A G: Trip Day 10 - Finland Helsinki by Aaron

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Trip Day 10 - Finland Helsinki by Aaron

Finland Helsinki

~ Aaron

I had a fabulous time in Helsinki. The Helsinki Cathedral was a large cathedral, completed in 1852. The Rock Church is famous for its wonderful acoustics. The Market Square is a central square in Helsinki. This was a wonderful day in Helsinki!

The Helsinki Cathedral

At the Helsinki Cathedral

Interior of the cathedral

Exhibition in front of the cathedral

In front of the cathedral

Exhibition in front of the cathedral

The Helsinki Cathedral is very recognizable, with a tall dome and 4 smaller domes next to it. It was built as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas I. Construction of the cathedral only took from 1830 to 1852. The cathedral was built in the Greek Cross style, with each point facing the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west). This cathedral is one of the most visited places in Helsinki.

The Rock Church

The Rock Church was built from 1968 to 1969. A plan for a huge church was started from 1930, but World War II halted the construction. After the war, the church which we now call the Rock Church was completed, following a newer design and using much less space. The space for the church was excavated and made using solid rock without smoothening out the walls, giving it excellent acoustics. An organ inside the church, built by Veikko Virtanen, has 43 stops and 3001 pipes.

The Market Square

At the Market Square

At the City Hall

At the Market Square

Reindeer burger

Moose meat pie

The Market Square is built right next to the sea, so it is the location of many ferries all year round. In the Market Square, we stopped and ate some delicious food. We ate a reindeer burger and a moose meat pie, all of which was scrumptious. These were some special foods that could not be found in most restaurants. The City Hall lies just across from the Market Square, where the important people of the city meet.

I spent a fantastic time in this great place. The Helsinki Cathedral is a prominent landmark in Finland. About 500,000 people visit the Rock Church annually. The Market Square had awesome food. This was one of the best days I ever had!