Helsinki, Finland

Published by Gemma – Part one – Sight Seeing

Helsinki is an amazing city; it is a mixture of eye catching Russian architecture and effortless Scandinavian cool.

I personally have visited Helsinki on two occasions and it is one of my favourite cities to visit.

The Helsinki skyline is dominated by the picturesque Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko). The pure white building is a must see and is the focal point of the central Senate Square, flanking the Cathedral are the Government Palace and main building of the University of Helsinki.

Central Railway Station
Hands down is one of the most unique designs I have ever seen and I think it sums up the quirky and fun personality of Helsinki. The main entrance to the station is flanked by 4 “Stone men” holding spherical lights. The Clock tower is also quite striking and is hard to miss as well.

Suomenlinna

Is a small sea fortress a short distance from the mainland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  You can get to the island via a ferry which you can catch from Market Square and you can walk around the island within half a day.
Places of interest on the island:
King’s Gate
Great Courtyard
The Suomenlinna Church
Bastion Zander

Uspenski Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral is a perfect example of the Russian architecture with its deep-red brick walls and green-and-gold onion domes. The Orthodox Cathedral was completed in 1868. The Cathedral can be found next to Market Square on the Harbour front.

The Old Church of Helsinki

The Old Church of Helsinki (Helsingin vanha kirkko) is another beautiful snow-white building. The Church was only supposed to be temporary until the Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) was complete. The grounds surrounding the church were once a cemetery and some of the  tombs and memorials still remain.

Sibelius Monument

To be honest the real reason we wanted to visit the Sibelius Monument was because of the giant bust of Jean Sibelius, we had decided it would be hilarious to have photos taken with the giant head as our own.

The Park grounds give you an opportunity to take some nice nature photos especially in Autumn (fall) as the leaves on the trees have started to change colour and have fallen to the floor.

Old Market Hall

The Old Market Hall can be found at The Market Square, the red and creamed brick hall has been open for over 120 years. The Vendors in the stalls sell a collection of traditional gourmet foods as well as some unique souvenirs.

Harbour Front

Another good place to see for photography purposes, in the winter the Harbour freezes over which makes for some nice photos with the city as a backdrop.