Helsinki

Helsinki's character is forged by the bays, inlets and islands of the Baltic that surrounds the city, and the ultimate way to experience its watery topography is to take a boat cruise. When strolling through the kauppatori (market square) in summer, you won’t have to look for cruises – the boat companies will find you. As well as 1½-hour sightseeing cruises, there are dinner cruises, bus-boat combinations and sunset cruises that weave between the archipelago's islands. Longer day trips by steamer travel to the charming town of Porvoo.

Helsinki is a wonderfully walkable city, but to cover ground quickly and sightsee cheaply, board a regular tram. Key routes are accompanied by free downloadable guides from the tourist office. Tram 2 runs a loop from the kauppatori (market square). Tram 4 is a one-way route passing architectural highlights; pick it up at the gold onion-dome-topped Uspenskin Katedraali, and see the Lutheran cathedral Tuomiokirkko, the Finnish parliament Eduskunta, the Alvar Aalto–designed concert hall Finlandia Talo and more. Tram 6's one-way route takes in design and culinary highlights.

Functional, elegant, outrageous or wacky: the choice is yours. Helsinki’s decidedly nonmainstream chic is best explored by browsing the vast variety of design shops that spatter its centre. Whether examining iconic 20th-century Finnish forms in the flagship emporia of brands such as Iittala, Marimekko and Artek, or tracking down the cutting-edge and just plain weird in the creative Design District backstreets in Punavuori, you’re sure to find something you didn’t know you needed but just can’t do without. And yes, they can arrange shipping.

Helsinki is a veritable open-air museum of striking architectural styles. Art nouveau fans in particular will find stunning examples of Finland's art nouveau movement, National Romanticism, throughout the city, from the magnificent train station to the turreted villas on the island of Katajanokka, and Kallio's landmark copper-domed church, Kallion Kirkko. Other standout styles include modernism, with visionary works by Alvar Aalto, along with innovative contemporary designs such as the curved timber Kamppi Chapel. Learn more at the Finnish architecture museum, which runs architectural walking tours.

A sacred part of Finnish culture is the sauna (pronounced sah-oo-nah, not saw-nuh), prescribed to cure almost every ailment, used to seal business deals, or just socialise. Between saunas, Finns swim (or take a cold shower) then return to the sauna to warm up and repeat. Virtually all hotels in Helsinki have a sauna and many have private in-room saunas. Better yet, visit a public sauna such as the new Löyly Sauna on the Hernesaari waterfront, where you can jump straight into the sea (through an ice hole in winter).

For an authentic taste of Helsinki, head to a kauppahalli (covered market), where butchers, bakers, fishmongers and delis sell a heady range of traditional food, including smoked fish, game sausages, cheeses, mushrooms, wild herbs, liquorices and much more. Helsinki has three central market halls, the Hakaniemen Kauppahalli, Hietalahden Kauppahalli and, most central of all, the red-brick Vanha Kauppahalli, built in 1888 and filled with wooden stalls, adjacent to the kauppatori (market square). All three market halls also have ready-to-eat takeaway dishes and casual on-site eateries.

A quintessential Helsinki day out is a ferry trip to Suomenlinna. Set over a series of islands laced together by bridges, the Unesco World Heritage site was built by the Swedes in the mid-18th century. Today you can explore its former bunkers, fortress walls, Finland's only remaining WWII submarine, and museums covering everything from the history of the fortress to Finnish military hardware and an adorable toy museum. Places to eat and drink include a terrific microbrewery along with plenty of scenic picnic spots.

Helsinki is renowned for its vibrant live-music scene and catching a concert in the city is an unmissable experience, whatever your genre of choice. The city's churches offer sublime acoustics for classical performances, as do some of the city's resplendent concert halls that are true architectural masterpieces. Jazz has a strong following in Helsinki, at both dedicated jazz clubs and big-name venues. And rock (especially, metal) is huge here. The state-of-the-art, glass-and-copper Musiikkitalo (Helsinki Music Centre) hosts all of these styles and more.

To get a vivid introduction to Finland's history, head to the national history museum, Kansallismuseo. A major overhaul is underway until 2019, but the museum will remain open throughout. Already-completed sections include an exceptional prehistory exhibition and the Realm, covering the 13th to the 19th century. Also here is a fantastic hands-on area for kids, Workshop Vintti. The building itself is a historical treasure in National Romantic art nouveau style, with a vaulted central hall painted with Akseli Gallen-Kallela's frescoes depicting scenes from the national epic, Kalevala.

Finland’s foremost art gallery offers a crash course in the nation’s art. It houses Finnish paintings and sculptures from the ‘golden age’ of the late 19th century through to the 1950s, including the prolific Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s triptych from the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, depicting Väinämöinen’s pursuit of the maiden Aino. The Ateneum was established by the nationalistic Finnish Society of Crafts and Design, which played a pivotal role in Finland's path to independence. Its visionary acquisitions include the first-ever Van Gogh purchased by a museum (in 1903).