Suomenlinna

The fortified islands of Suomenlinna are a part of Helsinki, which seems remote, but is in fact easy to reach by a 20-minute ferry ride, using the same ticket as for buses and trams. The fortress of Sveaborg (Swedish Castle) dominates the island. It was built in the mid-18th century to bar Russian access to the Baltic. During the Swedish-Russian war of 1808-09, it fell to the Russians, who thereafter enlarged and strengthened it. In 1918, it passed into Finnish hands and was given the Finnish name of Suomenlinna (Finnish Castle). During the 1950s and 1960s, it was handed over by the military to the civilian authorities, and since then has been restored and converted for cultural and recreational use. It is now included in UNESCO’s list of world heritage monuments and is a museum, a park, and an arts venue. The area is open most of the year but hours and ferry access vary, so be sure to visit the website for the latest information.

Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church)

North of the Hietaniemi area along Fredrikinkatu is Helsinki’s Rock Church, designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen in the late 1960s. The underground interior of the church was carved out of and built directly into the ancient solid rock of the Helsinki peninsula. The inside is bathed in a glorious natural light that enters through the glazed dome. It has a shallow circular dome (13 meters high) of copper sheeting and glass borne on concrete ribs. The church is also used as a concert hall due to its excellent acoustics created by the rough, unworked rock surfaces of the interior.

Seurasaari

East of the city center is the island of Seurasaari, linked with the mainland by a footbridge. It has an interesting open-air museum with old houses, farmsteads, a manor house, a church from Kiruna (1686), and other timber buildings that have been brought here for all parts of Finland. This is the place to learn how Finns lived long ago, before the modern era. Nearby, at Meilahti 7, is an old timber house now occupied by the Friends of Finnish Handicrafts, with an exhibition of rye carpets and other traditional textiles. Visitors can watch the weavers at work.

Uspensky Cathedral

One of two imposing churches that dominate the skyline above Helsinki’s harbor, Uspensky Russian Orthodox Cathedral is an eye-catcher, a brick building whose multiple towers and spires are topped by 13 gold cupolas. The interior is equally impressive, filled with altars, icons, and crosses, the intricate patterns on its arches set against block marble and a preponderance of gold embellishments.

Helsinki Railway Station

Helsinki’s strikingly original Art Nouveau railway station was designed by Eliel Saarinen and is especially notable for American tourists because its 48-meter-high clock tower was the first of several designs that finally resulted in Saarinen’s 1922 Chicago Tribune Tower – America’s first skyscraper. Step inside to see the monumental arched halls and the surprisingly delicate carved panels that decorate its walls.

Finlandia Hall

North of the Municipal Museum in Helsinki, on the shores of Töölö Bay (Töölönlahti), is the Finlandia Hall, a concert and convention hall designed by Alvar Aalto and built in 1971 with a white facade of Carrara marble. The marble is also used on the inside of the structure. Details appear in hardwoods and ceramics. The main concert auditorium is a stunning site and is famous for its acoustics. Another standout feature is the wide Venetian staircase that leads from the ground floor to both the main auditorium and chamber music hall. The Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe was signed here in July 1975. To the north of the hall is an excellent park (home to large chess boards and chess pieces), and beyond this again is the new Finnish National Opera House, inaugurated in November 1993 with a performance of the opera “Kullervo” by the Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen. Check the website for frequent updates on events, prices, and openings.

Korkeasaari Zoo

Founded in the 1880s, Korkeasaari Zoo is one of the oldest in the world, and holds a foremost place for its exceptional breeding programs for endangered species. They have been especially successful with breeding snow leopards and other big cats, such as the Amur and Siberian tiger. As in any good zoo, the environments have been designed to be as close as possible to natural habitats, and nearly 1,000 plant species grow here to replicate the native environments of the 150 different animal species. The zoo is open all year-round, and visiting the tropical houses is one of the favorite things to do in Helsinki in the winter. The zoo is on an island, and you can get here by ferry from May to the end of September. The rest of the year you can get here by bus.

Helsinki Olympic Stadium

To the north of the Finlandia Hall, at the top of the Töölönlahti lake is the old Trade Fair Hall, and beyond this the Olympic Stadium (1938), with a 72-meter-high tower from which there is a magnificent view of the city – and an elevator. Finland was awarded the Olympics prior to the advent of World War II and the Soviet invasion of the country. Cancelled during the fighting, the Olympics were finally held in Helsinki in 1952. Inside the stadium is the Finnish Sport Museum, and in front of the entrance is a statue of the great Finnish Olympic runner, Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973). To the east is the Swimming Stadium, and to the north, the Ice Stadium. Beyond the lawn, in front of the Swimming Stadium lies the Municipal Park, a sea of blossoms in the summer and a perfect place for a picnic. The Swimming Stadium is open to visitors in the summer with excellent facilities.

Hietaniemi Area

Down the coast, south and east from the main railway station are the Rowing Stadium from the 1952 Olympics, kayak and canoe rentals, and the beautiful sandy beach of Hietaniemi. Next to this are several open fields frequently used as soccer parks, several restaurants, and a public sauna. Beyond this lies the fascinating and park-like Hietaniemi cemetery with a cross on its highest point commemorating the fallen heroes of the republic. Here, too, Marshal Mannerheim (1867-1951) is buried. Near the entrance are the graves of the politicians Risto Ryti, Väinö Tanner, T. M. Kivimäki, and E. Linkomies, who – as a condition of the 1944 armistice – were tried by a Finnish court for their political activities during the war and were given prison sentences, later commuted. A section of the cemetery is dedicated to the Jewish population of the city.