Helsinki, the capital of the happiest country in the world, is a lively seaside city surrounded by beautiful islands. Environment-friendly thinking is present wherever you look, as the city places great importance on encouraging sustainable urban development. Much like their hometown, Circulove has set their sights on doing good for the people and the planet, in the most sustainable way possible. Design, quiet getaways, tasty food, and bathing in the sea after sauna – spend a day in Helsinki with Circulove like a true Finn!

Morning

Relove

Meet your friends for brunch and do a little shopping together

Finns love to shop second hand and Relove is here to make recycling beautiful. It unites the smallest of life’s pleasures while simultaneously commending sustainability. The first thing you´ll probably notice about it, is that it surely isn´t your average thrift shop.

Relove is a blend of second-hand store and café offering all day breakfast, lunch and mouth-wateringly good pastries. So you could say that Relove can be seen rather as an “experience” than just as a place to shop. As soon as you step inside you are welcomed with the smell of warm cinnamon rolls, good music and an overall nostalgic atmosphere and you know you are in for a treat.

Reuse-Rewear-Relove

Relove believes that second-hand clothes deserve to be showcased in the most beautiful ways and in a visually appealing environment. They handpick every single piece of clothing and are vastly considerate in how they present their clothing, resulting in some very Instagrammable scenes. Their vision is to give the customer the same kind of shopping experience as when shopping at a luxurious boutique and ditch the stigma attached to buying second-hand as something that was previously looked down upon. By inspiring people to change their buying habits we are slowly deviating from the throwaway culture as using items to their full capacity is doing the environment a huge favour.

All Images via Relove

Afternoon

Harju 8

Ruokaa, juomaa ja kukkia = Food, drink and flowers

What´s with the flowers one might ask? Just like the aforementioned Relove – Harju 8 carries two faces under one hood. In addition to delicious food, Harju8 also serves as a flower shop!

The intimate atmosphere allows visitors to relax and if you time your visit right, you can enjoy live jazz music sessions. This vegan-friendly place offers generous portions and a great selection of natural wines. If you still have some room left, why not top it all off with blueberry-lavender ice cream that´s just too good to pass up! One thing is for sure – you won´t leave Harju 8 hungry!

All images via Harju 8

Oodi Library

It´s time for libraries to make a comeback.

Oodi Library is situated right in the heart of Helsinki’s cultural district and offers a peaceful getaway from busy central Helsinki. Meet friends, create art, read or just spend a nice work day in a calm environment. In addition to just loaning books, Oodi promotes lifelong learning and freedom of expression. In other words, Oodi can be anything you want it to be. The facilities include a café, restaurant, summer terrace, movie theatre, recording studios and a makerspace. And last but not least , majestic views to the surrounding park and cityscape.

Photos by Tuomas Uusheimo

Evening

Glasshouse Helsinki

Responsible innovation

Glasshouse Helsinki is a gallery space and future-oriented concept store that has made it their mission to inject new life into the city and introduce sustainability to people´s everyday lives. They believe in action and interactive activism and know well that it´s high time we all need to learn to walk the talk. The best way to understand the essence of Glasshouse Helsinki, is to see it as a common ground for likeminded people from different industries to meet and unite their forces by opening dialogues so that ideas can grow.

Mark your calendar for Helsinki on 9-19.9.2021. This year, the main events of Helsinki design week 2021 themed “What is Wise Design Now?”, will take place in Glasshouse Helsinki. It´s an opportunity for designers to exhibit and address matters they believe are wise. Even more so, it´s an opportunity for everyone to ask themselves what is the wisest way to do what they’re doing.

All images via Glasshouse Helsinki

Allas Sea Pool

You can't visit Helsinki and not go for a swim after sauna, right? For a true Finnish experience, you simply have to check out Allas swimming pool. This spectacular outdoor oasis is located right next to Helsinki’s famous Market Square and facing the Presidential Palace, so you can enjoy your swim with a hell of a view!

There are three different saunas and three magnificent pools – something for everyone. The sea water pool, warm water pool and children´s pool are open and ready to cater to swimmers, sun bathers and loungers alike. The warm water pool is heated to 27°C all year round and is the no.1 spot to catch the last of the evening sun.

All images via Allas Sea Pool