Helsinki

Helsinki (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable in Finnish: {{IPA|}}), or Helsingfors in Swedish {{Audio|sv-Helsingfors.ogg|listen}}, is the capital of Finland. It is located in the southern part of Finland on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, at {{coor dm|60|10|N|24|56|E|}}. Helsinki forms a conurbation with three other cities, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, which are together called the capital area. This area has about 975,000 citizens. The Greater Helsinki area contains a lot more municipalities and has a total population of 1,232,741 million (2004).

Sites of interest

See also: Tourism in Finland

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The city is small and intimate; lively but not bustling. Its size makes it easy to walk around and cafés, markets, and the nearby islands are its summer delights.

Related Topics:
Café - Market

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The main districts around the center include Katajanokka, Eira, Kamppi, Kruununhaka, Töölö, Punavuori and Kallio.

Related Topics:
Katajanokka - Eira - Kamppi - Kruununhaka - Töölö - Punavuori - Kallio

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Suomenlinna is a large fortress built on one small group of these islands in the mid-eighteenth century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular tourist attraction.

Related Topics:
Suomenlinna - UNESCO - World Heritage site

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Another popular sight is the Helsinki zoo located on an island named Korkeasaari.

Related Topics:
Zoo - Korkeasaari

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Seurasaari is an outdoor museum area. It contains log houses and items collected from various parts of Finland.

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The new opera house of the Finnish National Opera, which opened in 1993, is close to the city center in Töölö.

Related Topics:
Finnish National Opera - Töölö

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Kaivopuisto is the most popular park in Helsinki.

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Linnanmäki is Helsinki's fun fair.

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If you are into architecture, Temppeliaukion kirkko is worth seeing. Built inside of stone, this unconventional church is regularly visited by tourists.

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Sibelius-monumentti (The Sibelius-monument), a modernist work by sculptor Eila Hiltunen, memorializes Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and is a popular tourist attraction.

Related Topics:
Sibelius-monumentti - Eila Hiltunen - Jean Sibelius

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Kiasma is the museum of contemporary art, designed by Steven Holl. The museum hosts a number of exhibitions.

Related Topics:
Kiasma - Steven Holl

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The Uspenski Cathedral is the main Orthodox church in Finland.

Related Topics:
Uspenski Cathedral - Orthodox

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Hietaniemi is a popular beach within a walking distance from the downtown.

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Kauppatori (The Market Square) is situated in the heart of Helsinki and in the summertime the numerous stands sell all kinds of Finnish crafts and foods. The traditional herring market in October is a particularly popular event, as the fishers from the archipelago sail into the harbour and sell their products, traditional foods and crafts of the Finnish coast.

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Nuuksio is the piece of wilderness closest to Helsinki. This area is suitable for day trip hiking. There are lots of tiny lakes, rock, swamp and pine forest.

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Heureka (actually located in Vantaa) is a science center featuring exhibitions and an IMAX theater.

Related Topics:
Heureka - Vantaa

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The botanical gardens are worth seeing as well.

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Tarvaspää, the home and atelier of the renowned Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela, lies further away from the centre, but is certainly worth a visit. The museum has many paintings by one of the central artists of Finland's "Golden era" and a nice cafe.

Related Topics:
Tarvaspää - Akseli Gallen-Kallela

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Air travel to Helsinki is via the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Helsinki also has popular ferry links with Stockholm, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia. Silja, Viking and Tallink are the biggest ferry operators.

Related Topics:
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport - Ferry - Stockholm - Sweden - Tallinn - Estonia - Silja - Viking - Tallink

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