Many Helsinki City services operate on summer hours and timetables through July. During this time, Helsinki hosts special events, such as the international junior football tournament Helsinki Cup on July 11-17 and offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities.

Search for events in Helsinki in the Event Calendar.

Public transportation

Helsinki Regional Transport Authority’s summer timetables will be in effect through August 1, affecting buses and the metro on weekdays and trams on Saturdays. The timetables have been updated into the region’s Journey Planner. Some route changes will apply.

The Transport Authority operates its Customer Service at the Central Railway Station’s Metro Station from 7:30am to 7:00pm on Monday to Thursday, 7:30am to 5:00pm on Friday, and 10:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday. The operating hours at the Itäkeskus Metro Station are from 10:00am to 5:15pm on Monday to Friday.

Health care services

Medical advice for Helsinki metropolitan residents is provided around the clock by the health hotline at (09) 10023. In case of serious acute illness, accident or other emergency requiring immediate emergency care, call 112.

All health centre operations are focused on eight health stations in Helsinki through July 30. During this time, the health stations mainly treat patients in need of urgent care and monitor those with long-term illnesses. Outside health station operating hours, Emergency Clinics at the Haartman and Malmi Hospitals are open for people requiring urgent medical care.

Libraries

Most public libraries serve according to special summer opening hours through August 15, mainly from 10am to 8pm, staying closed on weekends. They serve as outlets for the HelMet Web Library.   

KesäDösä is a bus that tours the city on weekdays through July 16, lending books, movies, magazines and some outdoor sports equipment, as well as providing access to the Internet. The bus is part of the “KesäStadi” activities of the City of Helsinki for children any young people.

Outdoor opportunities

Helsinki offers a variety of outdoor activities in the summer, many of them supervised.

The metropolitan area outdoor expedition calendar (in Finnish and Swedish) includes information on the guided outdoor expeditions in the Helsinki region. The expeditions are open for everybody and free of charge, unless otherwise indicated.

The outdoor recreation map shows cycling and other exercise opportunities in the region.

The archipelago guide is a complete information package on the islands for recreational outdoor use and for boaters.

The City of Helsinki organizes supervised sports activities in the summer for all age groups and for special groups.

Information

Further information on summer Helsinki is available at Virka Info, a public information service that answers questions about the City of Helsinki and its services.

Virka Info serves residents and visitors at the information desk of the City Hall lobby, as well as by phone and e-mail. In addition to Finnish and Swedish, service is available in several other languages. Hours of operation are from 9am to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 11am to 5pm on weekends.

Illustration: Helsinki’s main cycling routes and hubs

The City of Helsinki Public Works Department has conducted a survey among cyclists on the most popular cycling routes and their condition in Helsinki, with a special emphasis on winter cycling. The feedback will be used to assess roughly one hundred kilometres of cycling routes and their condition, as background for a new development plan.

The main cycling routes of Helsinki, as discovered by the feedback, are linked at hubs. These hubs will remain in place even if some of the main cycling paths are re-routed, enabling cyclists to reach their destinations the most conveniently and safely.

The survey was conducted on the cycling website Fillarikanava.fi and attracted 630 respondents, who posted a total of 240 messages on the site’s map for comments.

Better routes and improved maintenance

The surveyed cyclists were able to express requests for new connections and for improvements on existing routes. Their biggest concerns were about broken route connections, uneven route maintenance, poor organization of traffic, poor snow removal, and gravel on the pavement in winter.

Their main wishes concerning new routes were for connections along rail routes, cross-region bike paths, and better routes through some of the busiest city centre areas.

The Public Works Department is co-operating with Helsinki Cyclists in an assessment of the condition of the busiest cycling routes over this summer and next autumn. The assessment will pay special attention to the functionality of routes, lighting and signage on paths, safety, and the condition of the pavement. Enhanced winter maintenance along the main routes is also under discussion.

When the days are long and the nights are white in late June, the Finns celebrate Juhannus, the Midsummer festival, over a three-day holiday weekend from Friday to Sunday. Friday is Midsummer Eve and Saturday Midsummer Day. Many people leave cities and head for the country to celebrate. Helsinki will become unusually quiet for the Midsummer weekend.

The 2010 Midsummer festival will take place from Friday to Sunday, June 25-27. Buses and commuter trains will operate on special holiday schedules on Friday and Saturday. Public health stations, libraries and City museums will be closed.

On Friday, Midsummer Eve, all public transport services will operate a Saturday service. On Saturday, Midsummer Day, a Sunday service will start at around 11 am. The Suomenlinna ferry and commuter trains will operate from the morning. Bus 24 will operate additional service on Midsummer Eve to serve visitors to the Midsummer festivities in Seurasaari.

Public health stations will close their doors at 4 pm on Thursday, June 24, and remain closed throughout the weekend. Health care services at Midsummer are available at emergency units. In case of serious acute illness, accident or other emergency requiring immediate emergency care, call 112. Guidance on health-related matters is provided by the health hotline at (09) 10023. Outside health station operating hours, Emergency Clinics at the Haartman and Malmi Hospitals are open for people requiring urgent medical care.

Public libraries will serve on the Saturday summer schedule on Thursday and remain closed Friday to Sunday. City museums will also remain closed throughout the Midsummer weekend.

Summer operations and timetables in the Helsinki region: transport, health services, libraries, sports, information services

Helsinki Week will be celebrated from the 3^rd to the 20^th of June, wrapped around the Helsinki Day on the 12^th of June, when the city will offer events and experiences for every appetite. There’ll be happenings, activities and life experiences across the city. The multivaried programme can be heard and sampled all over Helsinki and its most far-flung suburbs.

Helsinki Day will commemorate the city’s birthday as well as 20 years of Samba Carnaval. In honour of that, a joyous carnival spirit and music will spill out across the city over the weekend, which will also see motorbikes, antique cars and sailing boats. A festive carnival spirit will pervade the city all weekend. The Esplanade park will be taken over by a handicraft and design market.  Museums and various expos will also open their doors; Helsinki Day will be received by swimming pools and various exhibitions opening up.

The Senate Square will be the place for events from midday to 9 p.m. when the Samba Carnaval’s procession and performers will take centre stage. The processions will start at 3 p.m. when the united 20-year-procession of Finland’s samba schools will shimmy through the city centre. The samba-themed programme will continue on the Senate Square stage from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with sambaing and hip-shaking to the rhythm of the Helsinki Day Carnival Party. The performers will include mellow domestic rhythms as well as hot carnival names straight from Brazil, such as Sami Saari, Caipirinha feat. Sergio Bastos (BRA) and Banda do Pelô (BRA)! The evening’s Carnival Party will be presided over by Janne Kataja.

The Guards Brass Septet Festival will spread across Helsinki from the 3^rd to the 6^th of June. On Thursday the 3^rd, The Guards Brass Septet will perform in the Suomenlinna Church at 7 p.m. and on Sunday the 6^th in Kirkkopuisto, the Brass Septet will play a free picnic concert at 2 p.m. 

Pihlajamäki Goes Blues on 5.6.2010, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. will offer a hefty dose of chilled rhythm music in a genuine ‘60s atmosphere. The performers in Pihlajamäen Kiillepuisto park this year include Remu & the Hurriganes and Tim Lothar solo. The evening jams of the event will be at the Pihlajamäki shopping centre and the Juttutupa restaurant.

The 2011 European Capitals of Culture Turku and Tallinn will present themselves in the Senate Square on 11.6. and 13.6. 

From the 14^th to the 20^th of June, the Les Lumierès, Age of Enlightenment Culture Festival will be celebrated at Suomenlinna and other parts of Helsinki. 

The Samba Carnaval will take place over the weekend of the 11^th and 12^th, when the samba kings and queens will be crowned and the party will go on in samba clubs until the morning. 

If your Finnish is up to it, you can read the Helsinki Week supplement from the Metro paper as a pdf file here!