Participants

Helsinki

The town of Helsinki was founded in 1550 by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden (which Finland belonged to for many centuries) and was proclaimed the capital of Finland in 1812. The city is located on the southern coast of Finland and lies opposite to the Estonian capital Tallinn on the other side of the Gulf of Finland.

[Picture of Helsinki]
Helsinki centre from the sea
© City of Helsinki/Matti Tirri

The population of Helsinki is 560,000, but about one million people live in the Helsinki metropolitan area (composed of the four neighbouring cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen). There is much to see in Helsinki: some sights are listed on the Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau website.

For more information on Helsinki, visit the City of Helsinki website.

Espoo

The City of Espoo is located west of Helsinki and is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) campus is located in Otaniemi, Espoo.

Espoo is the second largest city in Finland with its 221,000 inhabitants. Espoo is a city where technology and nature combine in a very unique way, a place where bird sanctuaries and high-tech research centres are located side by side.

[Picture of Keilaniemi, Espoo]
Keilaniemi office district
© Elmo Allén

[Picture of Laajalahti, Espoo]
Laajalahti nature reserve just two kilometers away of the previous
© Elmo Allén

For more information on Espoo, visit the City of Espoo website.

Vantaa

Vantaa is located north of Helsinki, and is the fourth largest city in Finland with its 182,000 inhabitants. The Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport and most of the facilities of the national airline Finnair are located there. Near the airport is the Finnish Aviation Museum.

Aeronautical sites in Helsinki region include the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport and the Helsinki-Malmi Airport, which is in active general aviation use.

Travelling Around in Helsinki

Helsinki region has an excellent public transportation service, consisting of buses, trams, metro and local trains. Upon arrival, each participant will be provided with a tourist ticket valid in the entire region on all forms of public transportation for the entire week.