Travel Guide Helsinki

Helsinki, or Helsingfors in Swedish, with its 650,000 inhabitants, is a resolutely active and modern city. A typical northern city, it is harmonious and seductive, with its grand neoclassical buildings in pastel tones and wide avenues. Nature is omnipresent, with large seaports open to the open sea, islands and parks in the heart of the city. Conveniently located on the northern shore of the Baltic, Helsinki's ferry service is also a gateway to Tallinn and Stockholm. Most of the city's sights can be visited on foot or by bike, and getting around is easy. In 2000, 450 years after its foundation, it was rightly chosen as one of the cultural capitals of the European Union, of which Finland has been a member since 1995.Helsinki's atmosphere is first and foremost special, difficult to grasp, almost paradoxical. Between beautiful and banal, new and old, trendy and old-fashioned, Helsinki can be disconcerting. The city is a meeting point between East and West. The impression of being in a little St. Petersburg lingers in the central districts. A little further on, Northern Europe takes over with its modern, massive, designer architecture. As you move towards the seaside or the large parks, you feel the omnipresence of nature. A stroll through the city's different districts reveals its complexity.The city's boldness in many areas is undeniable. The astonishing Art Nouveau sculptures of the railway station in the central square, the neoclassical ensemble of the Senate Square, the hyper-functional architecture of Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Palace, coupled with avant-garde glass-and-steel innovations such as the Museum of Contemporary Art (1998), the Sanomatalo building (1999), the High-Tech Center (2001) and the Parliament Annex (2004), all speak in their own way of the buildings of yesterday and tomorrow. At the same time, everything confirms the tonicity of youth and the vitality of a city moving forward. The sensuality of a Havis Amanda, the female statue of the eponymous fountain that is both the students' muse and the goddess of the Baltic; the wind playing in the organ pipes of the Sibelius monument; the joyful crowds on the double Esplanade during summer festivals; the early mornings at the Kauppatori, the colorful summer market on the harbor in the city center; the capital's taste for music and theater; the old-fashioned side of "tango dancings". Helsinki's successful integration into its natural environment, with the omnipresence of water and green spaces, intelligently combines the necessities of urban life with the delights of a "weekend in the country". It's worth noting that Helsinki was for a long time under Russian rule.In a way, Helsinki is the "capital of peace". For this small country, fiercely attached to its recently acquired independence, it is the consecration of sustained efforts in favor of non-violence. Energy, perseverance and lucidity are the hallmarks of a city sometimes referred to as the "Geneva of the North" for its expertise in this field. Today, Finland commands respect and has established itself as one of the most dynamic, innovative and wealthy members of the European Union.