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The Markets
The Kauppatori (open-air market) and Kauppahalli (indoor market) are marvellous places to wander, to browse the furs and traditional handicrafts, and to sample Finnish delicacies such as reindeer kebab.

Helsinki Train Station
Helsinki's main train station is more than just a point of arrival and departure: built by Eliel Saarinen in 1914, this graceful building is a landmark of early modern architecture.

Sightseeing by Tram
Helsinki is a beautiful city of pastel, Russian-influenced Neoclassical architecture, with few modern eyesores to dilute its charm. If you can't afford a sightseeing tour, take a ride on tram #3T, which loops round the centre in a figure-eight route.

Stockmann Department Store
Stockmann's is Europe's biggest department store, selling everything from Persian rugs to bubblegum. The store is also the most popular meeting place in Helsinki.

The Tuomiokirkko
Helsinki's grand cathedral, the Tuomiokirkko, looks even more impressive since its recent renovation. Don't forget to check out its gloomily atmospheric crypt.

Partying
Helsinki is a party town, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.

National Museum
This is a town of many museums and art galleries, the best of which is the castle-like National Museum, whose exhibits include the whole interior of a seventeenth-century Finnish manor house.

Uspenski Cathedral
The onion-domed Uspenski Cathedral, a legacy of Russian rule, would not look out of place in Moscow. Inside, icons glitter while incense mingles with the sound of Slavonic choirs.

Olympic Stadium Tower
For the best views of Helsinki, head for the Olympic Stadium tower, which offers an unrivalled vista over the city.