INTRODUCTION

The 7th EFNS Congress will be held in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, which is surrounded by sea on three sides giving the city life a special maritime character.

Helsinki came into being by royal decree in 1550, as a trading town. Finland was then part of the Kingdom of Sweden and King Gustav I Vasa wanted a competitor for Tallinn, the wealthy Hanseatic city across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki. Today Helsinki is a bustling and friendly modern city.

Helsinki offers visitors many alternative cultural activities ranging from an evening at the Finnish National Opera to a visit to Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art. The
best-known modern Finnish architect is Alvar Aalto, whose works in Helsinki include the Social Insurance Institution Building, the Academic Bookstore, the House of Culture and Finlandia Hall. The new Opera House by the architects Hyvämäki, Karhunen and Parkkinen was opened in 1993, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by architect Stephen Holl, was opened in 1998.

Finland is a popular country for international meetings and congresses, and its capital is the country's favourite host for these.

The Helsinki Fair Centre which is the venue of the 7th EFNS Congress, is the largest Conference and Exhibition Centre in Finland. The Congress will offer your company an excellent venue to promote your products.

For additional details about the centre, please view: www.finnexpo.fi