Welcome to Helsinki!

Join class 5 and 6 on a trip to Helsinki, the capital of Finland!
(texts, photos and video clips by class 5 and class 6)

We visited Helsinki on 5 May. We went there by bus and it took about 50 minutes to get from Mäntsälä to central Helsinki.  It was cold, cloudy and a little bit rainy day, but we had a good time in Helsinki.

First we visited the Stadium Tower at the Olympic Stadium. From the tower you can see all around Helsinki and we saw, for example, Linnanmäki amusement park and the Olympic Stadium. Then we visited Helsinki Cathedral, which is the most famous church in Finland. It is situated on the Senate Square which is the oldest part of central Helsinki. After that we had a bus tour around the central Helsinki. We saw many famous sights such as Uspenski Cathedral, the Market Square, the Presidental Palace. We also saw some ships which travel from Helsinki to Sweden and Estonia. After the bus tour we visited Stockmann, the biggest department store in Finland and bought some candy. 

What to do in Helsinki

There is lots to do in Helsinki. You can take boat trips around Helsinki archipelago and sightseeing bus tours. You can go to see animals in Korkeasaari zoo and you can go to Linnanmäki Fun Park. In Helsinki you can visit several churches and museums and eat in different kinds of restaurants. Helsinki is also a good place for shopping and sport.

On the bus from Mätsälä to Helsinki

Out of the bus, ready to explore Helsinki.

The Olympic Stadium and the Stadium Tower

The Olympic Stadium was opened in 1938 and in 1952 the summer Olympic games were held in Helsinki. The Stadium Tower is 72 meters tall. The national football team plays their home games at the Olympic Stadium.

Here we are at the top of the Stadium Tower. It was rather cold and windy there.

The Senate Square 

The Senate Square is in the middle of Helsinki. A statue of Emperor Alexander II of Russia is located in the center of the Square. There are famous buildings around the Senate Square such as the University of Helsinki (the yellow building), Helsinki Cathedral and Government Palace.

Here we are taking photos on the Senate Square

Helsinki Cathedral

It is located at the Senate Square and it was built in 1830-1852. The cathedral with its Apostle statues is perhaps the most famous symbol of Helsinki. Every year more than 500 000 people visit this church, about half of whom are foreign tourists.

Here we are in front of Kiasma, the museum of contemporary art, waiting for our bus to take us back to Mäntsälä.

On our bus tour we took some photos such as these

Boats from Helsinki to Estonia and Sweden

The National theatre on the Railway Square

The Parliament House

Finnish candy by Fazer 

The most famous sights in Helsinki

• Ateneum Art Museum
• Helsinki Cathedral
• Olympic Stadium and Stadium tower
• Senate Square
• Sibelius Monument
• Suomenlinna - Sea Fortress
• National Museum of Finland
• Parliament House
• Helsinki Zoo - Korkeasaari
• Linnanmäki Amusement park
• Sea Life

Helsinki facts

• Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland.
• The population of Helsinki is over 600.000
• Helsinki is situated on the south coast by the Baltic Sea and there are over 300 islands around Helsinki.
• Helsinki is one of the coldest cities in the world. The average annual temperature is + 5 degrees (we would like it to be a bit warmer :).
• Nicknames: Hesa, Stadi