Helsinki - Culture

A HIGH-TECH CITY WHERE CULTURE MEETS NATURE

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is the country's administrative centre and economic hub. The high standards of university education and research in the city are respected everywhere. It is a lively and pleasant place, where advanced technology lives in harmony with deeply-rooted ecological thinking and closeness to nature. The city's geographical location on the interface between East and West has meant that influences from both cultural spheres have shaped its life and character. That can be seen even in the street scene, where variety of architectural styles from Neo-classical through Art Nouveau to Modernism reflect the various phases of the city's history.

Unique Nature

Helsinki is a city of fascinating contrasts. A procession of distinct seasons add their own contribution to this delightful variety. The sea surrounds the city and is dazzling blue in summer disappears beneath a brilliant white blanket of snow in winter. The iridescent white of snow, the shimmering heat of summer days, the bright summer nights and the splendid brightness of the stars in winter are also aspects of the city's atmosphere. The pristine nature of the offshore islands and the numerous verdant parks in the city itself attract with their beauty. To balance the picture, shopping streets, restaurants, cafes and cultural events offer experiences day and night.

A Living Work of Art

Helsinki is a city of culture that lives with the times, a place that happily marries tradition to today's creativity. There are cultural events for every day of the year and the human scale of the city places them all within convenient reach. The branches of the arts in which Helsinki is particularly strong are music, theatre, dance and film. The rise to prominence of media art, together with festivals that bring various disciplines together, feature centrally in the city's cultural life. All in all, there are about 70 museums and numerous galleries. In May the Museum of Contemporary Art will open in a magnificent new building called KIASMA ("Chiasma") in the heart of the city.

A Highly Esteemed Host

With superb infrastructure, advanced technology and high-class services in addition to excellent accommodation and meeting facilities, Helsinki has earned an enviable reputation as a congress city. All of these advantages and an unparalleled safety record attract a large number of international congresses to Helsinki each year.

Looking Confidently to the Future

Helsinki is looking forward to some interesting and important years. The sea fortress Suomenlinna (which is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites) celebrates its 250th anniversary in 1998. Finland will hold the EU Presidency for the latter half of the following year and several major meetings will take place in Helsinki. The city has been chosen as one of the nine European Cities of Culture in 2000, the same year in which it celebrates the 450th anniversary of its foundation.