Tsar Alexander ll

      Market shopping.

  Finnish style tasty take-aways

        Uspenski Cathedral

Inside Uspenski Cathedral

         The Rock Church

        Rock Church pianist

              Sibelius monument

The sun was shining from an electric blue sky as our ship docked in Helsinki and Finland’s capital looked invitingly crisp and elegant. It is easy to think of Finland as a winter destination with masses of snow, dog sledges, Lapland and all that seasonal adventure but now, in the height of summer, there was a chance to see it in a new light ..... as a summer destination! Thanks to its proximity to the Baltic sea, Helsinki enjoys a milder climate than much of the rest of the country.

I was soon to discover that exploring Helsinki on your own is amazingly easy. If you plan a full itinerary you may choose to buy a Helsinki card. A 24 hour day card costs only 29 euros (2006) (ca £20/$37) and if you are staying longer then 48 & 72 hour cards are available. If you are content simply explore the central attractions, the Lutheran Cathedral, Senate Square, the open market and Uspenski Cathedral (Russian Orthodox church) then all that can be done on foot without any expenditure. Two other major attractions, the Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church) and Sibelius monument are both free entrance but some travelling is required, for which the HKL travel ticket, at 6 euros/day (£4.10/$7.60), is ideal. An even cheaper option and fun way for travelling around is to pick up a city bike for a 2 euro deposit from one of the bike stands.

The shuttle bus from the ship terminated very conveniently in Senate Square, right on the doorstep of that snow-white confection, the Lutheran Cathedral. Designed by the architect Carl Ludvig Engel, the church was built in the period from 1830 to1852 to a neoclassical design. Engel died in 1840 before completion and it was subsequently modified with the addition of four towers and a belfry. This church, with its beautifully balanced design and clean lines, typifies Helsinki.

Lutheran cathedral and Senate Square

Senate Square itself owes much to Engel who designed and completed some 30 public buildings in the city. On the east side of the square (the cathedral lies on the north side) is another of his designs, the Palace of the Council of State. The square, dominated by a very fine statue of Tsar Alexander II (1894), is the heart of city life, a lively meeting place hosting many outdoor events, even in winter.

Leaving the square heading south from the western side will lead you to Tourist Information to collect your day card, if you need one, and into market square which lies mainly over to the left. Wander through the market stalls for a glimpse of Finnish culture. Glistening strawberries, bloomed blueberries and billberries, products so fresh and so tempting, if only there wasn’t a ship to catch! Although I could have sat down for a lunch, I chose to buy a take-away snack from one of a number of stalls cooking from fresh. There is an indoor market too just to the west of the market square.

The Russian Orthodox Church, Uspenski Cathedral is in easy reach from here too. Leave the market square to the east and follow the main road around to the north and look for the church domes shortly on the right. Built in 1868, it is a link to Helsinki’s Russian occupation which ended in 1919 and is the largest Orthodox church in western Europe. The interior is opulently decorated with many precious icons.

A short tram journey up to the north west will take you to the Temppeliaukio Church, also known as the Rock Church, in Temppeliaukio Square. This church was designed by the architect brothers, Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen Temppeliaukio and built in 1968-1969. It is carved out of solid rock with an internal copper dome which weighs around 9 tons! Some 180 skylights brighten the 940 seats in the interior. The acoustics are amazing and there is very often a pianist playing quietly for the entertainment of visitors.

The final attraction on my journey was the Sibelius monument which lies a little further north and west of the Rock Church. This monument dedicated to Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) , Finland’s most famous composer, stirred an unprecedented national debate. A competition was held after the death of Sibelius to find a suitable monument. Eila Hiltunen's entry of clustered pipes, after modification, was declared the winner. Months of debate followed before she was allowed to complete the project. Since the public at large was not quite ready to fully accept this abstract design, the Monument Committee ordered a figurative element to be added to appease the traditionalists. So the face of Sibelius cast in stainless steel is now part of the whole. Some 600 stainless steel surface sculptured tubes make up this evocative monument.

Finnish designers are amongst the world’s best and there is a 2 hour Design Walk for those interested in design which takes place at 2.00pm every Tuesday & Friday. It starts at the Artek shop and ends at the Design Forum. Check at the Tourist Office or book online. It cost around 10 euros (£6.90/$12.50).

A day soon dissolves with so many attractions on hand and leaves no time for visiting the Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress, one of the biggest sea fortresses in the world or the National Museum of Finland.

I left Helsinki with a warm feeling knowing deep down that I will probably be back. There were too many interesting places left untouched and, with excellent ferry connections, I could equally spend some time in Tallinn which is just 90 minutes away.

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