Helsinki Metropolitan Area municipal services operating on summer timetables
The summer brings changes to the service hours of municipal services in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. For instance, public transport, libraries and health services are operating on reduced summer schedules.
There is plenty to see and do in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in the summer. Information on events and other cultural services is available on the municipal websites and event calendars.
Event calendars
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Helsinki region bus routes and the metro will operate a reduced service during the high summer period from 27 June to 31 July. Tram routes will also operate a reduced service on Saturdays.
Helsinki buses 67X, 68X, 71V and 81B as well as Espoo bus 20 and Kerava bus 9 will not operate at all from 27 June to 31 July. Kerava bus 8 will be operated by an on-call taxi service during high summer.
Tram routes in central Helsinki are diverted for the duration of the summer timetable period. Trams 1A and 4T do not operate at all in the summer. Tram routes 1, 3B and 3T are diverted and a temporary tram route 5 serves Eira.
The Helsinki summer timetable book has separate high summer timetables for bus and tram routes that operate a reduced service. The departure times that are not operated in the summer are denoted with a + sign in the timetable books for Espoo, Kauniainen & Kirkkonummi and Vantaa & Kerava.
HSL Customer Service at Rautatientori is open from Monday to Thursday 07:30-19:00, Fridays 07:30-17:00 and Saturdays 10:00-15:00. The Customer Service counter at Itäkeskus is open Monday to Friday 10:00-17:15
LIBRARIES
The summer service hours for city libraries in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen are valid until 14 August. Borrowed materials can be returned to any HelMet library in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
The following Espoo city library branches are open throughout the summer: Entresse and Kalajärvi, Kirjasto Omena and the Kivenlahti, Sello and Soukka libraries. Entresse library is also open on Saturdays 10:00-16:00 and Sundays 12:00-18:00. Tapiola library is closed for the week of 4-10 July.
The most significant changes in opening hours for Helsinki city libraries pertain to summer weekends, when only the following four libraries will be open: Itäkeskus library, Saturdays 10:00–16:00, Kirjasto 10 Sat–Sun 12:00–18:00, Rikhardinkatu library Sat 10:00–16:00 and Suomenlinna library Sat 10:00–15:00. Suomenlinna library operates on extended opening hours during the summer and serves customers on weekdays 12:00-18:00 until 27 August.
Myllypuro Reading Room will be open 09:00-16:00 until the end of July. Children's libraries in Pikku Huopalahti, Ruoholahti and Sakarinmäki will be closed during the school holidays from 6 June to 14 August. Kohtaamispaikka@lasipalatsi is closed 4-29 July. Library buses will also take a summer break from 23 June to 31 July.
Vantaa city libraries will adopt reduced summer opening hours. Hakunila, Myyrmäki and Tikkurila libraries will be open on Saturdays. Mikkola and Pähkinärinne libraries will be closed 4-31 July. During the summer break, books reserved through Mikkola library can be picked up at Korson Lumo and books reserved through Pähkinänrinne can be picked up at Myyrmäki. The library bus will go on a summer break starting from the Midsummer weekend and resume operations at the beginning of August.
Kauniainen city library's summer opening hours are as follows: Mondays and Wednesdays 13:00-19:00, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00-16:00, Fridays 10:00-15:00, closed on Saturdays.
HEALTH SERVICES
The 09 10023 Telephone Health Service provides around-the-clock information to Helsinki Metropolitan Area residents throughout the summer months. The telephone service staff provide advice on treating minor illnesses as well as information on the municipal health services in the summer.
Patients needing urgent treatment outside the opening hours of municipal health stations, i.e. evenings, weekends and public holidays, are treated at Haartman Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, Maria Hospital, Peijas Hospital and the Hospital for Children and Adolescents.
Emergency dental care in the evenings and on weekends and public holidays is provided at Haartman Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, Building 12. Please call beforehand, tel. (09) 310 49999.
Between 27 June and 31 July, health station operations in Helsinki will be centralised to eight health stations. During this time, the health stations will mainly treat patients in need of urgent care and handle the necessary monitoring of long-term illnesses.
- Haaga Health Station will serve the customers of Haaga, Kannelmäki and Malminkartano health stations
- Itäkeskus Health Station will serve the customers of Itäkeskus, Kivikko and Kontula health stations
- Kallio Health Station will serve the customers of Kallio, Koskela and Vallila health stations
- Laakso Health Station will serve the customers of Laakso, Munkkiniemi and Pitäjänmäki health stations
- Malmi Health Station will serve the customers of Jakomäki, Malmi, Pihlajanmäki, Puistola and Suutarila health stations
- Oulunkylä Health Station will serve the customers of Maunula, Oulunkylä and Paloheinä health stations
- Viiskulma Health Station will serve the customers of Lauttasaari, Töölö and Viiskulma health stations
- Vuosaari Health Station will serve the customers of Herttoniemi, Laajasalo and Vuosaari health stations
The laboratories of Kannelmäki, Kontula, Maunula, Pihlajamäki, Puistola and Vallila health stations will be closed between 27 June and 31 July. Other HUSLab laboratories will operate normally during the summer.
Dental clinics and the appointment booking service for dental health care will be open between 30 May and 26 August from Monday to Friday, 08:00-15:00. Some dental clinics will be closed during the summer. The summer opening hours of the dental clinics are available on the Health Centre website at www.hel.fi/terveyskeskus.
In Espoo, the Kalajärvi, Kilo, Kivenlahti and Puolarmetsä health stations are closed 27 June – 12 August 2011. The health stations' appointment booking telephone services and callback system will operate normally. Customers may call the telephone number of their own health station even if it is closed for the summer and they will receive a callback from another health station that is open.
The dental clinics at Leppävaara, Tapiola, Samaria, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti health stations and the weekday emergency dental care at Kilo will remain open throughout the summer. Other dental clinics will be closed during the summer.
The Espoo Hospital daytime hospital and the memory outpatient clinic are closed 4-31 July.
Espoo physiotherapy treatment times may be booked from 1 June to 31 August from Monday to Friday, 08:30-11:00 and 12:00-14:00. Espoonlahti physiotherapy is closed from 4 July to 5 August, Leppävaara physiotherapy is closed 11-22 July and Tapiola physiotherapy is closed 25-29 July.
In Vantaa (in Finnish), the following health services are closed from 20 June to 14 August: Hakunila health station and laboratory, Katriina health station and Korso health station and laboratory and the Travel Vaccination Clinic at Tikkurila health station. The daytime hospital and geriatric hospital will be closed from 4 July to 14 August.
Patients residing in the Hakunila area will be treated at Länsimäki health station and patients from the Katriina area will be treated at Myyrmäki health station. Customers of Myyrmäki DM self-treatment product distribution points can use the services of Tikkurila DM product distribution point. Patients from the Korso area will be treated at Koivukylä health station. Retinal imaging services are closed from 27 June to 31 July.
Some dental clinics are closed during the summer. Koivukylä health station dental clinic and Kartanokoski dental clinic will be open.
Prescriptions must be renewed before health stations close for the summer. Renewing prescriptions while health stations are closed for the summer may take longer than usual.
The Travel Vaccination Clinic at Tikkurila health station is closed from 20 June to 14 August. The health stations that remain open will provide vaccination services for immunisations covered by the immunisation programme and vaccinations purchased with a prescription.
Kauniainen health station (in Finnish) will remain open throughout the summer. Doctors and nurses are on call on weekdays 08:00-16:00, call (09) 5056 600 to book an appointment. Laboratory service hours are 08:00-14:30. Appointments for the dental health clinic may be booked from 08:00 to 15:00 at (09) 505 6379.
No vaccinations will be given from 1 July to 7 August. The Senior Citizens' Advice Centre and Clinic is closed until 31 August.
SPORTS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area outdoor recreation map shows walking and biking routes, outdoor recreation areas, recreational parks, sports facilities and interesting cultural and natural sights in Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area nature walk calendar (pdf in Finnish / Swedish) is a compilation of information on guided nature walks organised in Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa in 2011.
There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools and beaches for swimmers. The waters in front of Helsinki and Espoo provide excellent opportunities for boating and fishing. A regular ferry service provides easy access to nearby islands for outdoor recreation. More information on swimming facilities (in Finnish) in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa.
Vantaa (in Finnish) offers a diverse range of summer exercise programmes for senior citizens and adults, including supervised nordic walking, aerobics, UKK two-kilometre walk tests, special theme days as well as water and park aerobics. Gyms are available for those wanting to exercise on their own. The gym at Tikkurila indoor swimming pool is closed 1-14 August and the gym at Myyrmäki indoor swimming pool is closed 4-31 July.
In Helsinki (in Finnish), free-of-charge park aerobics are available at Hesperia Park, Kontula outdoor park, in front of Latokartano Sports Hall, Maunula Park, Myllypuro sports park, Pikkukoski beach, Puotila play park and in front of Helsinki Swimming Stadium.
There will also be aerobics and dancing at Espoo city parks (pdf in Finnish)in the summer. Park dancing is a fun way to exercise to music. The dancing styles range from latin to rock'n'roll. The sessions also include muscle toning exercises and stretching. Read more in the Espoo summer sports pamphlet.
Summer recreation in Kauniainen (in Finnish) includes park chess, boccia and pétanque. The playing areas are in Thurmaninpuisto park and Kirjastonpuisto park. Keys to the equipment boxes are available at the library. The loan period for the keys is one week.
