I landed in Helsinki at 2 pm on Saturday, June 8 on my way to my son Sahil’s home in Dallas, Texas. My flight was at 12.25 pm on Sunday. So I had sometime to explore Helsinki.
I took the train from Helsinki airport to the city main train station for a cost fo $4.10. It takes 35 mins to reach the City Center. There is also a full day pass for $11.
From the train station, I proceeded on foot to the Helsinki Cathedral. The church was originally built from 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. It was also known as St Nicholas’s Church until Finland declared its full independence in 1917 when it was renamed to Helsinki Cathedral.
In front of Helsinki Cathedral was Senate Square and its surroundings that make up the oldest part of central Helsinki. Landmarks and famous buildings surrounding the square are the Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the Sederholm House, the oldest building of central Helsinki dating from 1757. There was a carnival happening on that day. Lots of processions, people dressed in garish clothes and fanfare at the square.
I saw some interesting buildings next to the cathedral and senate square.
The Government Palace overlooks the Senate Square and houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the Office of the Chancellor of Justice as well as most departments of the Ministry of Finance.
From the Senate Square, I took the tram to Uppenski Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and main cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Finland, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition. It is the largest Greek Orthodox church in Northern Europe.
From Uspenski Cathedral, it was a short walk to Market Square, a central square in Helsinki. It is at the eastern end of Esplanadi and bordering the Baltic Sea to the south and Katajanokka to the east. The Presidential Palace, Helsinki City Hall, Swedish Embassy and the Stora Enso Headquarters building (designed by Alvar Aalto) are all located adjacent to Market Square.
From Market Square, I took a tram back to the main railway station.
As I got off the tram and walked to the railway station, I saw the Finnish National Theatre, established in 1872. The Finnish National Theatre is the oldest Finnish speaking professional theatre in Finland. Also visible, is the Aleksis Kivi Memorial, a statue dedicated to the Finnish author Aleksis Kivi who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language in 1870.
I took the train back to the airport. From the airport, I took an Uber to hotel Holiday Inn near Helsinki airport.
Next day morning, I got up and took the 9.30 am airport shuttle to Helsinki airport. It was a short 1 day trip to Helsinki
