Practical information

On this page, you can find information on the practicalities of the venue, how to participate on and offline, and other special events around the city, among other things.
Onsite venue and access

The conference will take place entirely at Metsätalo, a building on the City Center campus of the University of Helsinki. This classic functionalist building was designed by architect Jussi Paatela and completed in 1939. The address is Unioninkatu 40, 00170 Helsinki

Getting to the venue by public transport: 

  • Bus:  Across the street from the Kaisaniemi Park stop (Kaisaniemenpuisto/Kaisaniemi Parken) with lines 61/64/65/66/67/71/75/77/78
  • Tram: Due to construction on the Pitkäsilta Bridge, there will be no tram service to the Kaisaniemi Park stop when the conference takes place. The closest tram stop will be the Helsinki Central Railway Station (Rautatieasema) tram stop, about a 10 minute walk away.
  • Metro:  approximately 2 minute walk from the University of Helsinki (Helsingin Yliopisto) metro stop
  • Train: approximately 10 minute walk from Helsinki Central Railway Station (Helsingin päärautatieasema) 

Lunches: 

  • Onsite participants will receive lunch vouchers to the Metsätalo Unicafe, a cafeteria style restaurant in the basement of Metsätalo. We will provide further information on how to use these vouchers closer to the conference. 

Our opening panel event on the evening of 4 March and our closing keynote on 7 March will take place at the University of Helsinki's premier event space, the Think Corner, located at Yliopistonkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki (just a short walk from Metsätalo, the main conference venue).

The University Reception, scheduled for the evening of 5 March after the day's panel sessions, will take place at the university's Main Building, located at Fabianinkatu 33, 00170 Helsinki (just across the street from the Think Corner).

The reception will take place in two adjoining rooms, Christina (U2085) and Mikael Wexonius (U2084). You will find the reception more easily if you enter the building from the Unioninkatu entrance on Senate Square, rather than the Fabianinkatu address listed online. Either way, we will have signs posted and assistants waiting to direct you to the right place.  
How to participate in the conference online

You can find instructions on how to join the private conference Teams channel in the HEPP5 Guidelines link below. Joining the Teams platform is mandatory for all participants, as we request that you upload your presentations here before your panel even if you are presenting onsite. The Teams channel will enable online participants to follow all of the presentations in real time, and recordings of the panels will be left up for some time after the conference for anyone, both online and in person participants, to go back and catch what they missed. 
Your guide to Helsinki

The following list has options for a variety of prices and expectations for accommodation close to the venue.  

More affordable options with an expected cost of less than 100€ per night

 

 

 

You may also find affordable hostel options from . 

 

Mid-priced options with an expected cost of 100-200€ per night  

 

Various Hotels from Scandic chain: , , , , ,  

 

 

 

 

  

More expensive options with an expected cost of 200€ or more per night.   

 

 

 

 

The public transportation system in Helsinki (HSL) is well-developed and the city is quite easy to navigate with the HSL services, which provide you with all the necessary maps, routes, schedules and tickets for all the means of transportation. We recommend checking their or downloading the mobile app, linked below. Paper tickets are not available at many of the stops around the city, so purchasing them through the app is the easy way to travel. 
 

For general information about Helsinki plus listings for all sorts of special events, check out the , run by the city and constantly updated with new and exciting stuff! 

 

Art museums

  • For classical and national art, visit the recently renovated Ateneum: ( )
  • For bold architecture and art, don’t miss Amos Rex: ( )
  • For contemporary art, Kiasma is a must:  ( )
  • Design lovers can't miss the Design Museum - and there's a bonus, entrance to the next-door Architecture Museum is included in the price:  

All museums listed are located in the city center, accessible by foot or short metro/tram rides. 

 

Architectural must-sees

  • Oodi: “The best library in the world”:
  • The Rock Church:  

  • Empire architecture at the National library of Finland:  

     

The ultimate Finnish experience: Visiting a public sauna

There's no better way to appreciate Finnish culture than to go to a Finnish sauna. Your hotel is very likely to have one, but Helsinki's public saunas each offer their own je ne sais quoi: 

  • A classic public sauna open since 1928 in vibrant Kallio, where you can sit outside next to the street in between sauna sessions to cool off. Easily accessible by metro and tram:
  • Edgy architecture and an opportunity to dip in the sea:
  • For a view on the Helsinki harbor and swimming in several outdoor pools at walking distance from the university:
  • A cosy sauna in Hakaniemi with the possibility of ice swimming (reserve a slot!):
  • Self-service sauna where you can also swim in the sea:

Never been to a Finnish sauna before? Check out the MyHelsinki website's guide to (yes, it's a thing!)

 

Outdoor activities

The weather is likely to be cold and wet, but that shouldn't keep you from enjoying the great outdoors - just adopt the classic Finnish attitude that there's no bad weather, only bad clothing! We recommend lots of layers, and don't forget your hat.

  • The world heritage fortified island of Suomenlinna, just a short ferry ride away from the Market Place, open all year long:
  • Sipping a coffee by the sea (even in the cold!) at the lovely Regatta café in Töölö after admiring the nearby Sibelius monument  

 

Botanical garden

The Winter Garden, a free of charge oasis open throughout the winter season situated by the Töölö bay:  

 

Indoor market halls 

  • Visit the oldest market hall of Finland (open in 1889) situated by the harbor for Finnish delicacies and its unique atmosphere:
  • Enjoy the newly renovated market hall of Hakaniemi dates back to 1914 and offers plenty of good eateries:
  • The market hall of Hietalahti built in 1903 is also worth a visit:
  • All market halls are located in the city center and accessible with short metro or tram rides. Hakaniemi is the closest to the conference venue.