The capital of Finland, the city of developed tourism Helsinki, whose sights amaze with their diversity, is located in the southern part of the country.
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Helsinki is the capital of the province of Uusimaa and, together with its satellite cities of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, forms a region of over 1.5 million people. Greater Helsinki consists of 12 communes, on the territory of which there are 8 universities, many social institutions and technology parks. The population is actively migrating to the capital, and this makes Helsinki the fastest growing municipal area in Europe.
In Finland, the main international airport is Helsinki-Vantaa, which is only 20 kilometers from the center of the capital. The most modern airliners fly from the air harbor around the world.
Rating
BIn 2014, the city of Helsinki, whose sights are of interest to hundreds of thousands of tourists from different countries, came in fifth place in the ranking of the best cities in the world, according to the British Monocle magazine. And according to the newspaper "New York Times" among the cities worth visiting, the capital of Finland is in second place, after Panama. In addition, Helsinki is recognized as one of the safest cities in the world - an international consulting company put it in fourth place in this list, the championship was given to Luxembourg, Zurich and Bern were in the second and third positions.
Tourists in Finland
The city of Helsinki, whose sights leave no one indifferent, is an ideal place for tourists who come to the capital of Finland from all over the world. Architectural masterpieces, historical monuments, rarities, as an integral part of world culture - all this attracts travelers.
Sights of Helsinki with a description of their history are included in numerous sightseeing tours. Guidebooks, which can be purchased at any kiosk, will help you plan your visits. The city of Helsinki, whose sights can be seen again and again, is a friendly and hospitable place. Impressions after excursions will remain for a long time. And since it is impossible to see all the exhibitions, museums, fairs and visit many other events in Helsinki in one visit, a second visit to Suomi is quite possible as part of a touristtravel.
Sights of Helsinki with a description of their history, architectural masterpieces and much more have made the capital of Finland a kind of mecca of tourism. Most cultural sites are located in the very center of the city, and getting to know them does not present difficulties associated with movement, as is the case in other European cities.
If you need to visit tourist sites in areas remote from the center, then public transport is at the service of travelers, an ideally organized service for quick movement. Trams in the capital of Finland and in other cities of the country are subject to a minute-by-minute schedule along the route, which is never violated. Comfortable carriages will take you to your destination, quickly and comfortably. Traveling by public transport is quite expensive, but if you buy a ticket for several landings, the fare is significantly reduced. In addition, transport in Helsinki has a system of group trips, when several people travel on one common ticket, and this method is also relatively inexpensive.
History and present
Finland, Helsinki, sights, cultural values, lifestyle of the population - everything that the country lives by arouses keen interest among visitors, many people miss a two-week tour to get acquainted with the history of the state and see memorable places.
Travel agencies offer exciting journeys through the centuries, to the ancient Finnish civilization,when architectural masterpieces were erected, distinguished by northern restraint, minimalism and sophistication. The ancient buildings, churches and cathedrals of Helsinki, sights whose photographs can be found in guidebooks, booklets and special editions, are shrouded in the mystery of past centuries, but are nevertheless accessible today to the general public.
Architecture
Finland has seen many modernist buildings, but a visit to the Art Nouveau architectural ensemble, the most complete in all of Northern Europe, leaves a special impression.
In the city center, especially within the Senate Square, there are unique masterpieces of neoclassical architecture. The largest Orthodox church - the Assumption Cathedral - reflects the Byzantine-Russian architectural traditions.
Architectural masterpieces of Helsinki, sights, reviews of which have been left by grateful tourists for many decades, occupy the first positions in the ranking of world architecture. Many buildings in Finnish cities combine several styles at once, but the combination of neoclassicism and, for example, modernism is so organic that it gives the impression of some kind of new architecture. More recent trends in architecture are represented by the High-Tech Center in the Ruoholahti area, the Sanomatalo building and the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art.
Finland, sights of Helsinki in winter
The countries of Scandinavia have a number of northern mainland characteristics. Sweden, Norway and Denmark are the three Scandinavian countries (geographically). When Scandinavia is mentioned together with Finland, it is already called Fennoscandia.
Sights of Helsinki in winter are special tourist trips around the country. Dog teams, light sleds driven by a musher, reindeer races - all this makes up the most interesting spectrum of winter pastime. What is the residence of Santa Claus in Lapland, the northernmost province of Finland, which is open to everyone to visit the magical Santa Park. And after riding the rides, you can go to Mrs. Claus's Gingerbread Kitchen and taste fragrant cookies.
In Helsinki, the sights in winter (reviews from tourists are extremely positive) look special, the snow-white plains around, the dazzling purity of the snow are mesmerizing. Even architectural masterpieces look unusual under the snow.
Main attractions
In the center of Helsinki, on the Senate Square, the main attractions are located: the Presidential Palace, the National Library, the Lutheran Cathedral of St. Nicholas, built in 1852. Merchants' mansions are well-preserved and currently house souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes.
And in the center of the square stands the monument to Alexander II, the Russian emperor, thanks to which the Finnish people gained independence. 12 times the king visited Finland, participated in solving the state affairs of the country, hunted, retired in Valaammonastery, which was located on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Under Alexander II, a railway was built in the country that connected Helsinki and St. Petersburg.
Helsinki Today
It is impossible to see the city in a short time, the capital of Finland is full of old buildings, parks, museums and entertainment centers. For the smallest tourists there are excellent entertainment complexes, among which the Amusement Park called "Linnanmäki" dominates. For adults, in addition to city excursions, a lot of marine entertainment and excursions on boats are offered.
Visit to historical memorials begins with the medieval fortress of Sveaborg, which for many decades protected Helsinki from enemies from the sea. The next historical exhibit is the Temppeliaukio church, located right in the thickness of the rock.
Tourists who prefer landscape beauty can visit the zoo, the winter garden and the Marine Life Center. Wildlife lovers will have an unforgettable experience visiting the island of Seurasaari, full of restless squirrels.
Visitors of any age will be satisfied with visiting the popular science center "Eureka", which opens the way to the amazing secrets of the universe. Hundreds of exhibits from the field of astronomy, chemistry, biology, physics instantly capture the attention of tourists.
The monument to composer Jean Sibelius, unusual in style, is especially interesting. Monument, where the maestro is depicted in profile,against the background of stylized organ pipes. The great Finn represents his country.
Finnish fine arts
Like in any other country, in Finland there are exhibition halls that open up genuine national creativity to visitors. The central institution of this profile is the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki, which together with the Kiasma Exhibition Center presents the Finnish National Art Gallery. The halls house huge collections of paintings, sculptures and other objects of Finnish fine art.
National Museum
The history of any state needs material reflection. In Helsinki, the role of a repository of historical artifacts is performed by the National Museum, which contains the cultural heritage of the country. Numerous expositions cover the period of development of Finland from ancient times to the present day.
In addition to stationary expositions, the museum periodically hosts exhibitions of local history, telling about the ethnography of the past and about the prospects for the development of Finnish society. Tourists are served in different languages, including Russian. The museum has a bookstore with literature about Finnish culture, also in different languages.
The collection of the museum is the national we alth of the Finnish people, through the expositions one can trace the entire evolution of the country, the collections are divided into thematic sectors, each of which is located in a separate room.
The mosta large department is the historical one, which is represented by archaeological artifacts found during excavations in Finland. The extensive exposition covers several epochs and cultural periods, it is represented by numerous objects of the past. These are household items, weapons, jewelry, clothes, shoes, ceramics and bronze utensils.
