The city is famous for its Modernism, Functionalism and the largest concetration of Art Nouveau buildings, which were designed at the beginning of the 20th century.

Nowadays the food culture in Helsinki is enjoying a golden age! The capital has several Michelin starred restaurants, numerous new food outlets and delicatessens have been established recently. Traditional Finnish cuisine is a combination of European, Fennoscandian and Western Russian elements; table manners are European.

Also once you visit Finland, you have to try sauna, it´s a big part of Finnish culture and it is a national identity symbol! The Finnish sauna culture is well established, there are built-in-saunas in almost every house in Finland.

The main attractions in Helsinki:

• Helsinki Cathedral – the Evangelic Lutheran church designed by architect C.L. Engel in 19th century. It´s the symbol of Helsinki.
• Kamppi Chapel of Silence – is situated at the entrance of the Kamppi shopping center. The Chapel is the place where people can have a moment of silence.
• Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church) – one of the most popular tourist attraction in Helsinki. The interior walls are created naturally by the rock and the church is popular venue for concerts.
• Ateneum Art Museum – you´ll find there the largest collections of art in Finland with more then 20,000 works of art. The  museum is a part of the Finnish National Gallery.
• Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress – one of the biggest sea fortresses in the world. It was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The fortress offers many restaurants and charming cafés. You can reach it by a regular ferry through Helsinki City Transportation system, or by waterbuses.
• Market Square – Helsinki´s most famous market, offers mix of traditional Finnish food, souvenirs and handicrats. It´s located near the Senate Square and along the city bay.
• Linnanmäki Amusement Park – the most popular Finland´s theme park, offering many rides like roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, river rafting and more. The park is include a Glass Maze, Motion Cinema and Fun House.
• Esplanadi Park – located in the heart of Helsinki, it´s a place where you can relax, during the year. The park hostes many events.

 Maybe you didn´t know that...

• The only Finnish word to make it into English is „sauna“.
• Helsinki was chosen to be the World Design Capital for 2012.
• In 1952 Helsinki hosted the Olympic Games.
  
• The tap water is supplied by 120 km Päijänne Water Tunnel, one of the world´s longest continuous rock tunnels.
• The city has almost 100 km of shoreline.

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