An art lover's weekend in HelsinkiA weekend trip to a foreign capital is always a nice way to forget the everyday realities of work. I myself always try to say at least from thursday to sunday in any city I visit, but of course you can see a lot even on a two day trip from friday to sunday. On a weekend trip you have to be very selective regarding the places to see. There simply is not much time to waste -- you have to concentrate either on seeing the 'greatest hits' or visiting some of my more 'underground' suggestions. It is difficult to suggest any must-see places for someone without knowing more about her interests and preferences. But let us assume that you are someone interested in arts and design. At least in that case I can give you some clear suggestions for what to do in Helsinki. You should at least skip the Sinebrychoff museum for international art. It has a nice small collection of European art starting from the early modern period, but it is nothing special if you have visited any of the worlds finest museums like Louvre or British Museum. You should save your time for something unique. In this case, I would suggest you to start from the Ateneum Museum for Finnish Art. The Ateneum's collection is the best collection of Finnish art from it's 'golden period' in the 19th century to the modern times. In Ateneum you can see some of our art history's finest works even if you have only an hour or two to spend in the museum. | The Kiasma museum for modern art is another interesting museum for art lovers. The core collection of the museum were donated by late professor and investment banker Pentti Kouri, who was an avid collector of arts. His personal taste is still reflected in the museum's collection. The third museum worth visiting is the museum for industrial arts. In the museum, you'll see many great examples of the internationally known Finnish designers. It is not without reason, that Helsinki was chosen to be World's Design Capital in 2012 -- we truly have a design heritage worth remembering. After these three museums, an art-lover's weekend in Helsinki has little time left for any other museums. Instead of trying to see as much as possible, you should certainly take some free time and enjoy a dinner in some of the nicest restaurants in the city. |