+48 22 351 22 70
Local call rates in your country: (09) 2316 5332 Finland 08-559 26 228 Sweden 36 98 77 91 Denmark (02) 8005-7161 Australia (04) 889 2448 New Zealand (22) 548-33-65 Switzerland
OLD TOWN APARTMENTS
Helsinki
Helsinki is Finland’s capital, known for its large immigrant population comprising inhabitants hailing from over 125 countries, including Russia, Sweden, Somalia, Serbia and China. The city was originally established in the mid-16th Century by the Swedish King Gustav, and in its early years the settlement was rife with poverty, war and disease. However, when Russia conquered Sweden in the Finnish War and annexed Finland at the dawn of the 19th Century, Helsinki began to undergo a metamorphosis.
In an attempt to lessen the Swedish influence, Russian Tsar Alexander I relocated the capital of Finland from Turku to Helsinki, along with The Royal Academy, which at the time was the country’s sole university in the country, becoming the new University of Helsinki. The following years saw an unprecedented amount of expansion and progress in Helsinki, still quite visible in the city center, with its Neo-Classical architecture resembling that of St. Petersburg. Along with the new buildings and institutions, the Industrial Revolution with its railroads and new technologies also influenced Helsinki’s rapid development around this time.
After Finland’s Civil War broke out in 1918, the majority of Helsinki was taken by the Red Guard. Eventually, however, the Red forces could not hold up against the combined forces of German soldiers and the opposition White Guard combining against them, and Helsinki was ceded back within a few months. Though the war was traumatic for Finnish society, the decade following it saw a great improvement in living standards, and things began to look up for the newly-unified country.
During World War II, Helsinki was attacked by Soviet bombers on several occasions, most notably in early 1944 when more than 2,000 Soviet airplanes dropped over 15,000 bombs over the city and its surroundings. Thanks to its effective air defense system, however, Helsinki was not subject to the kind of massive damage that plenty of other European cities had suffered.
The 1970s brought new urban expansions which more than doubled the number of people living in the city, though the density of the population in Helsinki is still the second-lowest of all European capitals, a fact attributed to the relative tardiness of the urbanization process. However, it also enjoys very low poverty and unemployment levels as a result, and the service industry here is outstanding, satisfying the many tourists who visit beautiful Finland each year.
Some of the highlights:
The largest historical museum in the city is the National Museum of Finland, which exhibits a large collection of artifacts from the prehistoric era all the way up to the present day. Its building is a romantic-looking neo-Medieval castle, a sight to behold in itself.
Also, the Finnish National Gallery is comprised of three separate museums, firstly the Ateneum Art Museum, which contains classic Finnish art, then the Sinebrychoff Art Museum, exhibiting classic European art, and finally the Kiasma Art Museum with its outstanding Modern art collection.
The city is home to three large theatres, The Finnish National Theatre, the Helsinki City Theatre and the Swedish Theatre. Helsinki's major musical venues include the Finnish National Opera and the Finlandia Auditorium. Larger concerts are typically performed at one of Helsinki's hockey arenas, either the Hartwall Areena or Helsinki Hall.
You’ll also find the Linnanmäki Amusement Park in Helsinki, featuring several roller coasters and quite a few other attractions. In April of 2007, the first Intamin ZacSpin roller coaster in the world was unveiled here.
Express Booking Form
About us
Tell your friends about us
