On one chilly Friday night my friend Satu and I met up with Jesper at the train station in central Helsinki. We had decided to celebrate Walpurgis the Finnish way. By that time, I had already spent a few nights on the road but Jesper was all fresh after a whole week of working. The Finnish capital is one of my favorite places in Europe; it reminds slightly of Western Europe but it has its own eclectic air. It was not our first time together in the city, but as is the case with many a European town, it is a place that should be visited in spring or summer.
Helsinki, in Swedish Helsingfors, is the political, educational, financial, cultural, and research center of this northeastern country. In fact the city is quite young for being such a major city. It was established by Swedish king Gustav I in as a trading town and it was not until and Russian rule that it became the capital of Finland.
The capital was moved from Turku to Helsinki by czar Alexander I of Russia after Russia had defeated Sweden; the aim being to reduce Swedish influence and to bring the city closer to St. A couple of decades later the only university, originally located in Turku , was moved to the new capital. What really makes Helsinki special is the tiny downtown core, which was built in a neoclassical style to resemble St. It is here that you find the university, the government palace, and the cathedral embracing the Senate Square.
Another typical characteristic is the Art Nouveau or Jugend architecture that is prominent for such areas as Katajanokka and Ullanlinna. This architectural style was influenced by the romantic nationalism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We had a total of two days to spend in the Finnish capital.
As it was Walpurgis Eve on Saturday, we had decided to participate in the evening festivities at the Market Square. If you are interested in reading more about Walpurgis Eve, we have written about it here.
