"Helsinki -a city on the sea" Helsinki by magor65

Helsinki Travel Guide: 3,614 reviews and 7,274 photos

Helsinki grew out of a small settlement founded in 1550 by Swedish king Gustav Vasa. It became the capital of Finland only in 1812, after Finland had been taken over by Russia. Only then the development of the city started. No wonder that Russian influences are so visible in the architecture of the place. Although Helsinki is quite a big city, it has kept the atmosphere of a middle-size town. There are no skyscrapers, most buildings have just a few floors. Kauppatori with its open air market in the city centre makes you forget that you are in the capital.
Helsinki is not only the mainland. There are above 300 islands belonging to it - some of them are uninhabited, others have a population of several thousand. On our way to Suomenlinna and then to Tallin we saw a lot of tiny islands with just one house and we wondered how their inhabitants can survive big storms there.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:doesn't overwhelm you with its size and traffic
  • Cons:perhaps a bit monotonous architecture
  • In a nutshell:a capital which is like a middle-size town
  • Last visit to Helsinki: Aug 2004
  • Intro Written Oct 21, 2004
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Reviews (8)

Comments (14)

  • csordila's Profile Photo
    Feb 1, 2012 at 2:21 PM

    I also visited the city about 25 years ago! Fine page, excellent tips you have made! Thanks for the Paris ratings! L.

  • olja1234's Profile Photo
    Aug 24, 2007 at 8:54 AM

    Lovely page, indeed. It brings back nice memories.

  • Bwana_Brown's Profile Photo
    Mar 17, 2007 at 12:16 PM

    A nice little page on Helsinki and some of its attractions! Personally, I liked the looks of the Lutheran Cathedral - something a bit different from the 'average' one! As for the Sibelius Monument, my vote would go for an Organ look-alike!

  • HORSCHECK's Profile Photo
    Nov 25, 2006 at 1:45 AM

    Nice little page with brilliant photos. I especially like the picture of Uspenski Cathedral. Ehmm, where exactly is the Tsarina's stone located? I am not sure if I have seen it ...

  • matcrazy1's Profile Photo
    Nov 10, 2006 at 3:08 PM

    Great tips. I didn't see this church in a rock :-(. Well, at least I know what to visit next time.

  • Ben-UK's Profile Photo
    Jun 2, 2006 at 8:43 AM

    I just went to Helsinki for the day from Tallinn a few years ago -- would be nice to go again and see a bit more of the city -- very nice page -- thanks for the information.

  • Feb 25, 2006 at 1:16 PM

    I've always wanted to visit Helsinki, the city's name intrigues me a great deal. Thank you for the great tips.

  • gilabrand's Profile Photo
    Oct 2, 2005 at 12:24 AM

    Shalom Malgorzata - I saw you featured on the VT home page!

  • Aug 5, 2005 at 12:17 PM

    Hi, I enjoyed your travel tips and pictures from Helsinki, thankyou for sharing them, they were very informative. Regards Martin

  • Wann's Profile Photo
    Jul 10, 2005 at 7:13 AM

    Nice page !! many beautiful architecture photos, good tips as well... W.

magor65

“I'm no longer sure that what's important is more important than what is not”

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