Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Russia. It was the first public monument in Helsinki, designed by Carl Ludvig
Engelanderectedin1835tocelebratethevisitbyCzarNicholasIandCzarina
Alexandra. Step over the chain and climb to the top step for a clockwise spin-
tour:
The big, red Viking ship and white Tallink Silja ship are each floating ho-
tels for those making the 40-hour Stockholm-Helsinki round-trip. The brown-
and-tan brick building is the old market hall. A number of harbor cruise
boats vie for your business. The trees mark the beginning of Helsinki's grand
promenade, the Esplanade (where we're heading). Hiding in the leaves is the
venerable iron-and-glass Café Kappeli. The yellow building across from the
trees is the TI. From there, a string of Neoclassical buildings face the harbor.
The blue-and-white City Hall building was designed by Engel in 1833 as the
town's first hotel, built to house the czar and czarina. Now it houses a pub-
lic Internet point, free WCs, and free exhibits on Helsinki history (often pho-
tography). The Lutheran Cathedral is hidden from view behind this building.
Next is the Swedish Embassy (flying the blue-and-yellow Swedish flag and
designed to look like Stockholm's Royal Palace). Then comes the Supreme
Courtand,inthefarcorner,Finland'sPresidentialPalace.Standingproud,and
remindingHelsinkioftheRussianbehemothtoitseast,istheUspenskiOrtho-
dox Cathedral.
Explore the colorful outdoor market—part souvenirs and crafts, part fruit
and veggies, part fish and snacks (Mon-Fri roughly 6:30-17:00, Sat
6:30-16:00, only tourist stalls on Sun 10:00-16:00). Then, with your back to
the water, walk left to the fountain,
Havis Amanda,
designed by Ville Vallgren
and unveiled here in 1908. The fountain has become the symbol of Helsinki,
the city known as the “Daughter of the Baltic”—graduating students decorate
her with a school cap. The voluptuous figure, modeled after the artist's Parisi-
an mistress, was a bit too racy for the conservative town, and Vallgren had
trouble getting paid. But as artists often do, Vallgren had the last laugh: For
more than a hundred years now, the city budget office (next to the Sasso res-
taurant across the street) has seen only her backside.
