Introduction of Helsinki

Helsinki, capital of Finland. It is the leading seaport and industrial city of the nation. Helsinki lies in the far south of the country, on a peninsula that is fringed by fine natural harbours and that protrudes into the Gulf of Finland. It is the most northerly of continental European capitals. It is often called the “white city of the north” because many of its buildings are constructed of a local light-coloured granite.

Helsinki is a charming seaside city with a unique twist. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, Helsinki is a place where urban culture meets coastal nature. The easy-going Nordic lifestyle and friendly locals make it easy to fall in love with this northern city – the capital of the happiest country in the world!

Helsinki is buffered by more than 300 islands, and its harbor is always busy. Frequent passenger ferries cross the Baltic Sea from Stockholm, Tallinn, and even St. Petersburg. The arrival of cruise ships — sliding through tight passages between the surrounding islands — energizes the city each day. Mighty ice breakers moored in their summer slumber are the only reminder of the bitter Baltic winters.

Daily bus tours run from the docks for a rapid-fire overview of Finnish history and a quick look at the top monuments and churches. Or you can stretch your legs along Helsinki’s grand boulevard, the Esplanade, leading from the water into town. With wide sidewalks and a friendly park sandwiched in the middle, this is the city’s best stroll for window shopping, people watching, and sun worshiping.

Helsinki is famous for its 20th-century architecture, from its central train station, an Art Nouveau masterpiece by Eliel Saarinen, to the modernist simplicity of the Finlandia concert hall by Alvar Aalto. The city also boasts beautiful and diverse churches: the gleaming white Lutheran Cathedral, a Neoclassical gem; the red-brick Russian Orthodox Cathedral, a reminder of Russia’s long dominance here; and the underground Temppeliaukio Church, blasted out of solid granite and capped by a copper and glass dome.