This village of barely a square mile, perched on the eastern edge of Rockland County, is far from traditional or conservative, and in fact has something of a reputation for its progressive views and quirky bars and shops.

It is no surprise then that Helsinki has a string of small, quirky bars original enough to serve as destinations.

Finns are notorious drinkers and there are plenty of quirky little bars, but they also make the best coffee in the world.

P and H stands for poor and hungry, and the quirky bar and pool hall in the trendy liberal Midtown neighborhood of this largely conservative Bible Belt city is by tradition an oasis for theater people.

Tigre is a small, quirky classic Spanish bar.

Duck into the cosy darkness of this quirky bar to find low ceilings, a roaring fire, small booths and an old piano at the end of the room.

A Map The owner of this quirky bar has a real thing about the colour purple - just check out the royal-purple cushions, mauve walls and lilac furniture.

Good luck finding this place - it's tucked away in the corner of SOL Sq - but once inside you'll be in Christchurch's quirkiest bar.

Author Jane Yardley loves the Finnish capital for its saunas, fine architecture and quirky bars.

J Map These two quirky bars are owned by filmmakers Aki and Mika Kaurismäki and attract a savvy, grungy crowd.