Things to see in Helsinki

Built in 1971, Finlandia Hall is one of Alvar Aalto's most iconic works. Stately, angular and unmistakably Modernist, this striking building serves as Helsinki’s main conference and concert venue, and is the current home of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by Robert Kajanus in 1882. If you are unable to visit for a performance, guided tours are offered on fixed dates (see the website for details).

Originally owned by Nokia, the defunct Finnish Cable Factory in the Ruoholahti district was leased out to artists in the 1980s, creating one of Finland’s most successful artists’ colonies. Today, the building is home to around hundreds of artists' studios, design studios, recording studios and offices of dance companies, theatre companies, TV and radio stations, as well as three art museums. The complex is open daily and you can break for lunch at the suitably arty Ravintola Hima & Sali. The Kaapelitehdas lies on tram line 8, or take the metro to Ruoholahti station.

Constructed by award-winning architect Steven Holl, this top-class Helsinki museum is a sculpture all by itself. Contained inside this geometric wave are examples of Finnish art and design from the 1960s to the present day, with approximately 4,000 pieces on display at any one time. The museum has an excellent bookshop and the design-savvy café is a popular meeting point for arty locals.

This fascinating museum was the home of Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the Imperial Russian Army officer who led Finland to independence in a bloody civil war that saw 30,000 Finns killed in 108 days. A particular hero for Swedish-speaking Finns, Mannerheim later served as Commander-in-Chief, Regent of Finland and Finland’s sixth president. His former home remains much as the great man left it, and inside, visitors can see such heirlooms as Mannerheim’s war medals and hunting trophies.

Dating back to the first half of the 19th century, Helsinki's neoclassical heart was constructed by German architect Carl Ludvig Engel, who was also the official architect of Tallinn in Estonia. Engel was heavily influenced by the architecture of St Petersburg, and the Senaatintori has been used as a stand-in for St Petersburg in numerous Cold War espionage films, including Gorky Park (1983), Reds (1981) and White Nights (1985). Facing a statue of Tsar Alexander II, the white-domed Tuomiokirkko is flanked by the grand neoclassical facades of the Government Palace and Helsinki University.

Finnish design is world-famous and this interesting Helsinki museum tracks the history of the Finnish design movement, from the fabrics of Marimekko to the Arabia ceramics of Kaj Franck, the glassware of Timo Sarpaneva and the furniture and buildings of Alvar and Aino Aalto. There are regular special exhibitions and the museum café has chairs by celebrated designer Yrjö Kukkapuro.