Helsinki has a lot to offer in terms of events, festivals, art, music, architecture and history, and visitors of all age group to Helsinki will find something to suit their purpose.

The National Museum of Finland, the largest in the country, is located in Helsinki. This museum is a matter of pride for the Finns, as it charts their history through prehistoric times to the current century. Located in the heart of the city, the museum has free entry for visitors on Tuesdays.

The relics from the Finnish past have been carefully preserved in the museum, and the building itself is a castle-like neo-romantic structure. The exhibits at the museum are indeed priceless, and some date back to the end of Ice Age in the region, back in 8000 BC. Amongst the items on display, one can find the oldest fishing net in the world, along with a magnificent sculpture of an elk’s head from the Early Stone Age period.

Alexander I throne is a major crowd puller in the museum; it was this throne he sat on while announcing the merging of Finland with Russia in 1809. The 18th Century Hall which was transported from Jakkarila Manor close to Porvoo, is a magnificent example of the rococo style of architecture; there is also a smoke house dating back to the 19th Century transferred here from the Pajasyrja village.

The museum also houses some important documents of historical significance, including the foure Kalevala frescoes, which give us an insight into ancient Finnish culture.

The Helsinki City Museum is a place you must visit to understand the true nature and culture of the Helsinki people trough the years. The museum’s mission statement declares that it intends to provide the true picture of Helsinki history to the visitor, and hence showcases both the dark and light side of Helsinki history.

The exhibits at the museum are said to have been collected by acquisitions and donations; and they aim to leave behind a legacy of development of society and living conditions of Helsinki to visitors. The collection of objects at the museum has close to 200,000 exhibits and has items from different aspects of life, including textiles, toys and dolls, administrative items such as uniforms and badges of officers, items of pre-industrial era in gold, silver and copper, Olympic memorabilia and old wedding gowns.

The museum also has a fine collection of square pianos made by Erik Gustaf Granholm from the 19th Century. The Helsinki City Museum also has an interesting collection of photographs, compiled since the 1906 which document the changing face of Helsinki. The Art Collection of the museum boasts of nearly 5000 exhibits, including portraits, sculptures, medals and works of famous artists as well as amateurs.

Another interesting place to visit while in Helsinki is the Sports Museum of Finland, located in the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. A true mirror to the sporting spirit of the Finns, this museum captures the trials and tribulations of sportspeople and sporting teams of Finland.

From moments of joy after a victory to bitter tears of sorrow on defeat, the museum captures these moments through multimedia and video shows. The Hall of Fame of Finnish Sports, apart from the Sports archives of Finland are kept here.

The Museum of National History in Helsinki is undergoing renovation at the moment, and is scheduled to reopen in the year 2008. Documenting the changes in the Finnish landscape and the accompanying changes in the flora and fauna of the country, this museum will be worth a visit once it’s up and running.

When it comes to art, Helsinki has a rich collection to talk of. Housed in the various museums dedicated to the fine arts, Helsinki is a treasure trove for all those who like studying fine arts. From medieval to contemporary art, everything finds a special place in Helsinki.

The Ateneum, is the National Gallery of Arts in Finland, and was started way back in the year 1887. The oldest art museum in Finland, the museum boasts of exhibits from 18th Century Finnish Art to 19th Century Foreign Art. The museum which started off with a collection 18 paintings donated by Alexander II has never looked back. Named after the Greek Goddess Athena, the museum has the largest collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, watercolors and graphics in entire Finland.

Worth a mention is the museum’s collection of Finnish art through 1750’s to 1960; it has brilliant displays of romantic and rococo art prevalent in the bygone eras, offset by the concrete arts of the 1950’s. Famous Finnish painters’ works find a place at this museum; including works of von Wright Brothers, Akseli Gallen-Kalela, Albert Edelfelt and Pekka Halonen. Amongst the foreign painters, once can find Gaugin’s, Cezanne’s, and Bonnard’s works here, along with numerous other world famous artists.

The Helsinki City Art Museum is located in the Tennis Palace quadrupling and is well known for its thematic exhibitions and displays of Finnish and International art. The Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art is another name to reckon with, when it comes to art in Helsinki.

Situated in a pearly white building, this museum follows the course of art and its development through the years 1960’s to 1990’s. It has contemporary art exhibits from both Finnish and International artists including names such as Nina Roos, Susanne Gottberg and the homoerotic works of illustrator Toouko Lasonen, and on the international front works of Nan Goldin, Richard Serra, Andy Warhol.

The museum is also affectionately called the ‘living room’ of Helsinki because of the wide palette of performing arts, including dance, theatre, music, and films that it offers the visitors. The museum is abuzz with activity round the year, thanks to its festivals, artist meets, seminars and workshops. People are welcome to spend a leisurely afternoon browsing through the bookstore here, or sit on the terrace café and grab a beer.

All in all Helsinki, though small, packs in quite a punch for the visitor; especially on the culture and history front. By the time you leave Helsinki you would have had a crash course in European history, thanks to the visits to the museums. There’s so much to look around, and just as you think that Helsinki has nothing more to offer, the city throws a surprise at you.