Postcards from... Helsinki

In 2011, I finally realised my dream of visiting Copenhagen. But, what had started as a few days there, spiralled into a three-week tour of Scandinavia. And having seen cities in Denmark, Norway and Sweden respectively, I thought Finland should get a look in too...

The history of modern Helsinki dates back to the middle of the 13th century, when settlers from the Hälsingland province in central Sweden arrived. They founded a parish known as Helsinge and called today's Vantaa river Helsingå (Helsinge river). In 1548, a town called Helsinge fors (Helsinge rapids) was created. Over time the name evolved into Helsingfors and this is the city's name in Swedish today. The Finns, however, called the city Helsinge, and this is the origin of the current Finnish name of Helsinki.

In 1550, Helsingfors was established as a trading town by King Gustav I of Sweden (r. 1523-1560) as a rival to the Hanseatic city of Reval (modern-day Tallinn, Estonia). His plans came to nothing though and Helsinki remained a tiny town plagued by poverty, war and disease.

The city's status changed somewhat in the 18th century with the building of the naval fortress Sveaborg (today known as Suomenlinna), but it wasn't until the following century that the city came into its own. Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War (1808-1809) and annexed Finland as an autonomous Grand Duchy.

In 1812, Tsar Alexander I of Russia (r. 1801-1825) moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki in a bid to reduce Swedish influence in the country and also to bring the capital closer to St Petersburg. The Great Fire of Turku in 1827 saw the country's only university (now known as the University of Helsinki) being relocated to the new capital, which set the city on a path of continuous growth that has continued up to today.

Statue of Aleksis Kivi, the author of the first significant novel in Finnish

Of all the Scandinavian capitals, Helsinki was the one I knew least about, but since I was in the area it seemed a shame to miss out. However, on the day of my flight (coincidentally my birthday), I began to have second thoughts. At Arlanda airport in Stockholm, the rain was torrential. With Helsinki just a 45 minute flight away, things didn't look good. Thus, I was more than a little surprised to step outside Terminal 1 at Vantaa airport and be hit by a wall of heat! Yes, it was sunny and almost 30°C (86°F)!

I got the bus into town (once I'd remembered to withdraw cash to pay for said bus). Outside Central Station I was staring at my map, trying to make sense of it, when an old man came up to me and asked in English if I needed help. I told him the name of the hotel and he pointed me in the right direction. Having checked in, showered and changed, it was time to explore.

As I made my way down Aleksanterinkatu I was literally stopped in my tracks. I had just caught sight of the most beautiful church I had ever seen – Helsingin tuomiokirkko (Helsinki Cathedral), a HUGE chalk-white, neo-classical Lutheran Cathedral. Built between 1830 and 1852 as a tribute to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, the Grand Duke of Finland (r. 1825-1855), it was known as St Nicholas' Church until Finland's independence in 1917. It had none of the 'overdone-ness' of St Peter's Basilica, or the showiness of the Duomo – it was just perfect. I was awe-struck. I honestly could have stood and stared at it all day...

The stunning cathedral

Close-up of the central dome

The cathedral interior

  

Statue inside the church

View across Senaatintori (Senate Square)

I finally managed to tear myself away from the cathedral and went to see the rest of the city. On my travels I came across Helsingin vanha kirkko (Helsinki Old Church), a Lutheran church that was designed by the German architect Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840) and built between 1824 and 1826.

The simple but nonetheless attractive church

Another stop on the tourist trail was Suomen kansallismuseo (National Museum of Finland). Built in the National Romantic style between 1905 and 1910, it presents a history of Finland from the Stone Age to the present day. I don't usually visit museums on sunny days, but I did see that one. Strangely though, the only thing I remember from that museum is the friendly-looking stone bear outside!

The National Museum

The 58 m-high (190 ft) tower

The friendly-looking stone bear

One of the things I was keen to see was Temppeliaukion kirkko (Temppeliaukio Church), aka The Rock Church, so called because it is hewn out of solid rock and topped with a partially-glazed copper-lined dome.

In the 1930s, a plot of land was chosen for a new church and a competition for the design was launched. But the outbreak of WWII in 1939 put a stop to the plans. In 1961, long after the war, there was another competition, which was won by architects and brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomolainen. However, the project was scaled back to about a quarter of its proposed size due to economic reasons. Construction began in February 1968 and the church was consecrated in September 1969.

The church is VERY popular with tourists, something that became all too apparent when I walked in. Nonetheless, it was worth seeing. Sadly, my photos do not do the place justice!

Inside the Rock Church



Looking back towards the gallery

The free-standing organ

Another must-see was the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Suomenlinna, a sea fortress built on six islands – Iso-Mustasaari, Susisaari, Kustaanmiekka, Pikku-Mustasaari, Länsi-Mustasaari and Långören. Originally called Sveaborg (Fortress of Svea), it was constructed by the Swedish crown in the 18th century as protection against Russian expansion. But in 1808, the fortress surrendered to Russia, leading to the occupation of Finland by Russian forces the following year.


On the boat to Suomenlinna



First view from Iso-Mustasaari



Exploring one of the islands



Looking out to sea

Standing on the ramparts



I wonder where this goes...



Discovering the coastal paths of Suomenlinna

Walking along the coastal path

Coastal artillery guns

Suomenlinna is only accessible by water, but arriving by boat means that you don't get to see how impressive the site really is. Although my photos are hardly the best shots I've ever taken, they're nice enough. However, they definitely don't give readers a proper insight into the fortress. For that reason, I have decided to include a beautiful aerial shot taken from the official site of Suomenlinna.

View of Kustaanmiekka from above (Photo © suomenlinna.fi)