Architectural, Cultural sights in Helsinki
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Tuomiokirkko
One of CL Engel’s finest creations, the chalk-white neoclassical Tuomiokirkko, presides over Senate Square, though as it was not completed until 1852, the architect, who died in 1840, never saw it. Given Finland’s Lutheran sensibilities, it was created to serve as a reminder of God’s supremacy over the square. Its high flight of stairs, however, has become a meeting place for canoodling couples, and a setting for New Year’s revelry. The interior features statues of the Reformation heroes Luther, Melanchthon and Mikael Agricola; true to their ideals, there is little other ornamentation under the lofty dome. There’s a cafe in the brick-vaulted crypt in summer.
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Ainola
This most popular stop is Sibelius’ home, east of the lake just south of Järvenpää. The family home, designed by Lars Sonck and built on this forested site in 1904, contains original furniture, paintings, books and a piano on which Sibelius plotted out tunes until his death. The graves of Jean Sibelius and his wife Aino are in the garden.
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Urho Kekkonen Museum
Worth visiting, the Urho Kekkonen Museum gives a glimpse into the life of Finland’s greatest president. A guided tour wanders through the magnificent villa, its surrounding park and peeks into the traditional sauna that hosted diplomatic chinwags with Nikita Khrushchev.
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