Where to stay in such a design mecca? The recently opened Hotel St. George has set the bar high in matters of stylish luxury, with murals and fabrics by young designer Klaus Haapaniemi, and sits on the corner of a leafy park on a tree-lined boulevard. In the lobby, the kite Tianwu is suspended from the ceiling alongside the bird sculpture Learning to Fly by Pekka Jylha (which hangs over the Wintergarden lounge and comes in the form of a cocktail in an exquisite bird-shaped glass). Like many hotels in Helsinki, bikes are for hire here as well. For the old-school, there's Hotel Kamp, the first deluxe five-star hotel in the Nordic countries and one of Helsinki's most valued historical buildings. This was a favorite haunt of composer Jean Sibelius and is still going strong today.

Between the two on Bulevardi is the Klaus K, inspired by Finland's national epic poem The Kalevala, and popular for its central location, imaginative style and the character of the rooms. For the more adventurous, there's GLO Hotel Art, which combines the Finnish national romantic style with art nouveau interiors - and feels more like a Tolkien novel. It's also close to designer shops; the iconic Stockmann department store is 15 minutes away.

Helsinki doesn't stop. It's like a book you can't put down - and when and if you do, the reality feels much the same. Especially at Library Oodi, the city's favorite living room.