Excursion tour in Helsinki. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

Cirrus Uspenski Cathedral, National Museum of Finland, Museum of Natural History, Suomenlinna Church, Railway station, and Aleksanterin teatteri are the next landmarks in the review. Just like in the beginning of the review, we have prepared a collection of historic facts and some awesome photographs for each of these top architecture monuments of Helsinki. Don’t forget to admire the look of these sights from a bird’s eye view. This view is available in the flyover video of the architectural skyline of Helsinki. After such a guide, it won’t be a hassle to make up a great plan of a real-life excursion tour in Helsinki. Ready, steady, go!

Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The cathedral (1862-1868) started to be built in one of the quarter of old Helsinki built up with huts and one-storey houses where ordinary people lived.
»  Substantial citizens started building new houses too. The quarter gained respectable appearance soon. Now, it is a prestigious district in the city. It can be said that the Uspenski Cathedral caused this.
»  The House of God that is 51 m high is the largest Orthodox religious building in Europe.
»  The Uspenski Cathedral is located on the high cliff. Visitors going from the sea gate see the magnificent red-brick building with 13 copper domes.
»  They are crowned by decorative gilded towers. They symbolize the presence of Jesus with 12 apostles.
»  The cathedral is built in the Russian architectural style. It is distinguished by patterns in its stones.
»  Inner rooms are spacious and light despite multiple elegant decorative elements. The dome is painted. There is the collection of precious items behind the church ambo.
»  The rectangular table in the middle of the table is covered with a golden coating and decorated with precious stones. It was delivered from the Valaam Monastery.

National Museum of Finland, Helsinki

Location on the map:   Facts:
» One of the huge warehouses, where you can see cultural and historical items, is located in the National Museum.
»  It resembles the Finnish medieval palace with its appearance. The building has a stone decorated foundation. There is a high cone tower. The hall is decorated with frescoes of 1900.
»  Here, you can also see artifacts telling about the historical development of the country from ancient times up to now. You can visit static and temporary local history, ethnocultural, and art exhibitions. In the shop, you can buy interesting books.
»  Their collection is divided into themed sectors. Each of them has a hall.
»  The history sector is the biggest. Here, you can see archeological artifacts found during excavations in the country, and other items: ceramic fragments, crockery, accessories, and chronicles about the first humans settling here 10 000 years ago.
»  At the “Treasures” Exhibition, you can see awards of different epochs, coins, paper money, and jewelry.
»  Workshop Vintti (translated as “basement”) at the upper level will let you give insights into the history, for example, weave a patchwork carpet or work on the conveyor.

Museum of Natural History, Helsinki

Location on the map:   Facts:
» In the Museum of Natural History, you can learn about the nature of the country.
»  In the four-storey building, there are stuffed birds and animals, fragments of skeletons of dinosaurs, ancient pangolins, and the remains of bones of animals dwelling on the planet.
»  The museum is located in the city center. It is distinguished by the sculpture of the moose at the entrance. In summer, you can see the giraffe on the balcony of the building.
»  In the “Suomi Nature” sector, you can see broadleaved trees and pines, as well as waters of Finland.
»  In the “Corner of Nature”, you can acquaint with dwellers of the entire planet. On the exhibits, there are plates with their dates. The “palm” sign means that you can touch exhibits, for example, touch the egg of the ancient pangolin.
»  The “Life History” sector will tell you how one-celled organisms develop and turned to evolved ones.
»  Bone remains will tell you about the diversity of ancient vertebrates. There is even the skeleton of the Steller's sea cow exterminated by humans in the middle of the 18th century.
»  The building occupying by the museum was built in 1870. Originally, it served as a school for Russian teenagers.

Suomenlinna Church, Helsinki

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Lutheran Church is located near the fortress.
»  There was a military unit in the territory of the church in 1809. The five-dome Orthodox Church was built for soldiers of the garrison by the Russian architect’s plan.
»  Its bell tower still serves as a beacon. Its light gives the “H” mark, the first letter in the city name (Helsinki).
»  There are three such religious buildings in the world.
»  According to the chronicles, the church was wooden in 1785.
»  The House of God honors the memory of the warlord Nevsky. The church was blessed six years after the warlord Alexander prevented the northwest of Russia from the invasion of the Crusaders.
»  The walls of the church are covered with smooth gray plaster. The fence of chains is molded of the cannon. At the entrance to the temple, you can see the emblem with a lion.
»  The bell on the tower weighs about 7 tons. It was made in Moscow in 1885.
»  At the church, there is the icon that is accepted as miraculous: when the building was fired in 1855, warriors noticed that shells and bullets didn’t hit it. To commemorate this event, the icon of the Mother of God was decorated with a silver frame.

Railway station, Helsinki

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The city railway station combines the transport hub and the architectural monument. The building is constructed in the modern architectural style. It is located at the site of the old station that stopped serving as an interchange station.
»  The project of the spacious premise was fulfilled in 15 years. Helsingin paarautatieasema was opened in 1919.
»  It was faced with granite. The foundation is a reinforced concrete construction.
»  There is also a clock tower. You can see four bas-reliefs pictures of humans at the sides from above. The statues hold round night lights.
»  This railway station services trains of all types: shuttle, interdistrict, and international.
»  Every day, the trains service over 200 000 passengers. Tickets are bought at the ticket office, in the machine, on the round-the-clock platform, and on the website.
»  In the main round-the-clock hall, there are lockers and other options for travelers: cafes, a newspaper shop, a boutique, a drugstore, ATMs, etc. There is a parking area near the station.
»  Signs with pictograms will help you find your way.

Aleksanterin teatteri, Helsinki

Location on the map:
Facts: » The oldest religious building in the country is the Imperial Alexander Theatre. It is named after the Russian King who gave money for the construction of the new building in Melpomene.
»  Such eminent people, as the singer Shalyapin, the performer Varlamov, the writer Gorky, and the word-painter Yuriev, performed here.
»  Technical equipment is suitable not only for theatrical, but also for dance performances. Drama and opera performances, musicals, and dance plays are stages here. The acoustics of the hall that lets play contemporary and classic music here. Private events are also held here.
»  The initiator of the religious building construction was the Governor General of Finland.
»  The Italian troupe stages the opera “Faust” on the opening day. The theatrical performance was premiered in spring 1880.
»  The theatre has already reached the 135-year mark of its existence.
»  Today, actors are often on tour. Invited play-actors from all over the world also improvise on stage.
»  The theatre doesn’t have a cast.
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Plan your own tour over Helsinki on the monuments map

More to see in Helsinki
Senate Square remains one of the main points of interest in the city. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings, the majority of which were built in the first half of the 19th century. There are also some historical monuments on the square, and in its center you can see a monument to the Russian Tsar Alexander II. The building of State Council, which was completed in 1822, is the most striking architectural place of interest in Helsinki. Uspenski Cathedral is another prominent religious attraction. The age of the cathedral is around 150 years. The building is made of red brick, and the halls of the church are decorated with exquisite icons and elegant gilded iconostasis. Rock Church is, without a doubt, no less attractive. The church is located in Töölö district. Built in 1969, the church is one of the most original monuments of modern architecture. Carved in the rock, the hall of the church is distinguished by special acoustics. A dome made of copper and glass is considered the chief ornament of the church. Sederholm house is a sight that is definitely worth making a visit. The house, which was built in 1757, is located in the historic district of Helsinki. Currently, the oldest building of Helsinki has become the location of a museum, which exposition is devoted to the history of merchant life. Among the cultural institutions of Helsinki we should definitely underline Arena Military Museum. Among its collections you will see valuable and historical documents, … Read further

Tours through neighbours of Helsinki

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