Finland • Suomi

Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland. It is in the southern part of Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, by the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is 574,579, making it the most populous municipality in Finland by a wide margin. The foreign-born population stands at around 10%. Helsinki, along with the neighbouring cities of Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen, constitutes what is known as the capital region, with over 1,000,000 inhabitants. The Greater Helsinki area contains 12 municipalities and has a population of over 1,300,000. The Greater Helsinki accounts for a quarter of the population of Finland, 29% of jobs, and a third of the GDP. Helsinki is Finland's capital for business, education, research, culture, and government. Greater Helsinki has eight universities and six technology parks. Some 70% of foreign companies operating in Finland have settled in the Helsinki region. The immigration of rural residents has made it one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Europe.

Source: wikipedia.org

Helsinki is not a large city. We lived directly in Helsinki and we adopted really fast, we knew all basic ways which we needed. We spent two days browsing Helsinki – one day we were viewing the city, sights and some museums, the send day we were walking almost whole Helsinki shore and on the way back we walked thought residential district and Main Street. I suppose that this is the par of Helsinki, which is not usually destination for tourists.

Everybody must catch eye on huge white Helsinki Cathedral on Senate square, Temppeliaukio church, which is sculptured to the rock in the middle of city. There were singing four singers in this church. We visited Kallion kirkko church when we made sig-seeing tour though Helsinki; there was playing some young lady organ. We visit Johanneksenkirkko in the evening.

On Tuesday event went we witch Lada to Design Forum and Design Museo. They had an interesting exhibition of modern subjects in Design Forum. Design Museo is for the most part concentrated about serving tea. On the first floor, there was the exhibition of ceramics and paintings. The Olympic stadium with tall lookout tower was also interesting. Last day we went to ZOO, which is located on Korkeasaari Island.

We went round almost whole Helsinki shore. We passed southwestern, southern and southeastern shore in the morning. We walked around several big havens. We saw big havens for colossal ferries and small for motor boats and sailboats. They are building luxury residences in the south. We passed small park called Eira, stopped on Kompassin laituri and finished in Kaivopuisto park. You can saw Suomenlinna archipelago from Kaivopuisto park.

Afternoon, after launch, we continued westerly and northwestwardly shore. First of all, we walked after quiet nice sandy beach. It's probably plentifully used in summer, because there was a tall chair for life guard. We visited nice Sibelius monument, climbed rocks on the shore and in the city.

Archipelago Suomenlinna composes from seven island, five of the are connected by bridges and you can go the easily. Suomenlinna was uses as a military fortress for Helsinki protection and there are some small military areas till nowadays. Suomenlinna is lies about 15 minutes by boat from Helsinki from Market Square. Iso Mustasaari is the largest island with our haven and they also have school there. On whole archipelago live about 850 residents.

The most beautiful island was Kustaanmiekka with a lot of defensive cannons and defensive walls. There are several secret passages, which are connecting a lot of places. But we didn't have a flashlight, so decided that not go there would be better. There is Helsinki open prison on Iso Mustasaari and military academy on Pikku Mustasaari.

It had started to snow in the afternoon the day before our flight home and it didn't stop to departure. Helsinki was very beautiful under the fresh white snow! Suddenly fell a lot of snow from the sky, but nothing special happened – trams, busses and cars were driving as if there was no snow. It was incredible, no traffic calamity.