Helsinki: Helsinki is a city in Northern Europe near the Baltic Sea. It is the capital of Finland and the largest city in the country. It is known to be the historic Center of Finnish politics, culture and economics. It is a vibrant and modern city with a great display of fireworks during the New Year’s Eve.
During the New Year, Helsinki features a jumping nightlife, fine restaurants and other historical attractions as well as Finland-style shopping. Socializing and celebrating can be done at the Helsinki Cathedral where the bells are rung every midnight on New Year’s Eve. After the bells are rung, fireworks follow and other celebrations happen outside that vary depending on the weather of the city.
Most of the New Year’s parties in the city are private parties so you would enjoy more if you have some Finnish friends to invite you for the New Year’s celebration. If you are new to the city, you can try going to local bars and clubs such as Bar Continents and A’la Kana. Bar Continents is known as a cosy bar where you can enjoy classic cocktails from various continents. Here you can get together with your friends while waiting for the New Year to come. There are a range of snacks to suit all sorts of occasions that will surrey fit in the New Year. On the other hand, the A’la Kana Bar is a classy and interesting place to drop by. The evenings in the bar are always accompanied by various races that will definitely spice up the New Year mood. One of the best hostels in Helsinki is the Apartment Hotel Gella Oy it is a privately owned extended stay hotel offering over 50 unique fully furnished apartments with 57.50 EUR as starting rate.
Another wonderful place to visit is the Toolonlahti Bay that offers residents as well as visitors a beautiful Winter Garden that is a great sight to see especially during the New Year. It also offers a sports museum, the Olympic stadium and the Finlandia Hall that tourists are always attracted of.
There are various hotel accommodations that you can choose from in the city. The Continental Scandic Hotel for instance is located just a few minutes away from the city centre and many attractions such as the Linnanmaki Amusement Park and Sea Life are near the hotel as well. All the hotel rooms offer wireless internet access and a mini bar.
For fine dining, try Chez Dominique that is well known for its first-class market fresh ingredients with elegant decor. Main dishes of the restaurant include roasted turbot with garlic sauce and a potato risotto, medallions of lamb with sautéed chanterelles and lobster tortellini with vanilla anise sauce.
Finally, the best place to view the fireworks in the city is at the Helsinki’s Senate Square. Traditional speeches and fireworks have been duly accompanied in the recent years by free concerts and spectacular light installations during the New Year. And how do you say Happy New year in Finnish? “Hyvaa Uuttavuotta!”