Photo. Tractor
party at Zetor in Helsinki. In the middle of the city centre you feel that you
are in the countryside.
Helsinki is the beautiful capital in Finland. The life in Helsinki is quite
pulsating and this is the city where you really feel alive, especially in one
discothèque, the Zetor Bar and Restaurant. It`s the most distinctive and funny
in the city. This is the place where you can soak up the real "Sisu"-atmosphere
in Finland. Sisu is like an invisible power that the Finnish is equipped
with.
The term Sisu characterise the inhabitants more than anything else. In the
Finnish culture Sisu refers to good guts. It means more precisely special
strength, stubbornness, encouragement and stamina. I have been to Zetor several
occasions the last years enjoyed tasting Finnish food, homemade ale and special
drinking hot shots. I have also had the pleasure to dance to the powerful
Finnish rock`n roll music - SOUMI ROKKIA!
Helsinki is located in the southern part of Finland on
the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Helsinki forms a conurbation with three other
cities, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, which are together called the capital
area. The Greater Helsinki area has a total population of 1.2
million.
Photo. Reindeer in northern
Finland.
This wonderful animal reminded me of the
great Soumi people in Zetor Bar who jumped around in the same way. |
 |
One of the greatest architecture highlights in Helsinki is
the Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko). The area around the
Cathedral was probably the greatest arena for celebrating the transition to the
new millennium. The colours lighted up the monument and the celebration was
fantastic. What a party!
The Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelical Lutheran
cathedral located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. Until the independence of
Finland in 1917, it was called St. Nicholas' church. It`s a distinct
landmark in the scenery of central Helsinki, the church was built in 1830-1852,
representing the neoclassical style. It was originally designed by Carl Engel,
and later altered by his successor Ernst Lohrmann.
| Photo. The Helsinki Cathedral - the Soumi
main arena for celebrating the new millennium. |
 |
Today it is one of the most famous tourist attractions in
Helsinki. Annually more than 350,000 people visit the church, some of them to
attend religious events, but most are tourists. On the roof of the cathedral
there are zinc statues of the 12 Apostles. These are the biggest uniform collection of zinc
sculptures in the world.
But there is more to experience in Helsinki than just admire beautiful
buildings and historical sites. If you would like to take the pulse of the city,
the best place is definitely Zetor, and here you can experience the spirit of
the Finnish party life, which is probably one of the best in the world.
Read more about the unique party life in Helsinki in part
2.
Stein Morten Lund, 27 august 2003
Additional information
Helsinki 's green parks,
waterways, nice harbour area, fresh sea winds with seagulls flying over the busy
market square, and many open-air cafés, make the city a pleasant place to visit
in summer. The Finnish are famous for design and architecture.
You will find evidence of that by walking down the main street Esplanade and
other places around in the city. The city is characterised by small buildings.
The market square is still surrounded by 19th century architecture.
Finnish design on its best is also shown on Marimekko clothes and Nokia
mobile (cellular) phone, some of them with Marimekko design.
Built on a peninsula, Helsinki is linked by ferry to Suomenlinna Island in
the Gulf of Finland, which is perfect for picnicking
day-trippers.
Some useful phrases that can make your stay more
pleasant in Finland:
Finnish language could be very difficult for
foreigners. For example: the language has few prepositions. Therefore some of
the words are extremely long. Take a deep breath, and just blow the words out.
The Finnish people would be totally charmed!
Kiitos saunasta - thank you for the sauna. The sauna is an important
institution (Finnish hot bath) in Finland as the pubs are in Ireland.
Kiipis - toast, cheers (for drinking)
Olutta - a beer
Vodkaa - a
vodka
For more information about Finland:
Finnish Tourist Board's
official travel guide to Finland - website: www.visitfinland.com.
On this site you'll find information about how to make the most of your trip,
whether you are visiting for pleasure or business.
Finnish Tourist Board
Head Office: P.O. Box 625, Töölönkatu 11,
00101
HELSINKI, FINLAND Tel.: +358 (0)9 4176 911
Fax: +358 (0)9 4176
9399
E-mail: mek@mek.fi.
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