| Destination: FINLAND | |||||||||||||||||||
| Things To Know
City of the Sea
Quiet Corners “Smoke” Sauna Finlandssvenska |
City of the Sea As with Oslo, the best way to approach Helsinki is by sea. The Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) and the Uspenski Cathedral (Uspenskin Katedraali) stand out against the skyline behind the handsome row of waterfront buildings that include the 19th-century City Hall and Presidential Palace. In front of them is Market Square, crammed with vendors selling everything from fish to handicrafts. You miss this introduction to the city if you arrive by plane, bus or train, but the 19th-century railroad station is a striking example of Helsinki's remarkable architecture. Bus and railroad stations are close to the heart of things and only a few streets from Senate Square and the bustle of Mannerheimintie, the city's main street. Helsinki is an accessible city that is easy to explore independently. Trams and buses serve all parts of the city, but the subway system, Metro, is a single service line of little help to visitors. The heart of summertime Helsinki is the tree-lined Esplanade (Eteläesplanadi) that runs west from Market Square (Kauppatori) and South Harbor (Eteläsatama) to Mannerheimintie. There is a bandstand next to the renowned Kappeli restaurant, where you can sample tasty Finnish specialties such as salmon soup (lohikeitto). The streets bordering the Esplanade have many stylish boutiques, such as Marimekko and Annikki Karvinen, as well as colorful cafés and restaurants. Stop for coffee and pastries at Café Kafka, in the Swedish Theater at the west end of the Esplanade. |
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