I have both good news and bad news about shopping in Helsinki. Here’s the good news: a new generation of designers are creating some of the most stylish and innovative housewares, furniture, and textiles in Europe. Whether designing a chair or a dress, hip, young Finnish designers remain focused on timeless style, clean lines, and high-quality materials.

The bad news is that many of the shops that sell these beautiful things tend to keep unusual hours. If you don't plan ahead, you'll be doing more window shopping than actual buying. A few shops were closed Monday - Wednesday. Most shops close between 4-6PM on Saturdays. Many are closed on Sundays.

In Helsinki, there's a lot to love that's new. Young designers, gleaming glass architecture, and innovative spins on Finnish cuisine top out the list. But the Finns still have a strong appreciation for the the past””a good thing, given said past includes the cheeriness of Marimekko prints, sophisticated buildings by Alvar Aalto and Eliel Saarinen, and a culture where chilling out at the sauna is de rigeur. And because Finland was part of the Russian Empire until 1917, it's coloured with Neoclassical architecture that may remind one of St. Petersburg.  When I arrived at Hotel Kamp, then, I was pleased to find this happy mix of old and new, traditional and modern.