Stories of the City of Helsinki
Everyone has a city where he wants to return again and again, at any time of the year, in any weather. Cities, like people, tend to change sometimes more, sometimes less, but still something in them remains unchanged. It is always pleasant to return to the city you like, to discover completely new places, to enjoy the changes. Although with great pleasure you pass through those places that the changes have bypassed. For me, the city I always want to return to is Helsinki.
View from the Helsinki embankment
If you come to Helsinki for the first time or come back here again - you should definitely visit those places that convey its atmosphere and make it recognizable among other megacities, and, of course, learn the unique stories of the city. Senate Square, the embankment and the covered market, the central station - these are probably just those unique places by which you always recognize the capital of Finland. Do you know why? This will be written below, and those who do not like to read a lot can watch a short video.
Central Cathedral
Senate Square can rightly be called the "heart" of Helsinki. In its center is a monument to Emperor Alexander II, it is surrounded by sculptures "Law", "Peace", "Labor" and "Light". Above it is the central Cathedral, built in 1852. Previously, it was called St. Nicholas Cathedral in honor of both Emperor Nicholas II and the patron saint of sailors, St. Nicholas. This magnificent white church is considered the "calling card" of the city, it is visible from afar. To the left of the cathedral is the main building of the oldest and largest university in the country - the University of Helsinki, and to the right - the State Palace. Senate Square is the center of various city events, and on the steps in front of the main cathedral you can often meet not only guests of the city, but also university students enjoying the sun in spring.
In the century before last, products in Helsinki were sold in open markets. One of them is still located on the embankment in the city center. New sanitary requirements and the desire to better organize the market trade led to the fact that in the last two decades of the 19th century, the idea was to move the markets to the premises - covered markets, in Finnish "kauppahalli".
The construction of the covered market on the embankment began in 1888, and in 1889 it opened its doors to the first visitors. The building contained 120 stalls and 6 shops in the central gallery. Meat products, eggs, butter, cheese, fruits and vegetables were sold here, and at the beginning of the 20th century, part of the fish trade from the open market was also transferred here. Today, here you can not only buy all these products, both local and foreign, but also have a bite to eat in small cafes or restaurants. A few years ago, the Story restaurant was opened in the central gallery (translated from English - history, fairy tale). Here you can taste such a traditional Finnish dish as creamy salmon soup and, of course, drink hot Finnish coffee while enjoying the view of the embankment. By the way, Finns adore coffee from early morning until late at night. Consuming 12 kg of coffee per person per year, they are world champions in coffee drinking.
When moving around the city by public transport, it is better to buy a ticket, choosing its validity from 1 to 7 days (a ticket for a day for an adult will cost 9 euros). Its validity starts from the moment you bring it to the reader, i. e. first composting. At the same time, you can not only save your finances, but also visit the island of Suomenlinna, since the ferry ride is included in the ticket. In addition to a trip by ferry, you can go on a sightseeing tour of Helsinki by tram. They are cozy and run right on schedule.
Tram route number 2 allows you to see the main sights of the city, route number 4 is suitable for architecture lovers, and those who are interested in design should use tram number 6. To find out more information about sights or architectural structures along the route, you need to first arm yourself a city transport scheme and a guidebook or use an Internet search through a mobile phone. If you liked the attraction, you can get off at the stop and take a closer look at it, and then wait for the next tram.
Stockmann department store that changed its name for a while
Stockmann department store, the largest shopping center in Scandinavia and Finland, is located in the center of Helsinki. Its building was built in 1930 in the Art Deco style. In 1989, after merging with the house of Argos, Stockmann took over the entire block. It is surrounded by Mannerheim Avenue, Aleksanterinatu, Keskuskatu streets and Esplanade Park. The last expansion was made in 2010 and now the retail space covers more than 50 thousand square meters on ten floors. Despite the reconstruction, the old escalators have been preserved here. They are sometimes mistakenly considered the first escalators in Finland. This year, for a while, Stockmann changed its name to Stockwomann (woman means woman in English). This was done in honor of the women's holiday on March 8th. The clock at the main entrance to the department store, called the “stock clock” by the townspeople, is one of the most famous meeting and dating places for the residents of the capital.
Allas sea pool
Earlier, when a Finn built a house, the construction began with a sauna, and all other premises were built around it. Therefore, it is impossible to understand Finland and the Finns without visiting the sauna. Now there are more than two million saunas in the country! Saunas at home, saunas at the cottage, saunas in the forest and on the lake. In the center of Helsinki, next to the market square and the Ferris wheel, there is also a place with a sauna - Allas sea pool. This complex is designed in a modern Scandinavian style. It received its first visitors in 2016. In addition to visiting the saunas, here you can have a bite to eat and at any time of the year swim in the heated pool, for children, or in the pool with sea water, which is sometimes called the "hole" because of the "natural" water temperature.
The monument-fountain "Havis Amanda" on the Market Square is considered the symbol of the capital of Finland. The emergence of the nymph Amanda from the waves of the Baltic symbolizes the emergence of the city of Helsinki itself. The Finnish mermaid "Bashful Amanda" is also called the "Child of the Balitian Sea", although it is rumored that the locals among themselves call her the "Mistress of Helsinki", and the creative society calls Havis Amanda.
Havis Amanda
The sculpture of a naked sea nymph adorning the center of the fountain was created by the Finnish sculptor Ville Valgen in Paris in 1906. However, heated debates between supporters and opponents of the installation of this sculpture lasted for about two years, so the opening date is considered to be 1908. In the thirties of the last century, Finnish students founded the tradition of celebrating their "professional" holiday - on this day, a "university" cap is put on the head of a nymph. This tradition is alive to this day. There are several stories why the "performer" placed Havis Amanda with his back to the "customer" building. You will definitely recognize one of them when you visit Helsinki.
Modern sculpture, symbolizing the friendship of the peoples of Europe
A modern sculpture, symbolizing the friendship of the peoples of Europe, is located inside the city hall building. Any guest of the city can come here - yes, yes, just open the doors and enter through the main entrance.
Helsinki City Hall
On the first floor, interesting photo exhibitions of Finnish photographers are very often held, there is a concert hall, you can use free internet, of course, a toilet. And those who like to read books will be able to find an interesting copy among the printed material offered for distribution.
Photo exhibition in Helsinki City Hall
When you get tired of walking around Helsinki or when you are not very lucky with the weather, go to the Helsinki FlyTour cinema. Sitting in an easy chair, get an unforgettable experience of a ten-minute virtual city tour using all the achievements of 4D technology. You will enjoy the views of the city from a bird's eye view and fly up to a fairly close distance to the surrounding objects. This is another unusual acquaintance with the capital of Finland in a comfortable environment. Did you fly?
After visiting all the places, have you been imbued with the spirit of Helsinki? It's very easy to find out. If you can already distinguish the four emotions of a Scandinavian man, captured by the sculptor Emil Wikströ m on the faces of giants decorating the facade of the central station, then you know absolutely everything about this city. However, if emotions are still difficult for you to distinguish, then you should definitely come here again.
