Whether you are in Helsinki for a day or a week the following are places you really shouldn't miss.
Helsinki Cathedral
Senaatintori, tel. (+358-9) 709 24 55.
Open 09:00 - 18:00. Service: Mon-Fri 12:00, Sat 18:00, Sun 10:00 (in Finnish). Morning prayer in English Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri at 09:00, Wed at 09:30 in the
Cathedral pavilion, Hallituskatu 7.
www.helsinginseurakunnat.net/tuomiokirkko
Also known as the Evangelical-Lutheran Cathedral and formerly Nicholas Cathedral, this white building gracefully caps Helsinki's skyline. The monumental steps, flanked by a bell tower and chapel, lead up to the side entrance of the church, and in summer are extensively used for hanging around in the sun and enjoying the great view. The main entrance is in the western facade, while the crypt is entered from the north. Built by Engel and Lohrmann between 1830 and 1852, Helsinki Cathedral replaced a wooden church that had become too small for the growing parish. Many changes were made to Engel's original plans due to lack of funds and changing architectural ideas. Additions included two side pavilions, four small towers and statues of the Apostles on the roof - all meant to improve the 'failed proportions' of Engel's design. The simple whitewashed interior may disappoint you, but Engel didn't believe that visual gimmicks could help inspire 'noble and purified thoughts'. Statues of the German churchmen Luther and Melanchton and the Finnish reformer Mikael Agricola (1510-1557) adorn the central pillars.
Senate Square (Senaatintori)
When Helsinki became capital of Finland and a residence of the Russian Tsar in 1812, plans soon arose to redesign Helsinki's centre. Work started in 1815 according to the masterplan of city planner Ehrenström (also involved in Suomenlinna fortress). All the buildings around Senaatintori square were designed by Engel, the German city architect of Tallinn, who was heavily influenced by the grand Empire-style architecture of St. Petersburg. The biggest project was Helsinki Cathedral, behind which is the Holy Trinity Church (1827), the oldest Orthodox church in Helsinki, also designed by Engel. Senate House (on the eastern side of Senaatintori) was finished 1822, and the University (on the western side of Senaatintori) was relocated here in 1832 (the library in 1840) after a fire destroyed most of Turku University. At the same time, some burgher houses on the southern side were given new façades to fit in with the rest of the square; Kiseleff house is a shopping mall and can be visited (see Shopping). Next to those are the town hall and, in the corner, Sederholm house. In the centre stands a large statue of Tsar Alexander II, erected in 1894.
Uspenski Cathedral
Kanavakatu 1, tel. (+358-9) 63 42 67, fax (+358-9) 68 71 35 20.
Open 09:30 - 16:00, Tue 09:30 - 18:00, Sun 09:30 - 15:00. Closed Mon. Service: Sat 18:00, Sun 10:00 (in Finnish).
www.ort.fi/helsinki
Towering above Helsinki's harbour, Uspenski Cathedral, with its 13 gilded onion domes (one for Christ and each Apostle) is as much a landmark of the city as Helsinki Cathedral. Consecrated in 1868 and paid for by the Russian government, the Orthodox Church and local citizens, it took 11 years to build. The cathedral is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, and the name of the church is derived from the Slavonic word uspenie, meaning 'falling into the sleep of death'. Inside, a huge iconostase shields the holy altar from the worshippers. The main icon of Christ actually defies the strict rules of icon-painting, as the painter used Italian oils and styles, not the prescribed materials and style. Our favourite icon is on a table to the right of the iconostase, illustrating all church saints - hundreds of them crammed together. Keep in mind that the church became Finnish Orthodox and independent from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1923. Therefore services are held in Finnish, not Russian, even though the words on the cupola are in church Slavonic. The Finnish Orthodox parish is quite large; some 56,000 members of which 17,000 are in Helsinki. If you're quiet, you can walk in during a service and witness the beautiful choir singing - instruments are forbidden, as man should 'use himself as a living instrument and not dead metal or wood to worship God'. The booklet (for sale at the stall at the rear, 10mk) that explains more about Uspenski Cathedral and the icons, rituals and symbols is highly recommended.
Finlandia Hall (Home of the annual Helsinki Summer Festival)
Mannerheimintie 13, Helsinki 00100
Tel: +358 9 402 4246
Sibelius Park Monument (Park)
Sibelius Park on Mechelininkatu, Helsinki
Soumenlinna Fortress (18th Century sea fortress)
Suomenlinna Island, Helsinki
Tel: +358 9 668 880
Market Square ( Market Square)
Eteläranta and Pohjoisesplanadi, Helsinki
Temple Square Church (Church)
Lutherininkatu 3, Helsinki
Tel: +358 9 494 698
