A great read

Like any book, don't judge Library Oodi by its cover. Once inside, among its remarkable discoveries are: 3D printers, sewing machines and gaming rooms; walls bedecked with Finnish words, which are hard to pronounce but look aesthetically advanced and profound, like 21st-century hieroglyphic hygge; a VR art exhibition space; and a cinema, of course, because doesn't everyone go to their local library when they want to watch movies? Barely four months since its opening, Library Oodi already has the feel of being every Finlandian's favourite new living room. You could even take a first date there.

Style and sophistication sit so effortlessly with social accessibility and simplicity in Helsinki that more than a lifestyle, they feel like a divine right. Design and Helsinki are natural bedfellows – and perhaps all those long, dark winters and short, almost night-less summers make nature the place's most appropriated inspiration. From Alvar Aalto's buildings and iconic birch stools to the Gustav Nystr?m-created Design Museum, located inside a former school building in the Kaarti area, everywhere you step lends a primer on Finnish design.

Punavuori, home to the city's design district, comprises 25 streets and more than 200 retail nirvanas – and along the way is an education. The Littala and Arabia Design Centre, bringing together two of Finland's most famous labels, is the newest addition to the area. More than just a window into the past, present and future of ceramics and glassware, the centre invites you to interact with working artists and explore your own creativity through guided tours, lectures and events.