Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

WINTER/SPRING 2022 DREAMSCAPES 33 FINNISH FOOD AND DRINK Michelin-starred restaurants tempt Helsinki diners. Next to the harbourfront Market Square, Olo crafts creative tasting menus with Arctic cod and reindeer sweetbreads. Over at plant-friendly Restaurant Grön, soulful vegans and lovers of organically sourced meats and fish are seduced by new Nordic dishes. FUN FACT Finns rank among the world's most avid coffee drinkers, drinking 12 kilograms annually of the java brew. SUPREMELY STYLISH SLEEPS Featuring a sumptuous breakfast buffet, the 2021-founded Scandic Grand Central Helsinki Hotel adjoins Eliel Saarinen's iconic art nouveau central railway station. Klaus K Hotel, originally in- spired by the Kalevala national epic, offers 171 art-driven rooms with themes like Passion and Envy. DS C I T Y S P O T L I G H T Helsinki HAPPY TIMES IN From adrenalized hockey to happening galleries, Helsinki is the place to get happy this year. Recently ranked as the world's happiest country four years running, Finland blends urban comforts, natural beauty and boasts a safe, secure capital. SPORTS, SWEAT & SMILES Puck enthusiasts, unite! Helsinki will co-host the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Champion- ship with Tampere from May 13–29 as Canada defends its gold medal. Speaking of hot rivalries, the Canadians and Finns have split the last two World Hockey Championship finals. If you're passionate about outdoor recreation and sustainability, this green city boasts Europe's most-used rental bike system, including 1,500 kilometres of cycling paths. Inhale the fresh Baltic Sea breeze while riding the 2020- completed Inner City Waterfront Trail past landmarks like Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall. Take a water bus to Pihlajasaari—one of the Helsinki archipelago's 300-plus islands—for skinny-dipping. Finland's wellness culture embraces these icy winter plunges. FUN FACT Established in 1928, Kotiharjun Sauna offers Helsinki's classic naked experience. Sweat out your stresses at the city's oldest public wood- fired sauna. SATISFY YOUR CULTURE CRAVINGS The genre-busting Helsinki Central Library Oodi dazzles with an art-house cinema, recording studio, and a massive book collection with Finnish, English and Swedish titles. In 2019, the International Federation of Library Associations named Oodi the world's best new public library. For art buffs, the new Amos Rex Art Museum offers rotating modern exhibitions as surreal as the skylit domes atop its subterranean gallery. The Ateneum, Finland's national art gallery, is unmissable, from Victor Westerholm's pastoral landscapes to Akseli Gallen-Kallela's Finnish mythology paintings. FUN FACT Finland boasts the world's highest per-capita number of heavy metal bands. WHY GO NOW? As we bounce back from some tough years, this beautifully minimalist Nordic capital delivers everything you need to maximize the smile on your face. TRAVEL PLANNER Visit Finland visitfinland.com City of Helsinki myhelsinki.fi/en i // BY LUCAS AYKROYD PHOTOS: MAIJA ASTIKAINEN/HELSINKI MARKETING | MIKA HUISMAN/AMOS REX | HOTEL KÄMP

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