The Esplanade © Helsinki Tourism/Marita Haukemaa..

Esplanadi Boulevard, Esplanade Park… however it’s called, no visit to Helsinki can be considered complete without a visit to The Esplanade. Without doubt, that this section of Helsinki near the centre of town is a tourist delight.

A hundred years ago, and for the hundred years before that, Finland struggled for identity. Long a province of Sweden, then later of Russia, with Lapland in the north, it is a land of many cultures. Nowhere is that better reflected than in this historic section of Helsinki.

On the north side of the main avenue, Pohjoisesplanadi, walked those who advocated retaining Finland’s Swedish roots as a guide. Those who argued for breaking away toward the future separated themselves onto the south side Etelaesplanadi.

Today, all that is long forgotten except for the occasional reminders one can see in sculpture, shops and restaurants of the area.

Planned in the early 19th century, many of those shops, restaurants, architecture and parks, date from that period. Whether you’re interested in luxury shopping or just some people watching, this is the place to go.

In one of Helsinki’s pleasant summers, visitors can enjoy a concert in the park at the bandstand. Check out the Fish Boys and Water Nymphs fountains and sculpture. In winter, you can shop for a fur coat. At any time of year you’ll see lovely buildings and streets crowded with activity.

Stretching from Kauppatori westwards to Mannerheimintie Street, a walk down this boulevard will convince even the most prejudiced that Paris and New York are not the only great cities in the world. Running from the harbor all the way to the Swedish Theatre, this gravel-lined street is lined with trees, foliage and flowers.

Esplanade Cafe © Helsinki Tourism/Ewan Bell

From Finland’s most expensive and luxurious hotel, the Kämp Hotel, to the free-to-all view of the statue of J.L. Runeberg (1804-1877), Finland’s national poet, this is the place to be. Check out Stockman’s, Scandinavia’s largest department store. Don’t miss the Moomin Shop. Even if you don’t buy anything the goods and architecture make the stroll well worth the effort.

Already had lunch at the Savoy? Go for dinner at the historic Kappeli. Offering fine dining since 1837, the cafe offers desserts and coffee for those who want to stave off hunger between the two meals. But don’t spoil your appetite. You’ll want to be a little hungry to savor the traditional Finnish dishes in the main section. Top it off with a native beer from the on-premises brewery.

After dinner, take a stroll down the lovely avenue illuminated by historic street lamps. You’ll be joined by thousands of tourists and natives alike who come to enjoy this essential part of Helsinki. Step into the Teatteri nightclub and have an after-dinner drink and listen to some music.

At Christmas, the St. Thomas Christmas Market takes over the Esplanade Park. Over 120 stalls selling all kinds of Christmas crafts, baked goods and other Christmas specialties help set the mood for the festive season.

Within an easy walk of Market Square, a stroll around the Esplanade Park should not be missed on your Helsinki holiday.

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Helsinki Zoo © Helsinki Tourism/Sakke Somerma..

Known as Korkesaari to the Finns, Helsinki Zoo is far from the largest, even in northern Europe, but it is one of the oldest zoos, having been founded in 1889.  It may not be the largest, but Helsinki Zoo is nevertheless a must-not-miss sight for tourists, especially those travelling with kids. The setting alone is worth a visit.

Helsinki Zoo is located on Korkeasaari, a small round island, one of over a hundred that dot the landscape in and around Finland.  Easily reached by boat, it is a pleasant 30 minute ride from Helsinki harbour in Kruunuvuori Bay. Once you arrive, you’ll be treated to over 200 animal species with over 1,000 plant species. Though small by comparison to the great zoos, the collection offers a fascinating look at creatures all the way from the frozen Arctic to the sweltering Tropics.  It’s no wonder that Korkeasaari claims that they have the whole world on an island.

In the Amazon and Africa section there are dozens of interesting snakes and spiders that will delight kids young and old. For those who are a bit squeamish, bypass the scary animals and head for the frogs, lizards and turtles. These animals are relatively unchanged from their ancestors millions of years ago and make for fascinating study. Helsinki Zoo has plenty of parrots to amuse visitors and the monkeys will imitate the parrots imitating the humans.

There are zebra and elk galore, with deer and baboons too. The baboons even have their own castle. Try to spot which one is king. Baboons have a very rigid and violently maintained hierarchy and the leader is called the ‘king’. Not far away are chamois, ibex and musk ox.

Helsinki Zoo © Helsinki Tourism/Sakke Somerma

Beware the wolverines. Don’t try to feed them. Normally docile, they can be fierce when frightened. Don’t miss seeing the lemmings, who get scared for no reason. Though don’t expect them to jump off a cliff. That’s a myth! The small, Przewalski’s wild horses are always a favourite of visitors.

For examples from the frigid north, Korkesaari offers a look at Polar Foxes, Snowy Owls and Forest Reindeer from Lapland, along with a great looking Snow Leopard. Many of the animals are active winter and summer and the zoo provides a great view all year ’round.

Wander through Borealia and see first hand what a real Northern Coniferous Forest looks like. Check out the rare ducks and the many interesting plant and tree species. To see some of the endangered species protected at the zoo just follow the Rhino signs.

Helsinki Zoo has other great attractions like the huge, modern looking wooden observation tower. Ten meters high (33 feet), it was built as an engineering exercise. Its shape is something like a distorted hatbox made of wooden ribs. From the top you can get a great view of the zoo grounds and the surrounding sea.

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Helsinki Aerial View..

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, has the distinction of being the second northern-most capital city in the world. Although its main attractions and monuments are a stark reminder of its past history, Helsinki today is a very modern city.

Although Helsinki has been the capital of Finland ‘only’ since 1809 when the Russians first took dominion of the city from Sweden, it was originally founded as the town of Helsingfors in 1550 by King Gustav I. It’s been on a continual journey of improvement ever since.

One of the great cities of the world, Helsinki is a fascinating mixture of historical and ultra-modern. Like many Scandinavian cultures today, the city has a strong emphasis on high-tech. It happily embraces the best that modern science has to offer. At the same time, it retains many of the outstanding historical buildings and sights that provide this unique city with its particular ambiance.

Helsinki Attractions

The National Museum provides an excellent overview of that mix, which the Finns have perfected. The Helsinki Zoo shows how both the natural and the artificial can be perfectly blended together. And the Nuuksio National Park, opened in 1994, shows how nature preservation can work hand in hand with a thriving tourism industry to provide one of the best forested lake areas in the world.

The old and new theme is continued with many of Helsinki’s other first rate attractions.

The Suomenlinna Island Fortresses give a great view of Helsinki’s past as a military outpost for both Sweden and Russia. This series of interconnected islands provides a great picnic area while giving visitors a delightful look at some of the battered battlements of Finland’s glorious past.

Helsinki Waterfront View - © Travelsignposts

But Helsinki’s present is superb, as well. Both Market Square and the Esplanade give shoppers and diners everything they could wish for. Whether it’s fresh berries and coffee in the morning, or an outstanding dinner at the world-class Kappeli, you’ll never walk away unsatisfied. Market Square (Kauppatori) has been offering fresh fish for over 200 years and Kappeli has been serving the finest cuisine and diners since 1837. But both are the favorites of the most modern Finn or tourist.

Another view of Helsinki’s 19th century roots can be seen in the Lutheran Cathedral known locally as Tuomiokirkko. This neo-classical building is a superlative example of the architecture that makes Senate Square one of the city’s biggest attractions.

Another major religious building in Helsinki, the Uspenski Cathedral, provides a decidedly different, but equally praiseworthy, place to go in Finland’s capital. With its distinctive red-brick facade, this onion-domed Orthodox church is a must-see when visiting the city.

Attractions outside of Helsinki

Outside the city there are other attractions besides the Nuuksio National Park.  Sibelius Monument and Temppeliaukio Kirkko (The Rock Church) are popular Helsinki attractions.  The medieval village of Porvoo, a 30-minute bus ride to the suburbs, will take you back to a period before the city was even founded. This four-hour tour of small houses and churches from the Middle Ages is one of the most popular destinations in this northern metropolis.

But don’t end your Helsinki holiday without spending at least a little time walking around the Linnanmäki Amusement Park. Though ‘only’ 57 years old, it provides plenty of nostalgia for those who miss the ‘good old days’ of bumper cars and wooden roller coasters.

Of course, in Helsinki, the ‘good old days’ is something that defies definition.

Search for Hotels in Helsinki here. >
Helsinki Sightseeing Tours

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Finnish National Opera House - Helsinki..

Founded in 1911, Finland’s national opera company was originally known as the Domestic Opera and then the Finnish Opera until a name change in 1956 when Finnish National Opera (Kansallisooppera in Finnish) was adopted. Although opera has been performed in Finland since the late 19th century, the opera company was without a permanent home until 1993.

In 1918, the Finnish Opera was temporarily based in the Alexander Theatre, an old Russian theatre on Bulevardi in Helsinki.  Finland’s opera house seemed to have been fated with long delays at every stage. A proposal to build an opera house was first put up in 1920, the design by the architects Hyvämäki-Karhunen-Parkkinen was done in 1977, but it was not until 1993 that building of Finland’s first opera house on Töölönlahti Bay was finished.

This modern-design opera house facilitates ballet performances as well in its 1,350-seat main auditorium. The Almi Hall seats another 200 to 500 people, depending on the configuration. Modern stage technology allows the stage to be rotated, raised or lowered as required by the set designer. The orchestra pit can also be raised, lowered and re-sized according to the number of musicians in the orchestra and the acoustic effect required.

The glass wall of the main foyer opens out towards Töölönlahti Bay and Hesperia Park giving opera and ballet-goers views of the beautiful bay area at interval time. The Kanresta Opera restaurants caters to the refreshment needs of visitors to the Opera House.

The Finnish National Opera House (FNO) hosts some 300 performances each year. In any given season its repertoire includes on average 15 operas and 9 ballets. The Opera also hosts recitals, matinee concerts with free admission, events for kids and teens, and audience briefings where opera and ballet production teams discuss their work.  See what’s on and book tickets online here.>

The FNO is conveniently accessible by public transport. Trams 3T, 4, 7A/7B, 8 and 10 and several buses stop right outside the Opera House. And if you’re looking for hotels near the Opera House, the Crowne Plaza and Scandic Continental are close by.

Address:

Finnish National Opera
Helsinginkatu 58

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Market Square - Helsinki © Travelsignposts

At Market Square, known locally in Helsinki as Kauppatori, visitors and locals alike can get everything from fresh salmon steak to reindeer meat. The Market Square is located on the shoreline and offers great food, great views and outstanding atmosphere. The bright orange cloth-covered stalls are a pick-me-up in winter and an even greater delight under Helsinki’s gentle summer sun.

On one side of the bay is the South Harbour, the other faces Katajanokka headland. Turn around and there’s the Swedish Embassy and, to the left, the Presidential Palace. You can catch a ferry to the excellent Helsinki Zoo on Korkeasaari Island. Or, you can stroll through the surrounding neighbourhood to the indoor Hietalahden Tori marketplace.

In the Old Market Hall alongside the Market Square shoppers can buy fresh bread, meat, fish, vegetables and superb berries. Or, you may just want an inexpensive but tasty lunch of reindeer salami or a little coffee and breakfast munkki, a type of Finnish doughnut.  This is a favourite meeting place for Helsinki’s food aficionados and is also a popular tourist attraction.

But there’s much more than just great food at this main city market. Tourists looking for Helsinki souvenirs will find handicrafts, gifts, jewellery and other souvenirs geared towards tourists such as the Russian fur hats or the reindeer skin.  Locals may just as likely be after nothing more than a stylish wooden bowl.  You can find  Lapp hunting knives that closely resemble ones of a hundred years ago that you might have seen in an antique shop. Whatever your taste, literally, there’s something for everyone at Kauppatori.

Everyone comes to Kauppatori!  At some times of the day, you’ll be overwhelmed with the hustle of the modern city which is Finland’s capital.

Since the 18th century, visitors and locals both have enjoyed the sea air and the fine food. They traded goods and swapped stories. Near the obelisk (Keisarinnan kivi) commemorating the Russian Empress Alexandra’s visit in 1833 you can easily imagine the scene during that time.

Only a few meters away you can take a boat trip to Suomenlinna (Finland Castle), or catch a cruise to St. Petersburg or Turku. Take a walk around and see the Town Hall (Kaupungintalo) constructed in the year of the Empress’ visit. Or stroll over and see the Guard House near the Presidential Palace, the first neo-classical building in the city.

Along the Esplanade you can find more shops, restaurants and historical buildings than you could visit in one vacation.  Even here, the huge pan of seafood paella looked too tasty to ignore, so I had a plate of it. While you have your food you can take in a view of many of Helsinki’s finest historical buildings and do a little people watching.

Among the highlights is the Kappeli restaurant, serving the finest food in Helsinki since 1837. But don’t miss seeing the superb Havis Amanda fountain.  Not far away is Senate Square with many other stellar sights.

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Uspenski Cathedral © Helsinki Tourism / Joni Rousku

There are many churches in Helsinki city centre and one of the most notable is the Uspenski Cathedral. A visit to this landmark cathedral in Finland’s capital is certainly worthwhile and should be included in your Helsinki things to do list.

Completed in 1868, it is reportedly the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe. Though Finland may not exactly qualify as ‘west’. But whatever the status of that record, the church is a spectacular sight and represents Helsinki’s Byzantine-Russian architectural heritage.

Set atop a hill the site makes for an amazing sight from far away, that just becomes more impressive the closer one gets. From as far away as the city’s active marketplace it’s possible to see the huge structure.

Thanks to a very open space surrounding it, one can get a panoramic view of the entire building from fifty metres away, then enjoy a close up view walking up the hill. Turning around, one gets a great view of the city below.

The cathedral is a functioning religious centre and the centre of the Finnish Orthodox Church, numbering about 60,000 members. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Helsinki, which has administrative ties to the Patriarchate in Constantinople.

But anyone, no matter their beliefs, can enjoy the splendour that is this magnificent structure in Helsinki. The deep red walls form a striking base for the green and gold domes.

Uspenski Cathedral - Helsinki..

Built in the Russian-Byzantine style, the cathedral’s architecture was modeled after a 16th century church near Moscow. The building is covered in red brick and provides an outstanding link into Finland’s past. The bricks were brought from a fortress destroyed during the Crimean War, Bomarsund Fortress in Aland.

Its huge central dome is supported atop four enormous granite pillars. Many others (technically ‘cupolas’) – in the familiar onion-shaped style common to Russian Orthodox churches – surround it. Thirteen in all, they are symbolic of Jesus and the Apostles.

Beneath the domes are a series of superbly shaped and adorned arches and Byzantine-style crosses. In the interior can be seen the large iconostasis, a wall of religious paintings and icons, executed by Russian artists. On the southern side there is a three-story belltower that gives the one at Notre- Dame in Paris some good competition.

Around the interior, as is common in many 19th century or older religious buildings, there are icons galore. But, less common, Uspenski Cathedral has a display of chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling that would be the envy of kings and queens.

The Cathedral closes early on the weekends, so check the opening hours before you visit.  (Mon-Fri  9:30-16:00, Sat 9:30-14:00, Sun Noon-15:00.  It is closed on Mondays during October to April .)

Address:
Unioninkatu 39 A 19
00170 Helsinki, Finland

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Helsinki Cathedral - Tuomiokirkko..

Tsar Peter of Russia had a well-known impact on St. Petersburg, Russia, the city that bears his name. What is less well-known is the flow-on influence he had on Helsinki.

Tsar Peter had been dead for more than a hundred years by the time construction began on Helsinki’s famed Lutheran Cathedral. But the architectural stamp his leadership put on St. Petersburg continued on when Finland was held by Russia as a Grand Duchy in the early years of the 19th century.  Much of Helsinki’s architecture has its beginnings in St. Petersburg.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the design of Tuomiokirkko.  The church was originally built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia.

One of the most prominent symbols of Helsinki, the Lutheran church in Senate Square known in Finnish as Tuomiokirkko should be on every tourists must-see list. Its Neo-classical edifice, Corinthian columns and Classical dome are the very prototype of many buildings across the world.

A functioning church, whose Lutheran members comprise 83% of Helsinki’s population, it is also one of the most popular Helsinki attractions for tourists. Over 350,000 come to visit it every year.

Set high atop a hill in Senate Square, it was begun in 1830 by the German architect Carl Engel, one of many German artisans imported during the 19th century. But the original design saw substantial modifications by the time of the church’s completion in 1852 by Ernst Lohmann.  Engel died in 1840.

Tsar Alexander II in Senate Square - Helsinki

Not least of these changes to the cathedral architecture were the addition of two bell towers, four small domes and a series of 12 statues of the Apostles on the roof. The belfry in one of the towers makes for an excellent short side-excursion when viewing the interior. A chapel resides in the other.

The green domes lend a beautiful cap to the white Greek-style facade. The effect is all the better for being at the peak of a small hill in the city. That hill is surmounted by fifty brown brick steps that lend not only a great view but a wonderful color base for the building.

At the base of the steps is a monument that is alone worth the trip. A statue of Tsar Alexander II stands atop a large rectangular stone base, surrounded by several statuary standing on their own brown stone elevation. Interestingly, Alexander is not seated on a horse, making the effect decidedly different from many other monuments.

The interior has been extensively renovated in recent years, making it well worth seeing too. Seating 1,300, there is an impressive altarpiece that was painted in the 1880s. Aside that are angel statues and a pulpit.

But the part that received the most renovation, and the most interesting aspect of the interior, is the Crypt. This low-lit resting place provides a peaceful, yet eerie sight. That is in stark contrast to the austere, bright white décor of the rest of the cathedral’s interior, making for interesting viewing.

The Cathedral is used for major state and university functions and the Crypt is a venue for concerts and exhibitions. The church is open to visitors daily (09:00 – 18:00), except when there is an event on. Sunday service is at 10:00.

Address:
Unioninkatu 29
FI-00170 Helsinki

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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There are 30 airlines operating out of Helsinki-Vantaa Airport which caters for about 90% of Finland’s international air traffic.

For airport transfers into Helsinki city centre, travellers have a choice of public buses,  Finnair’s city bus or car rentals.

By Bus

From Airport to City – The bus stops are situated in front of the terminals.

From City to the Airport – Bus services from Helsinki City and the Tikkurila railway station take you to the airport comfortably and rapidly:

• From Helsinki City – Metropolitan YTV Bus no. 615 takes approximately 35 minutes.
• You can also catch a Finnair City Bus from downtown Helsinki.  Buses run every 20 minutes. For timetables visit Finnair’s website www.finnair.com.
• From Tikkurila railway station – catch bus 61.
• There are a number of other bus connections from various parts of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to the airport. The timetables are available on the YTV website.
  Information on bus connections from other parts of Finland are available at the Matkahuolto website.

A free  airport bus does a loop between the parking areas and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport terminals about every 15 minutes from 03:30 to 01:30.

Pre-book your Private Airport Transfer

For hassle-free transfers from Helsinki International Airport to your Helsinki city hotel you can pre-book your airport transfers through one of our partner companies:

• Viator
• Shuttle Direct Finland

Car Rentals

There are five car rental companies operating at Helsinki Airport. The car rental service desks are located in the corridor between arrival halls 1 and 2.  Rental car parking is located in car park P3B.

Avis
Mon-Fri 07:00-23:00, Sat 09:00-20:00, Sun 09:00-23:00
tel. +358 9 822 833

Budget
Mon-Fri 07:00-23:00, Sat 09:00-20:00, Sun 09:00-23:00
tel. +358 207 466 610

Europcar
Mon-Fri 06:00-24:00, Sat 08:00-20:00, Sun 09:00-24:00
tel. +358 40 306 2800

Hertz
Mon-Thu 06:00-24:00, Fri 06:00-23:00, Sat 08:30-20:00, Sun 08:30-24:00
tel. +358 20 555 2100

Sixt
Mon-Fri 07:00-24:00, Sat 08:00-20:00, Sun 09:00-24:00
tel. +358 9 872 4433

Pre-Book your Rental Car

If getting the right model car and the right deal is important to you, you can pre-book your rental car through our partner company Auto Europe.

By Taxi

The taxi journey from the airport to the centre of Helsinki takes nearly half an hour and costs about 35-40 €. The taxi stations are located right outside the arrival areas of the terminals.

There are also three taxi operators at Helsinki Airport that offer special taxi services, fixed fare shared taxi and tours and chartered drives.

Airport Taxi Helsinki-Vantaa
Fixed fare shared taxi
Arrivals 1 and 2A
Mon-Sun 3-2
Tel:  +358 100 4800

Taxi Point Ltd
All taxi services, VIP, shared taxi etc.
Service Floor
24 h
Tel:  +358 9 8256 5566

Yellow Line – Airport Taxi
Fixed fare shared taxi, tours, chartered drives
Arrivals 2A and 2B
Mon-Sun 06:00-01:30
Tel:   +358 600 555 555

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Temppeliaukio Kirkko, Helsinki

The underground Rock Church was built inside of a massive block of natural granite in the middle of Töölö , an ordinary residential square in Helsinki.  It must have given residents an almighty fright when the brothers blasted out the walls from inside the rock.

Rock Church

When we arrived at the Rock Church, my first impression was one of disappointment.  The exterior of the church looks like a stack of rocks or some kind of bunker.  It has a copper dome roof sticking out of the rock and anyone seeing it from above could well mistaken it for an alien spaceship which has mistakenly landed on earth!

However, on entering the church it becomes clear why this place is a popular Helsinki attraction.  The architects have built in a combination of natural and man-made features into the circular church and its features are quite striking. The walls are of bare rock, the ceiling is a giant disc made of entirely of copper wire and interior lighting is from natural light streaming through 180 vertical glass window panes that connect the dome and the wall. A solid copper-colored balcony provides a nice view of the church interior from above.

A Helsinki Lutheran Church

The Rock Church is a functioning Lutheran church which is also frequently used to host classical concerts.  With the raw rock walls, the acoustics are excellent. Interestingly, there are no bells at the church, and a recording of bells composed by Taneli Kuusisto is played over the loudspeakers on the exterior wall.

The Rock Church is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki and half a million people visit it annually. Entry to the church is free, however no visits are allowed during services and special events.

Temppeliaukio Kirkko or The Rock Church is an interesting contrast to the opulent churches that one tends to visit on many European holidays.

Address:

Lutherinkatu 3
Helsinki, Finland
Tel:  09/49-46-98

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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Sibelius Monument, Helsinki..

One of Helsinki’s famous landmarks is the Sibelius Monument which was built to honour Finland’s national composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Who would have thought that the erection of a monument to honour a famous composer would elicit such heated debate, but apparently the whole of Finland got engaged in an unprecedented public debate about the design.

After Sibelius’ death in 1957, the Sibelius Society organised a two-stage competition for the design of a monument.

Eila Hiltunen was one of the 50 sculptors who participated in the competition.  Her submission, Passio Musicae, was an abstract design which consisted of hundreds of tubes, superficially resembling organ pipes.

I suppose some of the critics would have objected on grounds that Sibelius never composed organ music. The Jury selected five of the best projects to compete in the second round, and Hiltunen’s radical abstract entry was included as an extra.

The Sibelius Monument Controversy

At all stages of the Sibelius project there was much public debate as the conformists preferred a figurative solution whilst the modernists were of the view that an abstract representation was acceptable. So heated was the controversy that for the second round judging, the Jury got reinforcement by adding three international jury members from Poland, Italy and Denmark.

The members of the expanded jury favoured Eila Hiltunen’s final project which was a much-evolved version of her first entry.  So what’s behind the relatively dense cluster of pipes – it is suggested that they could be a birch forest or the Northern Lights. The nature aspect of the design was enhanced by openings and rich texture on many of the tubes.

Sibelius Monument tubes

Even after Eila Hiltunen was declared the winner, months of heated public debate followed before she was commissioned to carry out  her project. A figurative element in the form of Sibelius’ bust was added to appease the conservatives.  In shaping the composer’s face the sculptor chose to depict Sibelius in his creative age, not as the familiar elderly man, the national icon. But, even this was too much for some critics.

Sibelius Monument, Finland’s first abstract public monument, was unveiled in 1961 and sits outside the Bank of Finland.

So have the critics changed their minds now that Sibelius Monument is one of the top sightseeing attractions in Helsinki?   All Helsinki sightseeing tours bring visitors to the Monument.  Full-size elements of the Monument, which were originally material and technique studies, stand outside the UN Palace in New York and in Montreal.  A 1:5 scale replica is also found at the UNESCO Palace in Paris.

So, was this the work of a genius sculptor honouring a genius composer?  What do you think?

See Travel Signposts Finland Photos Here.

© Finland Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

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