The Aalto House is a modest, two-stoery home that the world-renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto and his first wife, Aino, also an architect, built for themselves in the mid-1930s. Today the well-preserved building in the suburban Munkkiniemi neighbourhood, a half-hour north of the city center by tram, is a museum open to the public on engaging, small guided tours (tickets, 30 euros). The timeless home was a family residence and an office, with a sliding partition separating the wings, both furnished in the midcentury modern style that the Aaltos pioneered. If you’re left wanting more after the hourlong tour, it’s only a seven-minute walk to Studio Aalto, a separate office that Alvar Aalto designed to accommodate the growing architecture firm in the 1950s (guided tour, 20 euros).
WHERE TO STAY
The Hotel Maria opened in December in the harbourside Kruununhaka neighbourhood, has 117 luxurious, cream-coloured rooms and suites along with an on-site restaurant, spa and chandelier-lit bar. Rooms start at around 425 euros, or US$464.
The Hobo Helsinki has 183 cosy, colourful rooms and a daily breakfast buffet, fitness centre and a popular terrace bar. Rooms start at around 180 euros.
Scandic Helsinki Hub has more than 350 modern, spacious guest rooms and amenities that include an ample breakfast buffet (included), a gym, sauna and a large co-working lounge. Rooms start at around 150 euros.
Look for a short-term rental in Punavuori, a cool neighbourhood in the southwestern part of central Helsinki with many great restaurants, bars, cafes, parks and coffee shops.
By Ingrid K. Williams © The New York Times
This article originally appeared in The New York Times