HELSINKI

Helsinki Finland Travel Guide

Helsinki Finland Travel Guide - With a population of over 568,146, Helsinki is by far Finland’s most populous city. Understandably so, considering that it is Finland’s capital and serves as the center of the country’s business, administrative and cultural life. Visiting Helsinki is just like getting a glimpse of the whole of Finland since it is home to various museums and performance halls that depict life in Finland.

Helsinki is also known by its Swedish and original name, Helsingfors, which literally means Helsinge (surrounding parish) and fors (rapids). There is however a belief that its name was given in honor of Halsingland, a Swedish province from where most Swedish immigrants came from.

The city is among Europe’s wealthiest capitals with a per capita gross domestic product that is 1.5 times more than the GDP of Finland. Thanks to the availability of skilled labor as well as good infrastructure, Helsinki has become a favorite headquarter of top Finnish companies.

Helsinki may be different from all the other cities you have visited because here, you will not see any traces of poverty like slum areas. It is not however an indication that it is free from social inequities. You may have a hard time looking for public transport though since Helsinki residents favor the use of private cars. But do not let this deter you from visiting the city as they also have some buses, ferries and trams to cater to those without private rides, albeit not as many as the private cars around the city. The good news is that Helsinki has the second best public transportation in Europe.

A Helsinki Card will get you far in the city as you can use it as a transport ticket, a discount card and a free pass to various museums and entertainment areas. Get them from Central Railway Station or form the Tourist Information.

If you are visiting Helsinki for the first time then start your tour at the Parliament of Finland which houses the 200 members of the unicameral Parliament of Finland. Go straight to the Helsingin tuomiokirkko or the Helsinki Cathedral and see Helsinki’s most prominent symbol. The church, formerly called St. Nicholas Church, is a representation of the neoclassical architecture style. It is famous for its domes, one big and four smaller ones.

Incidentally, Helsinki’s neoclassical buildings have been featured in Hollywood movies like the Gorky Park in 1983 and the Kremlin Letter in 1971. However, the government makes it as hard as possible for film makers to shoot in Helsinki since most of them promote negative views of the Soviet Union which is not favored by Moscow. .

Helsinki’s sports infrastructures, which were built for the ill-fated 1940 Olympic Games (which did not push through due to World War 2) are very good representations of the city’s functionalist architecture type. If you want see the venue for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki then include in your itinerary the Rowing Stadium, Olympic Stadium, Swimming Stadium and the Tennis Palace.

Discovering Finland’s history is easy if you visit the National Museum of Finland which is considered Helsinki’s biggest museum. Aside from the pieces of prehistoric and medieval history all housed in the museum, you will also enjoy its romantic and neo-medieval architecture. You can also visit the Helsinki City Museum and the University Museum for a glimpse of Helsinki’s 500-year history.

Theater is also a big thing in Helsinki and you can choose to visit any or all of the theaters in the city including the Helsinki City Theater, the Finnish National Theater or the Finland Swedish Svenska Theater.

Summertime is fun in Helsinki considering its many coastlines. The city has not been called the daughter of the Baltic for nothing so expect a lot of summer and water delights in Helsinki. A good place to start your maritime tour in Helsinki is the Suomenlinna naval fortress which has been classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Helsinki and most of Finland actually is a good place for saunas as this has seemingly become a national past time. And when you want to unleash the child in you, go visit the Linnanmäki Amusement Park and experience the Intamin ZacSpin rollercoaster.