Stay in Helsinki for summer days

I once lived overlooking the Rock church,and it is still my favorite spot in town.Built in 1952,the church is really a massive hole in the ground,its roughly hewn rock walls lit with flickering candles and its ceiling a great coil of copper and glass.Stop by the Cafe Eeops,one block west of the church on the corner of Sammonkatu and Runeburg,a friendly neighborhood place full of books that serves homemade pastries,soups and sandwiches.



Lunch in Helsinki is a casual affair,best experienced at the classic old-fashioned cafes Ekberg on Bulevardi has been an institution for even longer than the Finnish state,while eating at Fazer is an excuse to indulge in their iconic chocolates.




Fazer's most decadent ice-cream sundae comes in an Alvar Aalto dish,a sweet reminder that Finnish design is world-renowned.I have a passion for piece from the 1930s-1970s,and I can easily spend the afternoon browsing vintage glass specialists Van-haa JA kaunista at Liisankatu 6,or visiting the boutiques and galleries in Helsinki's burgeoning design district.




My exploration of Finnish design continues with dinner at Atelje Finne.The restaurant is in the former studio of Art Deco sculptor Gunna Finne and several of his pieces are on display.The simple menu uses the best ingredients and the atmosphere is artsy and intimate.After dinner,head up to the rooftop bar of the Hotel Torni for a drink and to watch the sunset.By the midnight,it's still light out-the summer night is young.