Helsinki
Click on thumbnail to view larger picture
Helsinki is the most northern national capital on the European continent. It became the capital in 1812 and
consists of 315 islands. We really enjoyed our cruise into Helsinki as the sea was very flat and the scenery was magnificent!
The harbour area was abuzz with market stalls and very friendly sellers. Lots of ships were in the harbour and the ferries to
all the outlying islands were everywhere.
|
Our first adventure here was catching a ferry over to the Island of Suomenlinna. This is one of the world's largest sea fortresses and has many buildings
from long ago on it. It is a great recreational place as well and many people were just going over to picnic in the grounds.
There is lots of history here and the Castle Courtyard and the dry dock are not to be missed. We visited the United Nations
Museum and found some fascinating relics as well as lots of historical information.
|
Back on shore, our next stop was to the Temppeliaukio Stone Church. This famous church was built in 1969, by blasting a large hole out of a huge rock.
The church fills the interior and has a very unique copper dome surrounded by skylights to let in natural light.
The stone gives beautiful resonance to music and is sometimes used for concerts. A must see in Helsinki.
|
We walked back through the busy, modern shopping area and found the 150 year old Helsinki Cathedral in the Senate Square. The outside was very imposing but it was surprisingly simple inside.
It was a very large church and we really were impressed with the beautiful organ and some of the statues and decoration.
|
Just a little walk away was the largest Orthodox Church in Europe. The Uspenski Cathedral was completed in
1868 and served the Russians when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. The outside was stunning and inside was magnificent
with paintings and gold prominently used as decoration.
|
Once again our day ended, and we enjoyed the wonderful views as we sailed away on the way to Stockholm in Sweden. We were a little sad as we were nearing the end of
our fantastic holiday.
| 
