Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
terinkatu street. It's Helsinki's Fifth Avenue-type main shopping drag (tram
stop: Aleksanterinkatu).
Finnish National Theater/Train Station: After the Mikonkatu stop,
you'll pass a big square. Fronting it is Finland's granite National Theater, in
Art Nouveau style. The statue in the square honors Aleksis Kivi, the father
of Finnish literature, who in 1870 wrote The Seven Brothers, the first great
novel in Finnish. The mid-19th century was a period of national awakening.
By elevating the language to high culture, Kivi helped inspire his country-
men to stand strong and proud during a period of attempted “Russification.”
On the left is the Ateneum, Finland's national art gallery. From there (on the
right), you'll pass the striking train station—with its iconic countrymen stoic-
ally holding their lamps—designed by the great Finnish architect, Eliel Saar-
inen.
Shopping andEntertainment District: Crossing the busyMannerhei-
mintie boulevard, you'll pass the Kamppi mall (tram and Metro stop: Kamppi,
with bus station in basement). The adjacent Tennis Palace is a cultural zone
with galleries and movie theaters.
School of Economics and Trendy Apartments: After passing the
yellow brick buildings of the School of Economics (on your left, note
facade—Kauppakorkeakoulut stop), you'll enter a neighborhood with lots of
desirable1920s-eraapartments.Youngcouplesstartouthere,movetothesub-
urbs when they have their kids, and return as empty-nesters. The Temppeli-
aukio Church (a.k.a. “Church in the Rock”), while out of sight, is just a block
uphill from the next stop (Sammonkatu).
Finnish National Opera House: Built in 1993, the National Opera
House is the white, sterile, shower-tile building on the right (tram stop: Oop-
pera). The next stop (Töölön halli) is a short walk from the Sibelius Monu-
ment and its pretty park (detour along a street called Sibeliuksenkatu).
Sports Complex: A statue honors long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi
(early 20th-century Finn who won a slew of Olympic gold medals, on left).
The white building with the skinny tower (in the distance on the right) marks
the Olympic Stadium, used for the summer games in 1952. After the Aur-
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