Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A one-block detour up Unioninkatu (noteworthy shops listed in “Shopping
in Helsinki,” later) takes you to the Neoclassical Senate Square and Lutheran
Cathedral.
Tocontinue with this walk, backtrack tothe TI.Inthe parkacross the street
is the delightful...
Café Kappeli:
If you've got some time, dip into this old-fashioned,
gazebo-like oasis of coffee, pastry, and relaxation (get what you like at the bar
inside and sit anywhere). In the 19th century, this was a popular hangout for
local intellectuals and artists. Today the café offers romantic tourists waiting
for their ship a great €3-cup-of-coffee memory. The bandstand in front hosts
nearly daily music and dance performances in summer.
The Esplanade:
Behind Café Kappeli stretches the Esplanade, Hel-
sinki's top shopping boulevard, sandwiching a park in the middle (another
Engel design from the 1830s). The grandiose street names Esplanadi and
Bulevardi, while fitting today, must have been bombastic and almost comical
in rustic little 1830s Helsinki. To help you imagine this elegant promenade
in the 19th century, informative signs (in English) explain Esplanade Park's
background and its many statues.
