Helsinki and Vienna; they are two of Europe’s iconic cities, renowned as places where visitors can indulge their senses to the full; traditional and culturally rich destinations that play to the whims of the senses – sound, sight, taste, touch.

Cities where they can ‘hear’ the beautiful music of the renowned composers Mozart and Sibelius, where they can ‘see’ the magnificent centuries-old architecture of Vienna St Stephan’s Cathedral and the Imperial Palace as well as the famed Helsinki Cathedral and the Helsinki Harbour Market Place.

Cities where they can ‘taste’ the flavours; rich Viennese coffee and cakes, the warmth of the smooth Finlandia vodka, the best vodka in the world; and cities which they can ‘touch’ – the Vienna Woods, the Danube or Helsinki’s bustling, vibrant harbour side.

Now it is time to ‘refresh the senses’!

The launch of the ‘Odd Couple’ campaign is aimed to highlight that ‘yes’ Vienna and Helsinki are rich in tradition but, importantly, they are vibrant cities of the 21st century; Helsinki – renowned for its cool, cutting edge Nordic image, and Vienna a creative, stylish ‘new wave’ centre of Europe.

In a unique marketing initiative, the VisitFinland (ex Finnish Tourist Board) and the Austrian National Tourist Office have teamed up to promote the contemporary, innovative and laidback side of the two cities – to ‘refresh the senses’ – with a key initiative the launch of a four day ‘Odd Couple’ package in conjunction with Finnair, Beyond Travel, the Vienna Tourist Board and Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau.

They are the ‘Odd Couple’ – the old and yet new – but in fact, set midst the stunning architectural facade of Europe, they are two dynamic and very edgy modern European cities. To combine them both in one package brings together an incredible experience of contemporary Europe for travellers,” VisitFinland local representative Satu Raunola said.

They are two hip cities, loaded with inspiring architecture, innovative fashion and design and ultra-chic cafes, restaurants and bars.

HELSINKI: ‘hear’ cutting edge bands such as HIM, The Rasmus and Nightlight, Finnish jazz at the Storyville Jazzclub, cool Finnish tango; ‘see’ the famous Design District Helsinki with its 25 streets full of fashion stores, art galleries, design studios and designer hotels; ‘taste’ haute Finnish cuisine at Michelin star restaurants NEMO, G.W Sundmans and Chez Dominique ; ‘touch’ designer labels such as IVANAhelsinki, and Hanna Saren, Globe Hope and Tia Vanhatapio.

“Walking down Helsinki’s Esplanade is to experience a real microcosm of both Finnish and international design – it is old world grandeur juxtaposed with Finnish minimalism – from the five star 19th century Hotel Kamp (where Mick Jagger regularly lays his head when in town) to the stark Artek Academic bookstore with its sharp bare facade,” Raunola said.

“Just walking around Helsinki you can pick up the vibe – there is a lot of youthful, innovative energy there.”

VIENNA: ‘hear’ the downbeat rhythms of electronic music of the so called ‘Vienna Sound’, Europe’s finest Hip-hop DJs and famous clubs like Flex and OST Klub as well as record labels like Couch Records (which contributed music to ‘Sex and the City’); ‘see’ the MuseumsQuartier cultural district – one of the largest cultural complexes in the world that is home to Austria’s largest collection of contemporary art as well as chic eateries such as Cafe Leopold and Milo; ‘taste’ the new restaurant scene of Naschmarkt – a fine food haven of over 170 market stalls including Naschmarkt Deli which also dishes up electronic DJ vibes on Saturday afternoons; ‘touch’ the shopping districts of the 4th and 7th suburbs with their new wave designer clothing, that has also been given a presentation platform with the ‘festival for fashion and photography’ held each June.

“The young creative scene has injected a strong avant garde theme throughout the city – it has made it refreshing, new and young while still in one of Europe’s grand destinations,” Astrid Mulholland-Licht, Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office said.

“It is a fascinating combination of tradition and energetic innovation,” she said.
And now Vienna and Helsinki, through the ‘Odd Couple’ campaign, have been brought together for the ‘ultimate’ European city holiday!

To experience this contemporary, creative side of Europe, Beyond Travel is offering a four night ‘Odd Couple’ package competitively priced from $2,100 per person which includes return economy travel on Finnair to Helsinki and Vienna, two nights in Helsinki at the three star Sokos Hotel, two nights in Vienna at the Starlight Suite Hotel, breakfast daily, a Helsinki Audio tour & 48 hour Helsinki card and a 72 hour Vienna card that includes free public transport, free drinks, shopping and attraction discounts. There is a free bonus upgrade in Helsinki to a four star hotel for weekend stays.

Travellers can also go in the draw to win a fantastic trip to Helsinki and Vienna valued at $8,500 per couple. Enter the competition at www.austria.info/au.
“The package captures the best of the contemporary European experience – two of the coolest cities in Europe,” Raunola said.

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For further information on Vienna/Austria please visit www.austria.info/au or contact the Austrian National Tourist Office in Sydney: per phone 02 9299 3621 or email info@antosyd.org.au

For further information on Helsinki/Finland please visit www.visitfinland.com/au or www.visithelsinki.fi

For further information on Finnair visit www.finnair.com.au

For bookings contact your local travel agent and package details Beyond Travel on 1300 363 554 E. info@beyondtravel.com.au