Last time I shared with you some general thoughts about Helsinki, its vibe as a city, and some cultural characteristics and quirks of the Finns as a nation. And today we shall proceed with visiting the most important tourist attractions of the city. Public transport is quite easy to use, and I would advise you to buy a ticket that is valid for the whole transport network, both over and underground, accross the entire city. I paid 22 euros for a 4 days' pass. Convenient, I would say. Another practical advice is to have a map of the city with you, in order to get a global view of all tourist attractions and where each of them is situated, as well as which bus, tram or metro station is the closest. I must say that unfortunately tourist attractions are not very well signalled and, more often than not, in order to find your way, you have to either be accompanied by a local, either have a map, either ask passers-by. Or possibly all 3. :)
The first stopover will probably be at the Kaisaniemi metro station, close to the University of Helsinki, from where you will be within walking distance from one of the most famous images of the city.
This is the Helsinki Cathedral overlooking the Senate Square, from which you walk downhill towards the Esplanadi Park, and then the Market Square, located in the Helsinki Port, and where you can buy traditional food, souvenirs and Finnish artefacts.
From there, you move a little further away towars the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, the biggest of this kind in a country where the main religion is not Orthodoxy.
One metro stop further, you will get to the Central Railway Station (Rautatientori), which is already in itself an impressive building.
And from there, you can take a stroll on Mannerheimintie, one of Helsinki's most important boulevards, dedicated to Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, Finland's most important politician and former President. We will skip the 2 key museums on this boulevard, as we leave them for next time. After all, we save the best for last. But I will let you take a longer stroll, and hopefully enjoying a nice weather, just like I did on that day.
As you reach the Parliament House, you will need to take the streets behind it and try to find the mysterious Rock Church, which does a very good job at hiding from tourists. Here, the map will come in very handy.
From the outside, this place looks like a cave, and moreover, the main entrance is not in the spot that you will find first. That is just the entrance to the garage, and from there you will still have a little bit to walk. But you will find it eventually. Outside it is still a cave, but inside it is a church: small and simple, decorated with rock and wood, yet packed with tourists.
It's not that church where you can find inner peace, precisely because of how crowded it is, so the best you can do is find a few good spots to take pictures, light a candle for your loved ones, and leave.
So, you will find yourself in Mannerheimintie again. I trust that you will find your way back, because I know you have a map. ;) And you will go up the road, and enjoy a long walk or take the tram, depends on the weather and on how tired you are.
The next stop will be the Sibelius Park, where you have another mission: finding the Sibelius Monument, an impressive yet surrealistic piece of modern art, dedicated to Finnish musician and composer Jan Sibelius.
In Part 3, we will focus on museums: history and modernity, indoors and outdoors, near or far from the city center. Did I make you curious? Ok, this is what I wanted! So don't miss it! ;)
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