Helsinki is the capital city and the most populous municipality of Finland. It's the third largest city in the Nordic countries after Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway. I feel that Helsinki, as one of the highest urban standards of living in the world, is rather slow-paced compared to many other major capital cities across the globe.
To reach the city centre, my BFF and I took a train from Vantaa Airport. As Vantaa and Helsinki are two separate municipalities, you need to buy a regional ticket that costs €5.00 (~S$7.65) one-way.
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| "I say the train is coming baby. I say the train is coming now~" Do you know the song? |
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| I recall the journey took approximately 30 minutes. |
Helsinki Central Railway Station is the main station for commuter rail and long-distance trains to and from the city. In 2013, it was identified by BBC as one of the world's most beautiful railway stations.
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| Beef burger with nachos from McDonald's, anyone? |
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| The railway station was originally built in 1862 for trains on the Helsinki-Hämeenlinna line |
In front of Finnish National Theatre that's not far from the train station is a statue of Aleksis Kivi, a Finnish author who wrote the first significant novel in Finnish language titled 'Seven Brothers'.
I literally stopped to smell some interesting-looking flowers.
Helsinki was the venue for the 1952 Summer Olympics. Besides that, it was the World Design Capital for 2012.
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| Besides mustikka, ravintola is the only other Finnish word that I can remember, which means restaurant. |
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| As can be seen, the city wasn't that crowded during the early part of summer last year. |
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| Marimekko is a proudly Finnish design brand that has been partnering with Finnair. |
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| The sculpture depicting three men hammering on an anvil was unveiled in 1932. |
Located near
Hotel Anna, a 3* hotel where we stayed at, is St. John's Church.
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| The Lutheran church is the largest stone church in the country by seating capacity. |
After putting down our stuff in the hotel room, we wandered about the area nearby.
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| Helsinki's Design Museum occupies that Gothic style building. |
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| Riding on a bike is a good way to explore the city. |
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| We didn't get the chance to experience the tram. |
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| Would you like to dine on a boat at Kubo Seafood, Grill and Café? |
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| At first, I thought the Old Market Hall was a fire station. |
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| The city's Ferris wheel, which goes by the name SkyWheel, is 40 m tall. |
Don't forget to visit
Helsinki Cathedral, one of the most recognisable landmarks of the city.
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| Old school tram! |
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| Ateneum is an art museum - one of the three museums forming the Finnish National Gallery. |
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| I adore the architecture of the various buildings near the park. |
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| Public toilets in Helsinki are modern; some of which come with self-cleaning features. |
We walked past a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to St. Henry.
After a long day of walking, I had a really good night's rest.
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| What's with the eagle head? |
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| I wonder what's the meaning behind that abstract sculpture. |
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| Would anyone like to caption this photo? |
Finlandia Hall is a congress and event venue, which was inaugurated on 2 December 1971. It has proven its usefulness in hosting several world congresses and forums for the world's top economic and political leaders.
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| There must be something special about that tree, but the tablet description is in Finnish only. |
Before finding ourselves back at Helsinki Central Railway Station, we saw more significant buildings.
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Helsinki Music Centre is home to Sibelius Academy, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. |
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| Who wouldn't be tempted to add that extra 'n' for fun? |
On our last day in Helsinki, before going to Suomenlinna, we walked through Esplanadi, an urban park that was first opened to the public in 1818.
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