![The cathedral in Helsinki, Finland](https://images.suitcasemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10200450/six-last-minute-trips-for-your-long-weekend-away_652f5edd93bf1.jpeg)
Helsinki
Finland
Copenhagen all booked up? Switch the Scandi favourite for its edgy Finnish counterpart. Finland's capital is an electric city with a bumper list of offerings: Baltic Sea views, a burgeoning food and drink scene and, in common with Copenhagen, a keen eye for design. For architecture that wows, explore the area south of the centre, playing bingo with the contemporary greats, from the modernist lines of the Finlandia concert hall to the half-hidden dome of the rock-carved Temppeliaukio Church. Don't expect balmy weather - this is a European city break, not a beach stay - but if temperatures are a touch too low for your liking, head to the slatted wooden pyramid on the waterfront that is Löyly, for a warming introduction to Finnish sauna culture. Fuel up at 6K, a contemporary street-food take on the city's historic kauppahalli (covered markets) - or head to one of the many cosy coffee spots. Our choice pick is Café Succès, where the cinnamon buns are divine.
Where to stay: Hotel St George Helsinki