​Saturday

5. Brunch Story, 11 a.m.

Start the morning along Helsinki’s renewed waterfront, where the 19th-century Old Market Hall reopened in 2014 after an impressive renovation. Inside the handsome brick building, browse dozens of wooden stalls —greengrocers peddling potatoes and local cranberries, fishmongers selling seasonal fish roes — before arriving at the central atrium and its new cafe and restaurant, Story. This sunny space serves everything from fresh pastries and fruit pies to hearty plates made from market ingredients, such as a morning egg scramble with cold-smoked salmon and caviar (€8.30), and a sublime salmon soup with creamy, dill-flecked broth and tender chunks of potato and fish (€12.80). Order at the counter before snagging a table by the windows, which overlook the new 130-foot Finnair SkyWheel across the harbor.

6. Art Hunt, 1 p.m.

The design capital is equally focused on art, and its strong roster of museums will soon include a new building for the Amos Anderson Art Museum, already under construction and scheduled to open in 2018. Until then, visit the original location, where the current “Helsinki Noir” exhibition plunges visitors into an eerily compelling crime drama. A fictional tale, set in 1930s Helsinki, is told through paintings, installations and an accompanying novella for visitors to read, turning the passive act of observing art into an interactive game of detective (through January 2017; admission, €12). No less impressive is the Helsinki Art Museum Tennis Palace, which reopened last fall after an extensive expansion and renovation (€10). Look for exhibitions from rising Finnish artists and, later this year, a color-splashed retrospective from the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

7. Slaughterhouse Gang, 4 p.m.

Since 2012, the ongoing redevelopment of a former slaughterhouse,Teurastamo, has repurposed the buildings for less gory business, including a coffee roastery, restaurants and a radio station. Begin an exploration of the complex at Jadelino, an artisanal gelateria scooping scrumptious flavors like salty peanut and creamy pistachio made with Sicilian nuts. Then head a few doors down to B-Side Bar, an appropriately industrial bar with exposed-brick walls, stacks of old records and Finnish beers on tap. Ask to try the spirits from the neighboring Helsinki Distilling Company, or walk across the courtyard to see if you can sample one at the source (the distillery’s on-site bar is scheduled to open in late August).

8. Kallio Chow, 7 p.m.

North of the city center, the lively Kallio district was once dominated by sex shops and dive bars, but its hilly streets now also house vintage boutiques, countless coffee shops and some of the city’s most exciting restaurants. Among the best is Doner Harju, a kebab shop that elevates the humble Turkish street food with its spiced lamb, which arrives thinly sliced on a plate piled with creamy hummus, grilled vegetables, spicy chile sauce, fresh herbs and thick focaccia wedges (€15). For a slightly more formal meal, book a table at Kolmon3n, an intimate, two-year-old restaurant nearby where the seasonal menus highlight Finnish products, from reindeer tongue and roasted beetroot to buttery blini with Baltic fish roe. Two courses, €37.

9. Bar Beat, 10 p.m.

Kallio and its immediate surroundings are not lacking in eclectic watering holes. Start a neighborhood bar crawl at Bar Molotow, a relaxed hangout with a fridge full of craft beers and some seriously bizarre décor, like a child-size mannequin equipped with a rainbow lei, a black helmet and a light saber. Then head to Rytmi, an endearingly dated cafe with worn red carpeting, rotating art exhibitions on the walls and music events late in the evening. Finish the night in the nearby industrial park that’s home to Stadin Panimo, a microbrewery and beer pub with taps pouring seasonal offerings like the Cascadian Dark Ale.