Helsinki Attractions

Along Fredrikinkatu, to the left, is Helsinki's Rock Church (Taivallahdenkirkko | Temppeliaukio; by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, 1968-69), an underground church blasted out of the native granite. It has a shallow circular dome (13m/43ft high at its highest point) of copper sheeting and glass borne on concrete ribs. The church is also used as a concert hall.

Southwest of St John's Church in Helsinki stands the brick Mikael Agricola Church (1934). From here it is only a few hundred yards to the quay from which there is a ferry to the island of Pihlajasaari (swimming). Near here can be seen a concrete monument with an eternal flame, commemorating seamen lost at sea.

Modern Finnish art collected by Amos Anderson, a wealthy Finn, are on display. The museum also has special exhibits of international art.

From here, majestic cruise ships depart for distant ports of call. While docked, these mighty ships are a spectacle for all to see.

The Finnish Aviation Museum, located at the terminal of Vantaa airport, traces the history of aviation in Finland. It has an extensive collection of Finnish designs and foreign aircraft built under license.

The Finnish Museum of Photography's large collection of works includes Finnish photographs, negatives and recordings. The Museum also has a valuable collection of photography-related objects, including thousands of pieces of equipment, etc. It will be presenting its collection of works and items on the history of photography abroad, in special exhibitions.

On the north side of Helsinki's Station Square (Rautatientoru) is the Finnish National Theater (Kansallisteatteri; 1901), with a granite facade, and in front of it a monument by Wäinö Aaltonen (1934) to the Finnish national writer Aleksis Kivi. Beyond the Theater lies the Botanic Garden.

To the south of Helsinki's Market Square, at the end of Unioninkatu, is the German Church. Beyond it, on Observatory Hill (38m/125ft), is the Observatory (by C. L. Engel, 1833). On a terrace on the east side of the hill is a sculpture by Robert Stigell, "The Shipwrecked Mariners" (1897).

The Helsinki City Museum is housed in a building that was completed in 1913. The history of the city over a 450-year period includes the Swedish era, the Russian era and the era of independence. Artefacts, pictures and archaeological digs are also on display.

Numerous congresses are held in Helsinki (Finlandia Hall) and Espoo (Dipoli).

Finland Convention Bureau was founded in 1974 and it expanded in 1982 to cover the entire country.

The Helsinki Metro was opened in 1982 and is made up of 16.9km of track, 4km of which are underground. There are 13 stations, six of which are underground. There is a flat fare system on all modes of transport operating in Helsinki.

From Hietaniemi cemetary, Hietaniemenkatu returns towards the center of Helsinki. On the left is the Crematorium (by B. Liljeqvist, 1927), with a grove for ash-urns behind it. Hietaniemenkatu then runs into Mechelininkatu: turn left along this street and then right into Arkadiankatu. At the next intersection, on the left, is the Finnish Business School, in front of which can be seen a fountain, "Profit" (by A. Tukiainen, 1954); on the right is the Swedish Business School.

In the north and west districts of Helsinki is the House of Culture, designed by Alvar Aalto, with acoustics which are among the best in Europe. Behind extends a small park, perhaps the only Lenin Park in Western Europe.

Kotiharjun Sauna was built in 1928 and remains the only public wood-burning sauna in Helsinki.

At about the level of Helsinki's Olympic Stadium, Linnankoskenkatu branches off Mannerheimintie on the left. At the far end of this street, on the right, is Lastenlinna (the "Children's Castle"), a home and training center for handicapped children (Mannerheim Children's Hospital).

To the east of Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, beyond the railroad line, is the Linnanmäki amusement park, with a water tower, a switchback and a giant wheel which, along with the nearby Television Tower, form a striking group on Helsinki's skyline.

The park opened in 1950 and has continually renovated and improved the rides, shows, shops, and restaurants.

Off Ehrenströmintie, which runs round the coast to the south of Helsinki, is Kalliolinnantie, in which (No. 14) is a house once occupied by Marshal Mannerheim, now a Mannerheim Museum. Beyond this is the beautiful Kaivopuisto (Brunnsparken; "Park of the Spring").

The home is set out as it was in the 1940s with the interior decorating and furnishings from that period.

This Military Museum in Helsinki is the former First Uusimaa Rifle Battalion barracks and presents the military history of Finland.

The Museum of Art and Design in Helsinki traces the development of applied arts and industrial design in Finland.

The exhibitions at the Museum of Finnish Architecture display the photography archives and drawings from the collection of Finnish architecture.

The Museum of Foreign Art presents the old Flemish, Dutch, Italian and French paintings, Karelian and Russian icons and Swedish portraits.

The exhibitions present the metal engineering, forest, mining, chemical and printing industries, domestic and computer technology.

The Post Museum displays the history of Finland's postal system a 360 year period. There are multimedia presentations, postage stamps and special exhibitions.

At the junction of Arkadiankatu with Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu in Helsinki is the Sibelius Academy (Conservatoire). Nearby is the Zoological Museum.

As the only music university in Finland, Sibelius Academy provides higher education in the field of music and is committed to upholding Finland's musical culture and cultural heritage.

From Lastemlinna in Helsinki, Merikannontie runs south past the Sibelius Park, in which is the Sibelius Memorial (by Eila Hiltunen, 1967), an eye-catching work of sculpture in steel. This at first aroused criticism for its radical departure from the conventional type of memorial, and by way of compromise the sculptor added a bust of the composer.

The Sports Museum of Finland presents physical training and Finnish sports through 30,000 exhibits. There are photo archives covering the history of sports in Finland from the 1870s onwards.

To the west of Observatory Hill in Helsinki is the neo-Gothic St John's Church (1893), with twin spires 74m/243ft high. Between the hill and the church are Kasarmikatu (Barracks Street) and Kasarmitori (Barracks Square), in which are the headquarters of the Finnish armed forces, in a building designed by Engel in neo-antique style.