Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(June-Aug Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat 8:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-16:00; less action,
shorter hours, and closed Sun off-season). The stalls in the adjacent red-brick
indoor market specialize in antiques (Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-15:00,
closed Sun).
Unioninkatu:
This short street (connecting the harbor with the Lutheran
Cathedral) has a few fun shops.
Kalevala Jewelry,
at #25, sells quality made-
in-Finland jewelry. Some pieces look modern, while others are inspired by
old Scandinavian, Finnish, and Sami themes (VAT refunds available, Mon-
Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Sun, tel. 020-761-1380,
Fishermen head next door to #23, where the
Schröder
sporting goods
store shows off its famous selection of popular Finnish-made Rapala fishing
lures—ideal for the fisherfolk on your gift list.
You have three basic money-saving options: modest but comfortable smaller
hotels; discounted big-hotel rooms in summer and on weekends; and unusu-
ally comfortable hostels and student dorms that rent plenty of twin-bedded
rooms. Also remember that some of the cheapest beds in Helsinki are on the
cruise ships to Stockholm.
At most Helsinki hotels, rates vary by the day of the week—with deep dis-
counts on Friday and Saturday nights, and higher rates the rest of the week.
From late June to early August, rooms are discounted every day of the week.
A few hotels extend the weekend discount to Sunday nights as well. When
two prices are listed, the first is for weeknights, the second for weekends and
summer.
Of course, hotels play a complicated game of price discrimination with
computer programs that tell them exactly how much to charge for a room
based on demand, so prices can range above and below what I list. Check the
hotel website for exact rates, and shop around to see if someone is offering an
especially good deal.
