Helsinki is the greatest seaport, big industrial city and the capital of Finland. The city is based in the south of the country. This city is called “white city of the north” because many of the city’s buildings are made of white granite. The white granite is shining in the night and gives the city wonderful scenery. The founder of Helsinki was King Gustav I Vasa from Sweden in 1550. His intention was to compete with Tallinn, the city that lies on the shore of the Gulf. 

It was located on the mouth of Vantaa River, and afterwards it was moved to the current point (the primary location was 5 km away from the current one). The intention was to have open access to the sea. This town suffered from plague and afterwards was burned. It was constantly attacked by the Russians, but they made 2 fortresses –Sveaborg (by the Swedes) and Suomenlinna (by the Finns) on a group of small islands. Those fortresses protected the city.

When to visit Helsinki

You should visit Helsinki during the summer (June, July and August), because the climate is warmest and the day is longest. Also it is nice to visit Helsinki in winter and you can enjoy the winter outdoor activities, like cross country skiing and snowmobiling. You can also enjoy the steaming sauna. In the period from August until April, you can see the aerial “performans” –Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in the night sky. The winters can surely be cold, because of the continental weather. Also the sea can freeze. The lowest temperature is -35 C. The summer the temperature can be around 30 C. 

Good to know about the city

The city has a plan for further development of buildings (made 10 years ago) and the buildings are planned to be zoned. Zones are planned to be made in consecutive and step by step plans.The previous plan made Helsinki a dense city with centres, which are well connected. The zones Itäkeskus, Malmi, Kontula, Kannelmäki and Herttoniemi can further grow into smaller centres, which will offer services, housing and jobs. 

Public transport of Helsinki (HSL) is made of tram, bus, metro, commuter train and a ferry. With only one ticket you can go on all public transport vehicles. You can do this until this ticket is valid. Those tickets can be bought with HSL mobile application, ticket machines and other places which are labelled like places where you can buy those tickets. The validity of the ticket can be 1-7 days. So you can plan all your trips in this period of 7 days.

The salary in Helsinki is around 48 000 € per year (hourly rate of 23 €).

Famous people from Helsinki are: Sanna Marin (Prime Minister), Linus Torvalds (Software Engineer), Teemu Selänne (Ice hockey player), George Gaynes (Actor), Tove Jansson (Novelist).

What to see in Helsinki

Suomenlinna

Get a ferry (from the station Kauppatori) and you can visit this place. It is a fortress which was built on 7 islands. As previously mentioned, it was built by Swedes and Finnish to protect the eastern parts. The fortress has changed little ever since building. It has a small settlement,and is still inhabited with around 1000 people. It also has walls shaped like stars and several gun positions. 

Helsinki Cathedral

This landmark is green and can be clearly seen on the Helsinki cityscape. This cathedral was made in the neoclassical period and is purely white. It was built in the middle of the nineteenth century. Then it was called St Nicolas, like the Russian Tsar Nicholas I. But, after declaring independence this cathedral was named just Helsinki Cathedral.

Esplanadi

This is a green place in the centre of the city and is known by the locals as Espa. This is a vibrant place, where tourists enjoy their picnics and have a good program for entertainment in summer. In summer, just in front of a well known café, a stage is put up and has an interesting timetable of shows and music performances. 

Temppeliaukio Church

This is quite a wonderful one. Temppeliaukio was made after the war. This object is also underground. There is a central dome and a circular skylight. The light goes directly in the main chamber. The exquisite decoration, also all the furniture, was made by famous architects.

Uspenski Cathedral

This orthodox cathedral shows the connection of Russia with Finland. It is made in Pormestarinrinne. It is one of the largest orthodox churches in Europe. The origin can not be mistaken because of its towers made of red bricks, also the golden cupolas. In the church is Iconostasis, with marvellous icons of Mary and many other saints.

Old Market Hall

Old Market Hall is open from Monday to Saturday, and is situated near Eteläranta. It is an interesting and vibrant place, and make sure you visit it to buy some fresh produce, like fish, meat, vegetables and fruit, also Finish cheeses and cakes. 

Urban Sauna

Helsinki is the place where most of the saunas in Finland are situated. There are more than three million saunas in Finland. Saunas are likely opened for public using, and can be visited in winter and in summer. If you want to find a public sauna, go to several districts - Hermanni, Kotiharju, or Merihaka in the southern part of the city. There are some ground rules to remember if you want to visit a sauna there: Women are separated from men, you should be naked – but can use a towel, and you should speak quietly if you need to speak. 

Linnanmäki

The park has functioned for around 60 years. This amusement park gives part of its earnings to the child welfare charity of Finland. It has more than a million tourists every year. There is a huge variety to do here, like a roller coaster or amusement arcades. There are also many other places to visit, especially if you are with children. Many of the facilities of this amusement park originate from his building in the 1950s.