubs. The trend is now sweeping across the city, with queues snaking from kiosks in parks, playgrounds and along pavements.

Open seasonally between May and September, they’ve become some of the coolest spots to hang out. In the centre of town at Johanneksenpuisto, Vilma Ijas serves frozen yogurts at Jugge Bar and has developed such a following she even has a selection of merchandise for sale.

Run by two brothers from Milan, Brera in Eiranpuisto serves up pizza, wine and jazz surrounded by art nouveau architecture. A short train ride away in the Kapyla neighbourhood, Kapylan Kiska is perfect example of low-fi, coffee-culture socialism. Run by a group of students to locals who sit on stools made with vinyl records while sipping drinks from mugs donated by the community, it also hosts music concerts, bingo nights and fingerboard events.

Shopping with a conscience

Creative force Elina Siira firmly believes that wearing jewellery makes a statement. But the messaging is about much more than pretty designs. Working in collaboration with support group Startup Refugees, her company AIDA employs mothers from diverse cultural backgrounds to make collections of freshwater pearl necklaces and symbolic amulets. Several pieces have been designed in collaboration with celebrity figures, including a cowboy boot by Finnish poet Natalia Kallio, which represents feminism and a fight for equality. Find her store at Hameentie 26 or visit aidaimpact.com.

Finns have a reputation for being pragmatic and frugal – an approach which has inspired a proliferation of thrift and vintage shops across the city. One of the most successful concept stores is Relove, set up by former stylist Noora Hautakangas and specialising in secondhand designer clothing. Find branches in department store Stockmann and at the airport. Relove’s latest project is a Parisian-style restaurant Rue Madame Brasserie in the centre of town along Pohjoisesplanadi, serving a menu of extremely covetable high-end handbags alongside food and drink. Anyone feeling flush can order Chanel and Champagne for dessert – with a €4,515 ($6,128) price tag that may not be so easy to digest. Visit en.relove.fi and ruemadame.fi.