Helsinki Attractions
Helsinki has much to offer its guests, especially during the summer.
With green parks, waterways, open cafes and modern shops this city
can be a wonderful destination. Here modern technologies and Finnish
traditions co-exist making this city a true gem in the Northern
part of Europe.
| Senaatintori |
It is better to start your sightseeing tour
of Helsinki from Senate Square (Senaatintori). The ensemble
of Senaatintori and surrounding buildings was gradually forming
during 1818-1852. The elegant Senate Square, created in the
style of neoclassicism, takes the tourists to 1820. It is situated
in 120 km from the Southern Port. Built in all the strict canons
of neoclassicism, framed with numerous office blocks Senaatintori
is considered to be one of the best examples of the neoclassic
architecture. On the western side of the square there is University
of Helsinki (Helsingin Yliopisto), higher, on the hill - the
main library of the University (Yliopiston paakirjasto).
Read more... |
| Mannerheim Museum |
The main street of Helsinki is named Mannerheimintie
in honor of the national hero. In the capital of Finland was
also erected a monument to Mannerheim. His house was turned
to the museum. It is situated in the privileged district of
the city near the Ambassador square. The house was built in
1873 according to the project of architect A.Boman. Mannerheim
rented this house and till his death lived there, though the
government of Finland wanted to buy and give the president.
One of the rooms looks like Mannerheim's personal hall of glory.
In the bookcases there are twelve books with the signatures
of Finnish citizens supporting Mannerheim, on the walls - hunting
trophy. The decor of the living-room reminds the furniture of
Mannerheim's flats in Warsaw and Saint Petersburg.
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| Museum of Old Foreign
Art, Sinebryhoff |
Museum of Old Foreign Art, Sinebryhoff is located
in the main building of old brewery, former dwelling house of
the factory entrepreneurs. It is the detached house, built by
Nicolay Sinebryhoff in 1819. Firstly being a small brewery,
later it turned out to become a huge concern, producing very
popular nowadays beer brand "Koff". In 1921 after
the Sinebryhoff nephew's death his wife Fanny gave the unique
collection of works of art to the state. So, Sinebryhoff collection
began the state collection of foreign art. In 1995 the state
bought this house and turned it to the Museum of Old Foreign
Art.
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| National Museum of Finland |
National Museum of Finland is a huge exposition,
reflecting the history of the country. The museum will be interesting
for the tourists with different tastes as it is divided into
five departments: Treasures, Prehistory of Finland, Kingdom,
Land and its inhabitants, Past Century. All of the sections
contain valuable information on the historical background of
Finland. The first section includes incredible collections of
the coins, medals, art settings and weapons of Finno-Ugric tribes.
Prehistory of Finland - is the biggest section of the museum,
devoted to the archaeological discoveries on the territory of
Finland. Visiting the third section the tourists can find out
the peculiarities of Finnish culture and society from the Middle
Ages till the beginning of the 20th century.
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| Olympic Stadium in Helsinki |
Helsinki Olympic Stadium is situated
not far from the center of the city. It was built in 1936-1938
for the Olympic Games of 1940, which fell through because of
the Second Japanese-Chinese War. The project of the stadium
was worked out in the functionalism style by the architects
Toivo Yantti and Urie Lindegren. In 1952 Olympic Stadium became
the main arena of Olympic Games, which were held in Helsinki.
Later the city also got the right to carry out the World Athletics
Championship. In 1990-1994 Olympic stadium in Helsinki was reconstructed
and got its contemporary look.
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| Sederholm's House |
Sederholm's house (Sederholmin
talo) is the oldest stone building in Helsinki and at the same
time it is the subsidiary of the city museum. It is situated
in the very center of Helsinki, at the corner of Senaatintori.
Sederholm's house was projected by German architect Berner and
built in 1757 for the merchant Sederholm. At that time he was
a very influential person practically in all the spheres of
Helsinki life. This house became a symbol of the growing power
of Helsinki in the middle of the 18th century, just at the time
when the building of Suomenlinna fortress began. On the ground
floor of the house there were the shop and office, upstairs
- Sederholm's flat.
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| Seurasaari |
Open-air museum and park Seurasaari
was found in 1909 in order to keep the rural Finnish architecture.
Old farms, dwelling houses and barns - all these the tourists
can see in the museum. Ancient wooden constructions help the
tourists to learn the national traditions of Finnish people.
A lot of them are made of the rough-finished beams. It should
be emphasized that the museum contains more than thirty ethnographically
valuable houses and constructions from various Finnish districts.
The oldest museum building is the wooden church from Karun (1868).
Don't loose the opportunity to see this amazingly beautiful
coming to a point church and the church boat.
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| Helsinki Suomenlinna Castle
|
Sea fortress Sveaborg is one of the most significant
sights of Finland. It was built on the islands near Helsinki
harbor in the second part of XVIII century by Sweden in order
to be a safeguard of southern coast of Finland. In 1809 during
the Swedish-Russian War the fortress was attacked by Russian
troops for several weeks. The Russian period of the fortress
lasted till 1917. Later Sveaborg became the concentration camp
for the captives. Nowadays, Museum Suomenlinna or Sveaborg is
a group of islands near the Helsinki shores. It is considered
to be not only one of the most famous sights of Gulf of Finland,
but also the place of citizens' summer rest, where they can
swim and sunbathe.
Read more... |
| Sibelius Park and Monument
|
| A two-staged competition was arranged by the
Sibelius society, founded in 1957, for a memorial to the composer.
The second stage was taken by Eila Hiltunen's entry `Passio
Musicae'. The competition gained immense publicity; the conflict
between the supporters of abstract and figurative art was in
the air, but it was solved by adding Sibelius' bust to Hiltunen's
work. The work is made unique by its spatial diversity of the
work, allowing the viewer to enter it, and the echoes and sounds
generated by the structure. Viewed from further away, its form
blends in with the woods and rugged rocks. The monument is a
visual expression of the way Sibelius' music depicts nature.
It is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the City.
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| Helsinki Cathedral |
| The Lutheran Cathedral, located on the north
side, dominates the Square. Engel drafted his first plans for
the Cathedral as early as 1818, and he continued working on
it until his death. After many complications in the planning
process, construction of the church began in 1830 but it was
not ready to be consecrated until 1852. Thus, Engel never saw
the church completed. |
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