Helsinki is located on a small peninsula at the southern tip of Finland. If you approach Helsinki from the sea, you'll see neoclassical buildings with elegant lines and pastel colours, and a marketplace brimming with strawberries and salmon. The city has grown with a focus on harmony. In the summer, many locals swap city life for their country cottages, but in winter the capital comes alive with theatre, political institutes and over 20,000 university students.
Architecture enthusiasts will adore Helsinki. The attractive neoclassical buildings around Senate Square were almost entirely designed by German architect Carl Ludwig Engel in the early 19th century, shortly after Helsinki took over from Turku as the capital of Finland. The jewel in the crown is the Lutheran Cathedral, which has recently been refurbished and looks better than ever, with the 12 apostles on the roof once again looking down at the world below. Elsewhere in the city, the bold, simple designs of the city’s great 20th century architects, notably Aalto and Saarinen, blend with the clean neoclassical lines. The stunning Jean Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland’s most famous composer, consists of hundreds of steel pipes sculpted by Elia Hiltunen. The monument is located in Sibelius Park. The Kansallimuseo, or National Museum, has fantastic displays of Finnish culture. The exhibits of the City Museum illustrate the history of the city. The islands surrounding Helsinki make for excellent day trips. The sandy beaches and smooth rocks of Pihlajasaari make it a popular summer spot for sunbathing Finns. Every summer, there are many free outdoor concerts in one of the city’s numerous parks. In the afternoons, all kinds of music can be heard on the leafy Esplanadi.
Helsinki may be a small city compared to the world's mega-cities, but it still has a cosmopolitan spirit. Helsinki is a beautiful city, especially in the summer. The streets are clean and there's always a peaceful spot to be found, if you need one. Some say that Helsinki is "the biggest village in the world" and it's a fantastic place for tourism, history, museums, galleries, theatre, music, shopping, restaurants, clubs, and so on, all environmentally friendly, free of pollution and traffic congestion.