Helsinki . When visiting a country, you cannot miss visiting its capital. The oldest part of Helsinki is the Senate Square, one of the most beautiful in the world. The square, like the city itself, was built according to the plan of Karl Ludwig Engel (1778-1840), a German architect from Berlin who lived in Finland. In the center of the square stands a monument to the Russian Emperor Alexander II, who once did a lot for the preservation and development of Finnish culture.
The center of Helsinki is divided into strict rectangles of quarters. In the 19th century, each of them, as a rule, had its own name, and the address often indicated the block, not the street. Quarters in the center of Helsinki received names in 1812, and – the names of very exotic animals. On the corner of each street was attached a metal plate with the name of the quarter. By the end of the last century, the tradition of giving names to neighborhoods gradually disappeared. Today, in the very center of the city, it has been revived – at the corners of a dozen blocks, colorful plates with the names and images of camels, rhinos and other living creatures are again attached.
According to Top-mba-universities, Finland.the busiest place in Helsinki is the market square, where the Silja ferries depart from. In July, the market square becomes Helsinki ‘s strawberry center, as July is strawberry month in Finland.
Other important sights are for example: Finlandia Palace, the Olympic Stadium, the new Opera Palace, the Assumption Cathedral – the largest Orthodox cathedral in the Western world, built in 1850 by the Russian architect A.M. Gornostaev (consecrated in 1868 in honor of the Mother of God) and a monument to the composer Sibelius.
Today Helsinki is a modern city with a lively business and cultural life, where there are almost 70 museums, a large number of art galleries, excellent concert halls, the National Opera and Ballet, 3 symphony orchestras, 8 theaters. This is a city where there is something to see to take with you rich impressions of the trip.
Close to Helsinki, on seven islands, the city – the fortress of Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) is located. The stone fortress was founded by the Swedes in 1747 and was intended to protect the city from the sea. The fortress is one of the most striking sights of Finland and is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Today it is a peaceful place to relax with museums, exhibitions, cafes and restaurants. Finland’s second largest city, Tampere, lies on a hilly isthmus between lakes Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi and is surrounded by almost two hundred smaller lakes. Tampere Cathedral (1907) is a majestic monument of “Finnish romanticism” and resembles a medieval castle. The Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky and St. Nicholas in neo-Byzantine style contrasts sharply with the Kaleva Church (1966) and the majestic cathedral on Tuomiokirkonkatu (1907), while the original shopping centers “Kehräsaari” and “Koskike-skus” – with the largest in Scandinavia concert hall “Tampere Palace” (1990).
Tampere is one of the most visited cities in Finland due to convenient transport routes and many interesting places. So in Tampere there is the only Spy Museum in Scandinavia. It peacefully coexists with another remarkable museum dedicated to Vladimir Lenin – the most visited museum in Tampere by foreign tourists. Perhaps this exposition remained the only one in the far abroad. The Finns believe that they owe their state independence to Lenin.
There are more than 20 museums in the city, mostly very original and interesting: the Sarah Hilden Art Museum with an extensive collection of modern art, the Tampere Art Museum with a collection of modern Finnish art, the Pharmacy Museum, the Boxing Museum, the wonderful Mummilaasko Museum (Mumi Valley). trolls) in the Tampere City Library, the Museum of Dolls and Costumes “Hatanpää Kartano” in the manor of the same name, the Automobile Museum “Mobilia”, the Museum of Minerals, the Museum “Amuri Workers’ Quarter”, the Hockey Museum, the Häme Local History Museum, the Teisko Museum, the Central Museum of Workers of Finland, museum center “Vapriikki” with dozens of permanent exhibitions, as well as three centers of art and photography.
One of the main attractions of the city is the Särkänniemi amusement park with more than 30 attractions, a planetarium, a zoo, a dolphinarium, an Eden aquarium and the country’s highest observation tower, Nyasinneula. From Tampere, hundreds of water trips and hiking trails are organized in the magnificent surroundings of the city.
The oldest city in Finland is Turku . It was the capital of Finland until 1812. Turku is currentlyoffers many sights and other objects of interest to the tourist of a prosperous modern city with a centuries-old, many-sided history. The banks of the river Aurajoki flowing through the whole city with floating restaurants, sailboats and lovers of swimming in skerries become a lively place in the summer. The shopping market with its special atmosphere and the market square are gourmet destinations.
The oldest medieval monuments of Turku and all of Finland are the Turku fortress and the Cathedral. Turku Cathedral is the oldest building in the city (1230 – 1260, completed at the end of the 15th century) and the spiritual center of the country. Many prominent figures of the country are buried on the territory of the cathedral (including the Queen of Sweden Katherine Monsdotter). The cathedral is a national shrine and one of the most valuable historical and architectural monuments. The museum of the cathedral houses medieval wooden sculptures, textiles and religious objects. Turku ‘s most popular attraction is Turku Castle(end of the 13th century), which now houses the historical museum of the city. The fortress provides an exceptional backdrop for all the temporary exhibitions, concerts and programs for children held here. There is a gift shop and a cafe for tourists. Near the citadel is the Forum Marinum Maritime Center with an excellent collection of maritime history, real ships and many of their models. Of interest are the Luostarinmäki Museum of Craftsmen, the Sibelius Museum with a collection of musical instruments and scores, the Pharmaceutical Museum on the waterfront, the Väinö Aaltonen Museum and the Art Museum, which have excellent collections of modern Finnish art, sculpture and graphics.
20 km west of Turku, on the island of Kailonsaari in the city of Naantali, every summer the amusement park Mummimailma (“World of Moomin”), entirely dedicated to these fairy-tale characters, and the “Island of Adventures of Vyaski” with dozens of theatrical performances open. Finland has an amazing selection of excursions for children. Firstly, these are various Christmas events, because Finland is the birthplace of Santa Claus. The city of Rovaniemi is located in the very center of Lapland. It is there that the official residence of Santa Claus is located, letters from children from all over the world flock here. Sledding, reindeer and dog sledding, snowmobile rides and other winter activities will delight even adults.
Children and their parents should definitely visit one of the water parks in Finland. The most famous of them is Serena. Water slides, outdoor pools, oncoming streams – all this can be found here.
But the main attraction of Finland is the amazing nature, beautiful national parks, the powerful Imatrankoski waterfall. In winter, in the far north of Finland, the sun does not rise below the horizon for 51 days. The polar night is coming, which the Finns call “kaamos”. And throughout the summer in Northern Finland around the clock, without going beyond the horizon, the sun shines. At night, complete darkness does not occur, and the prolonged evening twilight turns into morning. One of the amazing natural phenomena observed in Finland is the northern lights.
