the Presidential Palace
the iconostasis inside the Cathedral. The St Nicolas Icon is missing since 2007
on Senate Square
the Finnish National Theatre from 1872
the Central Railway Station from 1919
the Temppeliaukio church is built inside a rock and has a copperplate ceiling
the famous and once controversial statue in the Havis Amanda fountain
one of the spouting sealions at the Havas Amanda fountain
the Czarina's Stone with the twoheaded Russian Eagle on top
the red brick Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral from 1868
Helsinki is Finland's capital and largest city. One out of every four Fins live and work here, generating 1/3 of the country's GDP.
It's
nickname is "Daughter of the Baltic".
Build on a peninsula and hundreds of islands, the sea is never far away.
Boating and fishing
is extremely popular.
The city was founded in 1550 by king
Gustav I of Sweden. Named Helsingfors it was intended to
rival Reval (Tallinn), 80 km south across the Gulf of Finland.
That plan failed and it was only after Russia took hold of Finland in
1809 that Helsinki became important, certainly after the capital status was moved from Turku to Helsinki.
We
visited Helsinki in July 2016.
arriving with the ferry from Tallinn you have a nice view of the 18th century Suomenlinna fortifications
a seaside view of Helsinki
Helsinki Cathedral with in the foreground the statue of Alexander II
the Market Square on the eastside with the Swedish embassy to the right
the Three Smiths statue from 1932 is a popular place
a busy Market Square
