HELSINKI, FINLAND

                                            The Capitol City

       Often referred to as the Daughter of the Baltic, Helsinki, established in 1550, is a natural seaport on the Baltic Sea at the southern tip of Finland. A fountain at the waterfront square portrays this image. The city spreads out onto islands, peninsulas, and along coves where boats of all descriptions navigate. The sea is an integral part of the city. The city grew up around the natural harbor.

     The city has wide streets and many squares and parks. One of the worlds’ first planned municipalities, it is noted for its 19^th century neoclassical architecture. Finland’s busiest port city has the largest urban concentration in the country, with a combined population of about a million. With no medieval past, the city was built to supply the fortress. Today, the city is the center of Finnish politics, economics and culture.

     Helsinki is a low rise-city, but the buildings although only 4--5 stories high are enormous. The last major fire was in 1808. Brick buildings were constructed after 1920. We found the city very clean; there was no litter anywhere. Sidewalks were often granite slab, but many of the streets and squares are cobbled.

       Although smaller than other Scandinavian capitals, Helsinki is Finland’s largest city but still maintains a distinctive small-town ambiance. Instead of the ornate and grandiose buildings of many Baltic and Scandinavian cities it is city of understated functional architectural design with the tallest building reaching only 12 stories. The stone pastel yellow and blue buildings frequently have white trim and columns. The architecture traces the domination of neighboring Sweden and Russia, but reflects a reverence for nature. It is the world’s second most northern capital, after Reykjavik. Finns have perfected living with nature and exult in their unspoiled land. 

            Summer in Helsinki begins in May and lasts until mid-September. The average summer temperature for day and night is around 60 degrees. On hot days the temperature can rise to the high 80s. Warmest in July, it is slightly cooler off the coast. The Helsinki summer is bright white. During the summer equinox in late-June there are no less than 19 hours of daylight between sunrise and sunset. Temperatures cool significantly towards the end of September, and the days grow noticeably shorter with the impending arrival of winter.     

     Throughout its 450-year history, Helsinki has existed in the crosscurrents of the East and West. The colorful layers of history can be seen everywhere.

      Walking or biking is the best way to appreciate the city’s cafés, parks, market and islands. The city is very pedestrian friendly, but the drivers are not! Each morning wooden stands with colorful awnings spring to life at the bustling Market Square. Many Finns have country cottages and go there in summer. In winter the city buzzes with theater, political institutes and 20,000 university students.

      One of the main attractions in Helsinki is Suomenlinna, the mammoth fortress, built in 1748, by the Swedes. 

See post 6-10-12 Suomenlinna and more history

FINLAND

                                     A Fascinating Country

      Finland, almost the size of Montana, is 700 miles long and 335 miles east to west. A member of the European Union, its currency is the Euro.  Finland perhaps is best known for its peacefulness and beautiful nature. Vast forests, a unique archipelago and thousands of lakes present a striking mixture of wooded hills and waters. Simplicity and bold primary colors form the dramatic Finnish environment.  In addition to its mystical northern nature, Finland also is a modern Nordic country with a high standard of living and an advanced economy and technology. A place where darkness disappears in the summer, Finland has a culture that is different from either Sweden or Russia. In winter the prevailing west southwest wind moves ice toward Finland’s coast so the use of icebreakers is extensive.

       Finland, less than 600-feet above sea level, has thousands of lakes, numerous rivers and extensive marshlands and has a 682-mile long coastline. Three distinct areas exist: the northern highland, the lake district and the coastal plain.

       The first crusade to Finland, led by the King of Sweden in 1155, started a union with Sweden that lasted 600 years. In 1809 Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire as a Grand Duchy. Swedish laws were retained and the country was allowed to keep its own currency, mail and railway systems. Helsinki became the capital in 1812, replacing Turku in the south-west. The official national languages were – and still are - Finnish and Swedish. Amid the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, Finland declared independence in 1917, establishing its present constitution and status as a republic in 1919.  Finland does not have a monarchy but a president and during my visit she was a woman who had recently been reelected. The president is elected for a six-year term and can be reelected only one time. The Prime Minister is leader of the winning party and serves a four-year term. The coalition government represents eight parties.

       Neutral during WW II, Finland resisted two Russian attacks and emerged from physical devastation with strong economic and military policies.

       Once a dirt poor country many Finns migrated to northern Minnesota.  Between 1809 and 1917 Finland began to industrialize and most of Helsinki’s great buildings were built during that time.  Since the end of WW II Finland has become a modern country with successful timber, paper and telecommunications industries. When the Soviet Union collapsed, about 20 percent of Finland’s trade disappeared. Finland was ruled by both Sweden and Russia before its independence in 1917.

  Although thought of as a Scandinavian country Finland is really more Nordic. Denmark, Norway and Sweden are constitutional monarchies where Iceland and Finland are republics. One third of the country is above the Arctic Circle. In 1906 Finnish women were the first European women to be given the vote, and now women make up 40 percent of the parliament. The Finnish language, related to Estonian and Hungarian, is a difficult one.

            Helsinki is the smallest city to ever host the Olympics.   Stockmann’s department store is the Finn equivalent of London’s Harrods. Plan on a half a day if you want to wander around the large store.