They say the best way to get to know a place is to live there. Or if you don’t have that sort of time get a local to show you around. Helsinki (Finland), a city I have visited a couple of times in my past, have come up with a novel new way for tourist to get to know the place – locals who volunteer to show you around the scheme is called “Citysherpa”.
“Citysherpa is a service which gives a tourist the chance to meet someone who lives in Helsinki and who wants to show his or her city.”
“Sherpas will not be paid a salary, and it doesn’t cost anything for a tourist to use their services. The job they do is entirely voluntary.”