Streets squares and districts to visit Finland

A must-see stroll by the sea. In summer this cheerful market takes over the southern port (Eteläsatama) in the heart of the city centre. The stalls of the merchants of the four seasons scent the air with their loads of dill and wild berries and fishermen sell their daily catch. Traditional craftsmanship offers objects made of braided birch bark, Russian chapkas made of fur... On summer evenings, the Place du Marché welcomes musicians and various street shows.

To begin with, let's go to the market square. With the covered market, the numerous stalls and old stalls, you will find the spirit of the countryside of yesteryear. And, in summer, you can discover Oulu by the sea by embarking on a cruise from the shore of the market square. Then take a stroll along Rotuaari Street. This is Oulu's lively pedestrian street where you can go shopping, have a drink and go to a restaurant to enjoy one of the many summer terraces. Then, you can continue to Nallikari Beach to admire the sea and take a swim.

It is the work of two men: Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel. The first, whose task is to create a city worthy of a European capital, is called in 1816 at the Berlin Engel, already at work in Tallinn and St. Petersburg. In the space of a quarter of a century Engel will draw the plans of about public buildings and a large number of special houses in Helsinki and other cities in Finland. He is nevertheless obliged to submit his projects to Tsar Alexander I and his successor Nicolas I, who, in all things, retain their right of veto.

The northern place of the Senate is dominated by the very white Lutheran cathedral (Tuomiokirkko), one of the largest dome cathedrals in the world, completed in 1852 according to the plans of Engel. The monumental staircase further strengthens its imposing character. The sculptures on the roof, representing the apostles, are carried out on the model of the Isaac church of St. Petersburg. From the top of the stairs, the view on the south port (Eteläsatama) and the surrounding streets is splendid. From the Gulf of Finland, for example on a ferry, the panorama is even more striking. The façade of the cathedral, surmounted by the large green dome and surrounded by numerous terrazzo columns, then shines gently. On the right of the square, the Governor's Palace, one of the major works of Engel completed in 1822, houses the Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister's office is located on the first floor at the corner of the Aleksanterinkatu. The main entrance to the main entrance hides one of the most beautiful interiors in Empire style. The place is unfortunately forbidden to the public.

Left, the place of the Senate is bordered by the main building of the former university of Finland, transferred to Helsinki by decree of the czar after the great Turku fire in 1827. The façade presents the same structure as the Governor's Palace. A large part of the university will, however, be destroyed by the bombings of 1944, including the large concert hall, works of art included (since 1971, the large concert hall in Helsinki has been elected to the Palais Palace of Alvar Aalto). Behind the cathedral, in the Unioninkatu, the small Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity, also in Engel, hosts several beautiful old icons, including the Virgin of Smolensk. Also in the Unioninkatu, the beautiful library of the university (Yliopiston Kirjasto), the ceiling decorated with frescos, is one of the most beautiful works in Engel. Its interior splendour is commensurate with its splendid yellow facade, decorated with a majestic corinthienne colonnade.

At the centre of the square is the statue of Alexander II, assassinated in 1881 by an anarchist group, made by Walter Runeberg in 1894 (son of the famous writer Johan Ludvig Runeberg). It was under Alexander II that the Duchy of Finland acquired broad autonomy, hence the special place it held in the memory of the inhabitants of the city. The place of the Senate is also bordered to the south by former residences of the Helsinki Commercial Bourgeoisie. Among these mansions in the early th century, notice the beautiful grey-grey house built for the powerful businessman Sederholm. The ground floor is now occupied by small boutiques in the old, by charming cafés or Russian restaurants. The Demetriade house, which makes the corner of the Unionkatu, gathers many of these chic shops that form the very tourist Baazar Demetriade. Helsinki also sometimes displays a small air in St. Petersburg. Moreover, the Finnish capital was used as a shooting site for certain films, the action of which was supposed to take place in the city built by Pierre-le-Grand in 1703.

As Helsinki continues to expand, the city is taking over former harbors and waterfront industrial districts. Kalasatama is one of these up-and-coming business and residential districts. On the disused site of a large and beautiful factory built at the beginning of the ^20th century, you'll find a skatepark, a graffiti gallery, bars and pop-up restaurants in summer. It's a district in full transition, with work scheduled to continue for several more (long, long) years, until 2030. All the more reason to come back!

This is one of the places we recommend in our Finnish design itinerary. It was created by an American artist Robert Wilson. He is known to be above all a scenographer, and therefore a specialist in staging. The park is divided into nine rooms, each symbolising different domestic spaces. It was designed in memory of Tapio Wirkkala, a designer. It was his daughter who suggested the name Robert Wilson, who at the time used a photo of a sculpture by Wirkkala for one of these settings.

A visit to this former craftsmen's quarter is a must. You can enjoy good coffee, shop in design and contemporary art shops and jewellery stores, and see weavers at work in the craft centre... Then you can push on to the Orthodox Church of St. Nicplas (Kirkkokatu). This small wooden church dates from 1887. Some of the icons were painted in St. Petersburg at the end of the 19th century. Shop selling icons.

Less well known than Puu-Vallila, Puu-Käpylä is another fine example of a garden city, designed by Martti Välikangas and built in the 1920s-1925s to meet the housing needs of the working classes. Today, the complex has a charming old-fashioned character, with colorful wooden houses surrounded by small gardens. The Käpylä district was originally built as an Olympic village for the 1952 Olympic Games. Martti Välikangas was born in 1893 and died in 1973. In Helsinki, he also designed the building at 46 Albertinkatu Street.

It's Northern Europe's largest wooden town, covering 28 hectares with cobbled streets and over 600 wooden houses of various colors from the ^18th and ^19th centuries. Some of the old houses have been converted into museums. You can also push on to the market square. The square itself is home to stalls known as pystcaffe, literally meaning "standing coffee". To the south, admire the old town hall, built in 1776. The site has been listed by Unesco since 1991 as an "outstanding example of a Nordic town built of wood".

Finland is a strange country. In addition to swimming in the lakes in winter and summer, they also drive on them in winter, and in a very official way. The Finnish road administration is in charge of opening the ice road every winter. It is laid out between Koli (at the campsite) and the port of Vuonislahti. For 7 km, the speed limit is 50 km/h and the maximum weight is 3 t. The road is sometimes closed due to bad weather, faults or flooding..

One of the highlights is the old water tower which, at 65 m high, offers a fantastic view of the Hanko region and the Baltic Sea (lift and telescope!). We discover the Hauensuoli bay. The narrow passage between the islands Tullisaari and Koppen was used as a shelter port in the 15th century. It was a wide natural harbour, where ships came to shelter during storms and shipped drinking water. Sailors carved their names on the rocks with their knives and even little stories: there are more than 640 of them.

The old town with its wooden houses that survived the great fire of 1855 is well worth a visit, with its Market Square whose surrounding buildings were designed by Georg Chiewitz. See also the town hall dating from 1862, the neo-Gothic church from 1865, and further east, the Ungern and Rosen bastions. From the top of the Kukkukivi tower you have a breathtaking view of the Bay of Loviisa. Visit the Sibelius House, which belonged to his aunt. Sibelius spent his summer holidays there and composed his Kullervo symphony.

Head for Place du Sénat for a guided stroll. Finland, a Swedish province for almost six hundred years, came under Russian domination following the war of 1808-1809. Almost all of Helsinki, built of wood, was destroyed by fire during the conflict. On the orders of Tsar Alexander ^I, the center of the future capital of the Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire was designed as a work of art. At the time, Finland was extremely rural. The very low level of urbanization, with the exception of a few towns scattered along the west and southeast coasts, attests to a certain provincialism. In this respect, Helsinki's acquisition of capital status marks a major turning point.

Senate Square is the work of two men: Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel.

The north side of Senate Square is dominated by the white Lutheran Cathedral. From the top of the staircase, the view of the southern harbor (Eteläsatama) and surrounding streets is splendid.

To the right of the square, opposite the cathedral, the Government Palace, one of Engel's major works completed in 1822, houses the Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister's office is located on the second floor, at the corner of Aleksanterinkatu. The colonnade over the main entrance conceals one of the most beautiful Empire-style interiors. At the far end of the building is Helsinki's oldest public clock. Unfortunately, this area is closed to the public.

On the left, Senate Square is flanked by the main building of the former University of Finland, transferred to Helsinki by Tsarist decree after the great fire of Turku in 1827. The façade has the same structure as the Governor's Palace. However, much of the university was destroyed in the bombing raids of 1944, including the main concert hall and works of art.

Behind the cathedral, in the Unioninkatu, the small Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, also by Engel, houses several fine old icons, including the Virgin of Smolensk. Also in Unioninkatu, the magnificent university library (Yliopiston Kirjasto), with its frescoed ceiling, is one of Engel's finest works. Open to the public, its lavish interior is matched by its splendid yellow façade, adorned with a majestic Corinthian colonnade.

At the center of the square stands the statue of Alexander II, assassinated in 1881 by an anarchist group, created by Walter Runeberg in 1894 (son of the famous writer Johan Ludvig Runeberg). It was during the reign of Alexander II that the Duchy of Finland acquired a large measure of autonomy, hence the special place it holds in the memory of the city's inhabitants.

To the south, Senate Square is also lined with the former residences of Helsinki's merchant bourgeoisie. Among these early ^19th-century mansions, note the pretty little grey-blue house built for the powerful businessman Sederholm, which today houses a children's museum of Helsinki history. Maison Kiseleff, on the corner of Unionkatu, is home to many of the chic boutiques that make up the touristy Baazar Kiseleff. Helsinki also has a touch of St. Petersburg about it... In fact, the Finnish capital has been used as a location for a number of films, the action of which was supposed to take place in the city built by order of Peter the Great in 1703.

Let's continue our stroll behind the magnificent Lutheran Cathedral, in Snellmaninkatu Street, home to the Bank of Finland, erected in 1882. A stone's throw away, note the metal-welded fountain by Eila Hiltunen (designer of the Sibelius Monument ). Opposite the Bank of Finland stands a statue of Johan Wilhelm Snellman (1806-1881), a remarkable ^19th-century Finnish statesman who took the initiative in minting a Finnish currency distinct from the rouble. The latter, by Emil Wikström, also sculpted the frieze of the nearby House of Orders (Mariankatu 5), designed by Gustaf Nyström and restored to house the state's salons d'honneur. Completed in 1891, it serves as a meeting place for the commoner orders during the national assizes of the orders. Nyström was also responsible for many of Helsinki's public buildings, such as the National Archives (Rauhankatu 17), whose oldest document dates back to 1316. Continuing along Unioninkatu, take a look at the Faculty of Humanities, housed in one of Helsinki's oldest hospital buildings.

Continuing along Unioninkatu, we reach the University Botanical Garden and the large Kaisaniemi Park (Unioninkatu 44). Further on, take Liisankatu Street to the end and cross the beautiful Kruununhaka district, where the sea and quayside come into view. Once you reach Pohjoisranta, you'll see some of the tallest buildings of the late ^19th and early ^20th centuries. An arm of land connects with Tervasaari, the ^17th-century site of merchants' tar stores. This area, now restored as a park, is one of the locals' favorite places for a stroll.

Just across the square is the exceptional (and free) Helsinki City Museum: don't miss it (especially with children).