Interiors of a church, Temppeliaukion Kirkko, Helsinki, Finland

Getty Images/Panoramic Images

Temppeliaukion Kirkko

Helsinki

LoginSave

Hewn into solid stone, the Temppeliaukion church, designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1969, feels close to a Finnish ideal of spirituality in nature – you could be in a rocky glade were it not for the stunning 24m-diameter roof covered in 22km of copper stripping. The acoustics are exceptional; regular concerts take place here. Opening times vary, depending on events and seasons, so check online before visiting. There are fewer tour groups to navigate around midweek.

A short prayer is offered in English at noon on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) Fortress in Helsinki, Finland

    Suomenlinna

    2.63 MILES

    Suomenlinna, the ‘fortress of Finland’, straddles a cluster of car-free islands connected by bridges. This Unesco World Heritage site was originally built…

  • Finland, Helsinki, main entrance of the Ateneum Art Museum

    Ateneum

    0.67 MILES

    Occupying a palatial 1887 neo-Renaissance building, Finland’s premier art gallery offers a crash course in the nation’s art. It houses Finnish paintings…

  • Design Museum

    Design Museum

    0.99 MILES

    An unmissable stop for Finnish design aficionados, Helsinki's Design Museum has a permanent collection that looks at the roots of Finnish design in the…

  • Kansallismuseo

    Kansallismuseo

    0.27 MILES

    Built in National Romantic art nouveau style and opened in 1916, Finland’s premier historical museum looks a bit like a Gothic church with its heavy…

  • Seurasaaren Ulkomuseo

    Seurasaaren Ulkomuseo

    1.63 MILES

    Situated 5.5km northwest of the city centre, this excellent island-set museum has a collection of 87 historic wooden buildings transferred here from…

  • Kiasma

    Kiasma

    0.4 MILES

    One in a series of elegant, contemporary buildings in this part of town, curvaceous, metallic Kiasma, designed by Steven Holl and finished in 1998, is a…

  • Vanha Porvoo

    Vanha Porvoo

    29.79 MILES

    One of Finland's most enticing old quarters, this tangle of cobbled alleys and wooden warehouses is entrancing. Once a vibrant port and market, Porvoo now…

  • Amos Rex

    Amos Rex

    0.43 MILES

    Set beneath the iconic 1936 Lasipalatsi building, art museum Amos Rex opened in 2018. Sweeping staircases take you below ground to the exhibition halls…

View more attractions

Nearby Helsinki attractions

1. Kunsthalle Helsinki

0.2 MILES

Housed in a Jugendstil-style building dating back to 1928, Kunsthalle Helsinki hosts up to seven major, mostly contemporary exhibitions every year. Recent…

2. Tennispalatsi

0.24 MILES

The 1938-completed Tennispalatsi (Tennis Palace) cultural and recreation centre was intended for the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were subsequently…

3. Helsinki Art Museum

0.24 MILES

Inside the Tennispalatsi, Helsinki's contemporary-art museum oversees 9000 works, including 3500 citywide public artworks. The overwhelming majority of…

4. Luonnontieteellinen Museo

0.25 MILES

The city’s natural history museum is known for its controversial weathervane of a sperm impregnating an ovum. Modern exhibitions such as Story of the…

5. Kansallismuseo

0.27 MILES

Built in National Romantic art nouveau style and opened in 1916, Finland’s premier historical museum looks a bit like a Gothic church with its heavy…

6. Parliament House

0.28 MILES

Finland's imposing parliament building was designed by Finnish architect Johan Sigfrid Sirén and inaugurated in 1931. Its pared-back neoclassicism…

7. Mannerheim Statue

0.39 MILES

This equestrian statue of Finland's most famous military commander stands next to the Kiasma museum.

8. Kiasma

0.4 MILES

One in a series of elegant, contemporary buildings in this part of town, curvaceous, metallic Kiasma, designed by Steven Holl and finished in 1998, is a…