Fun things to do in Helsinki

This is an interesting small museum giving a vivid picture of what life was like in the 18th century Helsinki. It's the house of the merchant Johan Sederholm, built in 1757. At that time, the population of Helsinki was mere 1500 persons and it was customary to keep pigs and chicken. The richest people had a cow, too. To find out more, visit the museum! They also have changing exhibitions of historical items from time to time.
Open from wed to sun 11-17, closed on mon & tues

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The facade of this building looks a bit like a Greek temple, but in fact, it is part of Finland's political history. The House of Estates represents the neo-renaissance style and was built in 1890. Today, it is used as a venue for lectures and for some official state occasions.

Keisarinnankivi (the Czarina's stone) is the oldest public memorial in Helsinki, dating from 1835; and commemorates the visit of Empress Alexandra in 1833 with her husband Nicholas I. It is an obelisk made of red granite, with a bronze globe and the two headed eagle of Russia surmounting it. It is placed where the royal couple stepped ashore from the boat that brought them to Helsinki. Apparently Russian sailors removed the globe and eagle in 1917, during the Revolution; however, they were returned or replaced (depending on what you read) in 1971/2.

This monument was one of the first things I saw walking from the station to our hotel, and I recognised it from the pictures I had seen. We stopped to look at it, and I idly wandered to some steps cut into the harbour leading down into the water... where I found a Russian coin! It was my good-luck token for the trip!

Havis Amanda is a statue standing at the eastern end of Esplanadi, near the market square. sculpted by Ville Vallgren (1855-1940). She was erected here in 1908, when there was a certain amount of outrage at her nudity! She is a mermaid, and is seen to represent Helsinki's status as Daughter of the Baltic.

Every year on May Eve students of the Helsinki universities wash her and put a graduation cap on here, I'm not entirely certain why!

Mannerheimintie is named after Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the president of Finland from 1944 to 1946 and is the longest street in Helsinki.

It is the site of a number of famous buildings, including the Swedish Theatre, the National Museum, the Opera House and several others.

It also seems to be the main shopping street, with Stockmanns department store and two shopping centres fronting onto it.

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Many architecture buffs like to come to Helsinki to look at the special type of architecture which has developed in Finland; part Western, part Eastern influences. Finland also boasts a number of internationally recognised architects, and the most famous among them is probably Alvar Aalto, but also Eliel Saarinen is regarded as one of the best.

Finland being a part of the Swedish kingdom for almost a thousand years, has West European influences in both the social framework as well as in architecture, yet the 100+ years as part of the Russian empire also had its influence on the country, and this can clearly be seen in Helsinki. During the Russian reign, Helsinki was made the capital of the Grand Duchy, and a capital needs administrative buildings, such as a Senate building and a place for official functions for the Czar (today the Presidential Palace). These were built around the Senate Square and the Helsinki Cathedral, and were definitely influenced by Russian architecture. Buildings to look out for; the Helsinki Cathedral, the Senate Building, the University of Helsinki Library, the Uspenski cathedral, the Presidential palace.

Many say that this area resembles St Petersburg. Probably not too far from the truth, as Helsinki also boasts a Russian Orthodox Church, the Uspenski Cathedral, in a very prominent place, atop a hill overlooking the Market Square and the Southern harbour. The University of Helsinki is also housed a number of beautiful buidlings around the Senate Square, to accomodate it after it was moved from Turku (then known as Kungliga Akademin i Åbo, founded in 1640) to Helsinki.

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This longstanding facility contains a multiplex cinema, the museum of cultures, a branch of the Helsinki city art museum, restaurants and a Waynes coffee shop.

The cinema shows films in their orginal langue with Finnish/Swedish subtitles. I have seen many a blockbuster there - LOTR, King Kong, Narnia and The Da Vinci Code. The auditoriums are large and comfortable, and the whole experience is wonderful - including the constant smell of popcorn.

The Museums, both offer a good selection of exhibitions and interactive shows. there is also a free cloakroom for the use of patrons.

Waynes Coffee bar is a good stop off point - good coffee and pulla (buns).

Should the rain catch you out in the central shopping area, head underground! There is a small network of tunnels under the streets around the railway station, which give access to the trains as well as shopping centres and department stores such as Forum, Kamppi, Stockmanns and the Academic Bookstore. There are also a number of shops in the tunnels themselves, forming a small underground mall (including a pretty good music shop!)