Helsinki, Finland

Senate Square

In the heart of Helsinki’s main square stands a monument to Alexander II, who granted the Finns autonomy. On Senate Square (Senaatintori) rise the capital’s main buildings-the Cathedral (from the outside resembling St. Isaac’s in St. Petersburg), the Presidential Palace, and the National Library. Also here are 18th-century mansions where merchants used to live-today, restaurants, cafés, and souvenir shops are located in them.

Temppeliaukio Church

The most unusual structure in Helsinki is built right into the rock. Finnish architects blew up a boulder, processed the surface, and then added a dome on top, resembling a huge television dish. The dome was worked on the longest: a 22 km-long copper ribbon was laid in a spiral! This modern Lutheran church has many functions. Organ music concerts are held there regularly-inside, there is a powerful 43-tube organ. Mstislav Rostropovich was delighted with the local acoustics, believing that the sound within church walls is among the best in the world. Inside, Temppeliaukio looks impressive: it creates a sense of vast space and height, although the distance from the floor to the dome is comparatively small-about twelve meters.

Assumption Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe. It stands right in the heart of Helsinki, on a rocky hill overgrown with lilacs, near the South Passenger Harbour. The cathedral looks quite distinctive: it is a red-brick building topped with spires and thirteen domes with crosses. On its southern side there is a bell tower. Uspenski Cathedral was built in the 19th century, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. It was decided to construct it after, in 1812, the capital was moved from Turku to Helsinki.

Church in Kallio

The church (kirkk) in the Kallio district stands on a hill, giving the impression that this already large place of worship is simply enormous. Its main adornment is an exceptionally tall belfry tower, whose clock plays melodies by the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Inside, as with all Lutheran churches, the kirkk is simple and spacious. It has very few decorations; only the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling enliven the interior. The church was designed by Finland’s best-known architect of the 20th century, Lars Sonck, who left behind a rich architectural legacy for the country: churches, government buildings, and even country residences.

Jean Sibelius Monument

You can not only look at the monument to the Finnish composer-you can also listen to it. The main part of the monument consists of 600 powerful metal tubes fused together, through which the wind mournfully moans. It is believed that these sounds resemble the music of Jean Sibelius, and the unusual structure is similar to an organ. Nearby is the composer himself-in the form of a giant bronze head. The head has hair and a moustache, which means that Sibelius here is quite young, because in adulthood the maestro was bald and without a moustache. Not far from the monument there is a park with a charming lake and quacking ducks.

Suomenlinna Fortress

Another name for this sea fortress is Suomenlinna. It was built not by the Finns, but by the Swedes; in the end, however, the structure was handed over to the Russians. This powerful fortress, spread across six islands, was for a long time one of the bases of the Russian Baltic Fleet. Here, bastions and forts have been preserved, along with docks, coastal barracks, and even the submarine “Vesikko,” which cruised the northern seas during World War II. The submarine is on the shore, so you can admire it in detail from the rear propeller all the way to the bow; guided tours are available inside. The fortress is especially picturesque in summer. The best place for lunch is Café Piper, a summer house on a green hill where Russian officers once were quartered. The trip to Suomenlinna from Helsinki takes 10 minutes. Ferries depart from Market Square every hour.

Linnanmäki Amusement Park

A great park to spend time with the whole family. There’s everything here: about 40 different attractions for adults, children and even babies, an aerial railway, cafés, restaurants, shops, a 4D cinema, games and lotteries. There’s also a tower with a rotating platform that offers an excellent view of Finland’s capital. Visitors with children, as well as those who prefer a relaxing stay, can ride in horse-drawn carriages. For thrill-seekers, two attractions are especially popular: the “Furious River” (370 meters long), where you slide down on inflatable boats, and the kilometer-long “American Roller Coaster,” where you can reach nearly car speed.

Seurasaari Open-Air Museum

On the island of Seurasaari there is a charming open-air museum. About a hundred wooden houses, churches, farms, water and windmills, tar kilns, saunas, stables, barns and sheds, brought here from all across Finland. You can step into all these buildings-inside, you’ll find a recreated Finnish rural way of life and a collection of household utensils. The oldest exhibit in the museum is the Karuna Church, dating back to the 17th century. In summer it operates for its original purpose: weddings are held here. Seurasaari is a protected park, with a beach, summer cafés and a restaurant, kiosks offering various snacks, and a barbecue area. There are many hand-tame squirrels and geese here. Folk festivals and family get-togethers are often held on the island, with performances for children.

Eureka Science Popularization Center

Here, the latest achievements of science and technology can be tested on yourself and touched with your own hands. Everyone is interested here: both the older and the younger. Adults solve mathematical problems with a Möbius strip and a Klein bottle, set up a telescope on their own, determine the temperature of stars, and run experiments in a chemical laboratory, generate energy, take part in paper production, build bridges over the river, and the most daring of them then walk across it. The younger ones do fun experiments with soap bubbles, ride a circus bicycle on a tightrope, and walk on the surface of the Moon in a spacesuit. The permanent exhibition of “Eureka” features 130 exhibits and objects, as well as the “Vern” theater, which has an equipped planetarium and a spherical cinema. In “Vern,” they screen popular science films.

Sea Life Marine Center

The Sea Life Marine Center is literally teeming with fish and creatures of all kinds: sharks and rays, jellyfish and seahorses, and many other inhabitants of the deep sea from all over the world. A walk through the glass ten-meter tunnel under the sharks’ pool is particularly thrilling: from here you get an excellent angle to observe their way of life and behavior. One of the most exciting attractions at the center is feeding its residents-not only sharks, but also octopuses, rays, seahorses, and even piranhas. Tours are available in Finnish, English, and Swedish. At the ticket office, you can also pick up a guide in Russian. At the exit from the aquarium, there is a small shop where visitors can buy souvenirs, plush toys, T-shirts, and more with a marine and fish theme.

Korkeasaari Zoo

The territory of the giant zoo is divided into eight sectors. “Valley of the Cats” is home to lions, snow leopards, and Ussuri tigers, while “Amazonia” houses parrots, monkeys, and reptiles. In the spacious enclosures throughout the zoo, you can see bison, moose, wild horses, and deer roaming around. The mountain goats have an enclosure with a 20-meter vertical rock that they climb up in just a few seconds. There’s also a special attraction for those who enjoy specific scents: you can press a button on a special machine and smell how a skunk and other animals smell.

Helsinki Sightseeing Tour

During the excursion, you will visit the city’s main attractions: Senate Square, the Cathedral, the presidential palace, where you will be able to see the changing of the guard, the largest Orthodox cathedral in Northern Europe with a miraculous icon, the old covered market, built in the same way as the markets across the Russian Empire. You will stroll through the city’s central park and visit the unusual chapel, which reminds you of what the “real Noah’s Ark” looked like. You will see the most famous work of Finnish architecture- the Railway Station, and also enjoy a view of Helsinki from above.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can review them after booking the cruise in your “Client Personal Account”.