Hotels in Helsinki

Accommodations in Helsinki

The peninsula on which Helsinki sits is surrounded by more than three hundred islands, and thus it is known as the ‘Daughter of the Baltic Sea.’ It was founded by Swedish king Gustavo Vasa in the mid-16th century. At the beginning of the 19th century it was conquered by Russia, only obtaining independence in 1917. Helsinki is a modern city growing at great speed, but maintains a provincial architectural style of low buildings...
The Helsinki Railway Station is an internationally renowned masterpiece, embodying the transition between Romanticism and Neorealism. Not far away is the Museum of Beautiful Ateneum Arts, with a collection of the country’s most important art. But the historical center of Helsinki only truly begins with the Seat of the Senate (Senaatintori), a neoclassical structure from the 19th century whose design is evocative of the architecture of Saint Petersburg. The most significant buildings that surround it are the Luterana Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko), the Palace of the Government, and the university library. A few steps away are the city’s oldest Rococo building, the Sederholm House of 1757. If you approach the port you will enjoy the atmosphere of Market Plaza (Kauppatori), the statue of Havis Amanda (symbol of the city’s birth), and taste salmon or reindeer meat and purchase souvenirs. The Old Market is a covered market 100 meters away. From Market Plaza, take a ferry to the marine stronghold of Suomenlinna, declared a Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO: this citadel served as a base for the Swedish and the Russians during their reigns, and today is a treasure of history and Finnish culture.
Walk north along the relaxing Esplanadi Stroll to the Presidential Palace (Presidentinlinna), which was the old residence of the czars. In Kanavataku Street is the 19th century Cathedral of Uspenski: this, the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe, shows clear Russian influences in its architecture.
Although a little removed from the center of Helsinki, don’t forget to visit the Church of Temppeliaukio, which was constructed out of living rock and crowned with a copper cupola. In addition, the classically monumental Parliament Building displays a not-to-be-missed façade of red granite and Corinthian columns.