Helsinki and the Flow Festival in 12 Snaps

Helsinki popped on to my radar a few years back when we interviewed skateboarder Bam Margera at the X-Games in Los Angeles. The Jackass star said the city topped his list of favorite places to visit. Why? A thriving music scene and some terrific skate spots were the big reasons.

Now that we’ve spent a few days in Helsinki ourselves, I couldn’t agree more with Margera’s assessment–it’s everything he said and more. For example, the capital city’s food scene is off the hook, in particular the many delicious food trucks on hand in the streets. Design also plays an important role in the city, blending a beautiful aesthetic that teeters between Gatsby-era Paris and contemporary Finnish design with a flair for sustainability.

We were in town to cover the last night of the Flow Festival, a music and art’s festival, where cuisine and sustainability play just as important role as the performers do. Luckily , for us, we had a few days after Flow to explore Helsinki. These 12 snapshots (and the captions that follow) showcase moments from our time in the city and our thoughts as the pictures unfolded.

One of the most unique things about the Flow Festival is that it takes place on the grounds of an old energy plant in central Helsinki. So all around you there are crumbling buildings and unusual structures that make an incredible backdrop for the musicians. Its a very industrial design aesthetic and fits perfectly with the city.

I met Bjork at the Flow festival in Helsinki!! She let me be her flower.

“Sorry Ms. Jackson I am for real. Never meant to make your daughter cry. I apologize a trillion times.” Outkast at Flow. INSANE. I can’t believe I’m watching Andre 3000. Holy *%*^ what a show!!!

I love the buildings and the gorgeous light on Suomenlinna island. I definitely could imagine staying here for a couple months and working on an art project.

Hey mom! This photo is for you! 😉 Isn’t Finland pretty?

We decided to explore the Suomenlinna sea fortress this afternoon with our Helsinki Cards and discovered that the island is also home to a fantastically low key brewery…score!

A peek inside the fortress on Suomenlinna island. I loved this island – the light was beautiful and like most areas in Finland it was just so peaceful.

Lunch! We’ve been dying for Asian and Wrong Noodle house in the city center delivered. Huge tasty portions and great prices – around 10€ a dish. Oh and Lana Del Rey just came on while we’re sitting here. I’m in heaven!

Time for a beer at Helsinki’s only brewery – Bryggeri. The beer is excellent, definitely worth a stop if you’re in town.

This guy is playing glass wine bottles. So inventive.

Now this is a cinnamon bun! This traditional Finnish delight, know as the korvapuusti, is like a meal in itself; though, it’s not as sweet as its American counterpart. We wanted to taste the best of the best so we went to Café Esplanad, which reportedly as some of the biggest in town.

Sad because we have to leave Finland. I absolutely fell in love with this country and its people. Randy and I talked about many times just how nice everyone here is. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen such welcoming, helpful & easy to talk to people as I have in Finland. Helsinki is a world class city and the countryside is gorgeous and peaceful. Yeah #Finland is awesome. Really sad to leave it.

Know Before You Go: Fun Facts and Information

• King Gustave Vasa of Sweden founded Helsinki in 1550 at the mouth of the Vantaa River as a trading town. The city was then moved to its present location in 1643.
• Helsinki is full of islands. To be exact, there are officially 315 islands in the area of Finland’s capital city.
• If want to ride a tram or subway in Finland, then Helsinki is the only place you can do it. Vintage-trams crisscross the city on 73 kilometers of tracks, and Helsinki’s modern subway system features four lines and 17 stations.
• The German Embassy once considered bring charges against a dog that they felt was mocking Hitler, because it raised its paw in an eerily similar Nazi salute.
• Helsinki is reportedly one of the coldest cities in the world, averaging 169 annual days below freezing. The capital city averages 101 days of snow a year, and does not receive any sunshine for approximately 51 consecutive days during the winter. It should be noted, though, that we had incredible weather during our visit in mid-August.

• You can get a sim card that’s good for one week and has unlimited data for about €25 from any Elisa store. If you’re going to be in the city longer, you can easily extend your time for an additional fee. We used the Elisa in the underground mall/bus station at Mannerheimintie 22-24.
• Helsinki is an expensive city to visit, especially for U.S. travelers, who already face unfavorable exchange rates. While we tend to forgo visitor cards, the Helsinki City Card (1-3 days) is one that I’m glad we got. Not only does it provide free public transportation (3 euro savings per ride), it also gives you access to the city’s top museums and attractions, like Suomenlinna Island.
• Tipping is not expected in Finland but is appreciated, and that goes for taxi drivers too. While you won’t see “service” listed on the bill, it’s already included in your meal or cup of coffee, for that matter.

Want to discover more unique festivals? Follow our friends and fellow travelers as they journey through Europe this summer with Must Love Festivals and through the #MustLoveFestivals on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Disclosure: Our visit to Helsinki was supported by Visit Finland, who is a Must Love Festival partner. As always, though, our thoughts and opinions are entirely our own.