Helsinki, Finland

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Geo: 60.1498, 24.9236

Helsinki, the capital city of Finland is known as the "White City of the North" for its neoclassical beauty and Art Nouveau grace. It is the only European capital with no medieval past. Although it was founded in the 16th century by the Swedes it never amounted to more than a village until the 18th century. In 1746 Sweden built a huge fortress on an island outside Helsinki's harbor and the economy boomed as it supplied the fortress. After taking over Finland n 1809, the Russians decided to move Finland's capital and university closer to St. Petersburg to Helsinki. They hired a young German architect, Carl Ludwig Engel, to design new public buildings for Helsinki and told him to use St. Petersburg as a model. This is why the oldest parts of
Helsinki around Market Square and Senate Square feel so Russian. Helsinki was used for the film Dr Zhivago, because filming in Russia was not possible during the Cold War. The city was part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century until gaining independence in 1917.

Finland is home to 5.3 million people and is more than 79% Lutheran with the vast majority of Finnish descent.

This morning we went on a bus tour of the city and stopped at Church in the Rock, the Helenski Cathedral and several other points of interest. I have posted pictures with more details. It was a short port stop and at 3:30pm we set sail for our final destination of Stockholm.

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Photos

Sculpture
Have no idea who this is; but it was near the Symphony Explosion.