Smart Cities: Helsinki, Finland

is celebrating a century of independence. Some credit

the Finnish concept of drinking at home alone in your underwear, for this milestone, but the

World Economic Forum

has another notion. The 2017

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report

names Finland as the worlds safest destination. The Nordic nation is also the worlds fifth happiest country, according to the

World Happiness Report

. Helsinki, the coastal capital, seems to have turned native son Eero Saarinens futuristic outlook into a blueprint for urban innovation that benefits locals and visitors alike. The city is collaborating with think tanks and philanthropies to plan for the rollout of self-driving vehicles.

Kalasatama

, the old harbor area, is now a revitalized district brought back to life through public-private partnerships. There and throughout the city, creative incubators are at work, growing global acclaim for sustainable cuisine, environmental preservation, and Scandinavian style, making for a walkable city well worth exploring now.

Located next to Market Square, the 19th-century

Old Market Hall

has two dozen gleaming stalls offering options like Finnish beef, smoked fish, pho, and jelly doughnuts in the shape of pigs. In the Ullanlinna district,

Chef & Sommelier

has been Michelin-starred since 2014. The five-to-seven course menu features items such as arctic char, pork neck and beets, and a juniper and blueberry dessert.

uses seasonal Scandinavian ingredients to create dishes such as cod with gratinated leek and grilled buckwheat bread with preserved forest mushrooms.

Plant yourself smack-dab in the city center at the minimalist

GLO Hotel Kluuvi

, located steps from shopping oasis

Galleria Esplanad

. The modern

Hotel Haven

is adjacent to the South Harbour, where ferries depart to Stockholm and Tallinn, Estonia. Art deco enthusiasts should stay at

Hotel Lilla Roberts

, which was originally designed in 1908 by one of Finlands top architects and was formerly the headquarters of Helsinki Energy. The building opened in 2015 as a hotel with 130 stylish rooms and a swanky restaurant that serves traditional Nordic dishes such as smrrebrd and lingonberry porridge.

Built of leftover materials from the countrys plywood industry,

is a supersize public sauna and restaurant complex that debuted last year. Here guests can relax in a traditional smoke sauna or a wood-burning sauna. The vaulted-roof Tennis Palace, constructed for the 1940 Olympic Games that were canceled, now houses a cultural complex that includes the

Helsinki Art Museum

, which reopened in 2015 after renovations.

Iittala & Arabia Design Centre

offers an in-depth look at Finlands beloved design and lifestyle brands, Iittala and Arabia, and showcases limited-edition products, to commemorate the countrys centennial.

Finnish photographer Katja Hagelstam created

Lokal

in 2012 with the aim to combine a shopping and gallery experience. Visitors can catch revolving exhibitions like the recent Black Lake, which features custom furniture by

Nikari

, and Bloom, a collection of art by designers under 30. Visit

CraftCorner

to stock up on goods made by local artisans, or stop at

Artek Helsinki

to get a classic custom-made Alvar Aalto stool that you can ship back home.