DETAILS

Vappu in Helsinki

Vappu is celebrated throughout Finland, and the holiday's schedule varies slightly from place to place and year to year based on what day of the week May 1 falls on. Check with the Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau (see details below) for an up-to-date schedule of the capital's events.

GETTING THERE: It's late to start planning a Vappu trip for this year, but if you want to visit the capital this summer, round-trip tickets from Washington are generally running about $850, with restrictions, on Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). You can probably find a deal with some planning. American, United and KLM also fly to Helsinki from the Washington area.

WHERE TO STAY: The Hotel Torni (Yrjonkatu 26, 00100, 011-358-20-123-4604, http://www.sokoshotels.fi/; doubles from $161) boasts old-school elegance, two great bars, four saunas and the best view in town.

The recent addition of Klaus K (Bulevardi 2, 011-358-20-770-4700, http://www.klauskhotel.com/; doubles from $189) brings the design-hotel option to Helsinki. Well-done rooms, enigmatically categorized as Passion, Mystical, Desire and Envy, are a worthwhile splurge if you're craving a style binge.

Every European capital has its Great Hotel, and Helsinki's is the Kamp. The exclusive Hotel Kamp (Pohjoisesplanadi 29, 00100, 011-358-95-840-9510, http://www.hotelkamp.fi/; doubles from $576), built in 1887, is on a central promenade downtown, right in the thick of things during Vappu -- for better or for worse.

WHERE TO EAT: The airy, charismatic wine bar Via Enoteca (Ludviginkatu 8-10, 00130) is an easy stop for a plate of truffle-marinated mozzarella, a glass of wine and a break from the revelry. A selection of eight antipasti runs about $35.

Kamp Cafe, on the ground floor of Hotel Kamp, is another shelter from the storm for a late lunch or early dinner, with international fare, from oysters on the half shell to roasted duck. Mains from $20 to $8. (Pohjoisesplanadi 29, 00100).

If you want to go local and try regional dishes such as reindeer or trout, book a table at the upmarket Ravintola Torni (Kalevankatu 5, 00100), a formal dining room adjacent to the Hotel Torni's lobby, where the lighting is dim and the plates are big and white. Mains from $23 to $42.

VAPPU TIPS: Check the weather before you go; Vappu will be happening no matter the conditions, but having the right gear to stay warm and/or dry and good walking shoes will keep you happy. . . . Stop by or call tourist information first thing to schedule your days for events in different parts of town. . . . Sparkling wine will probably feature prominently in your holiday, so might as well pick some up duty-free for your May Day picnic. . . . Pack a backpack of good food, get to Kaivopuisto before 10 a.m. for prime park real estate, and enjoy.

INFORMATION: Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau,011-358-9-3101-3300, http://www.visithelsinki.fi/.

-- K.M.