Christmas in North Europe

About the destination: Helsinki is located on a small peninsula at the southern tip of Finland. If you approach Helsinki from the sea, you'll see neoclassical buildings with elegant lines and pastel colours, and a marketplace brimming with strawberries and salmon. The city has grown with a focus on harmony. In the summer, many locals swap city life for their country cottages, but in winter the capital comes alive with theatre, political institutes and over 20,000 university students. Architecture enthusiasts will adore Helsinki. The attractive neoclassical buildings around Senate Square were almost entirely designed by German architect Carl Ludwig Engel in the early 19th century, shortly after Helsinki took over from Turku as the capital of Finland. The jewel in the crown is the Lutheran Cathedral, which has recently been refurbished and looks better than ever, with the 12 apostles on the roof once again looking down at the world below. Elsewhere in the city, the bold, simple designs of the city’s great 20th century architects, notably Aalto and Saarinen, blend with the clean neoclassical lines. The stunning Jean Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland’s most famous composer, consists of hundreds of steel pipes sculpted by Elia Hiltunen. The monument is located in Sibelius Park. The Kansallimuseo, or National Museum, has fantastic displays of Finnish culture. The exhibits of the City Museum illustrate the history of the city. The islands surrounding Helsinki make for excellent day trips. The sandy beaches and smooth rocks of Pihlajasaari make it a popular summer spot for sunbathing Finns. Every summer, there are many free outdoor concerts in one of the city’s numerous parks. In the afternoons, all kinds of music can be heard on the leafy Esplanadi. Helsinki may be a small city compared to the world's mega-cities, but it still has a cosmopolitan spirit. Helsinki is a beautiful city, especially in the summer. The streets are clean and there's always a peaceful spot to be found, if you need one. Some say that Helsinki is "the biggest village in the world" and it's a fantastic place for tourism, history, museums, galleries, theatre, music, shopping, restaurants, clubs, and so on, all environmentally friendly, free of pollution and traffic congestion.

About the destination: Helsinki is located on a small peninsula at the southern tip of Finland. If you approach Helsinki from the sea, you'll see neoclassical buildings with elegant lines and pastel colours, and a marketplace brimming with strawberries and salmon. The city has grown with a focus on harmony. In the summer, many locals swap city life for their country cottages, but in winter the capital comes alive with theatre, political institutes and over 20,000 university students. Architecture enthusiasts will adore Helsinki. The attractive neoclassical buildings around Senate Square were almost entirely designed by German architect Carl Ludwig Engel in the early 19th century, shortly after Helsinki took over from Turku as the capital of Finland. The jewel in the crown is the Lutheran Cathedral, which has recently been refurbished and looks better than ever, with the 12 apostles on the roof once again looking down at the world below. Elsewhere in the city, the bold, simple designs of the city’s great 20th century architects, notably Aalto and Saarinen, blend with the clean neoclassical lines. The stunning Jean Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland’s most famous composer, consists of hundreds of steel pipes sculpted by Elia Hiltunen. The monument is located in Sibelius Park. The Kansallimuseo, or National Museum, has fantastic displays of Finnish culture. The exhibits of the City Museum illustrate the history of the city. The islands surrounding Helsinki make for excellent day trips. The sandy beaches and smooth rocks of Pihlajasaari make it a popular summer spot for sunbathing Finns. Every summer, there are many free outdoor concerts in one of the city’s numerous parks. In the afternoons, all kinds of music can be heard on the leafy Esplanadi. Helsinki may be a small city compared to the world's mega-cities, but it still has a cosmopolitan spirit. Helsinki is a beautiful city, especially in the summer. The streets are clean and there's always a peaceful spot to be found, if you need one. Some say that Helsinki is "the biggest village in the world" and it's a fantastic place for tourism, history, museums, galleries, theatre, music, shopping, restaurants, clubs, and so on, all environmentally friendly, free of pollution and traffic congestion.

About the destination: One of Europe's most enchanting cities, Tallinn is a perfect blend of medieval and modern, with its narrow cobbled lanes filled with baroque architecture, and its wild nightlife. Estonia's capital city has been labelled the 'New Prague' but this city stands out in its own right. The World Heritage-listed Old Town has plenty of diversions for even the most discerning traveller. Best explored on foot, Tallinn’s evocative Old Town is filled with castles, Russian Orthodox churches and Dominican monasteries. These historic treasures share the streets with old merchant houses and medieval meeting halls where visitors can witness locals demonstrating centuries-old artisan traditions of glassblowing, weaving and pottery, and, why not, take a unique souvenir back home. At night the Old Town transforms. Within its ancient walls travellers will be able to party in steamy nightclubs, sleek lounges, expat bars and vibrant gay clubs until the early hours of the morning. Outside the medieval quarters, there's plenty to see. On the outskirts of the old borough a new district is emerging, with gleaming new hotels, offices and plenty of restaurants, cafés, boutiques and nightclubs. Anyone arriving in Tallinn with the idea of an old Soviet Bloc grey city will be as surprised by this new skyline as they will be by the charming old core. Tallinn is proud of its old soul but it is also fashion forward, vibrant, colourful, cultural and wild.