Welcome to Helsinki with class 6 from Sääksjärvi primary school!

One April morning we (class 6) and two of our teachers took the train from Mäntsälä to Helsinki. This trip was a part of our return ticket project with Rosso di San Secondo school in Italy. We saw and visited many famous sights in the centre of Helsinki and took lots of pictures (over a thousand!) as well as some video clips. So, this was Helsinki on a spring day, sunny but a bit cold :)

Here we are on the train. The train journey from Mäntsälä (Sääksjärvi primary school is situated in Mäntsälä) took 40 minutes.

Helsinki - fast facts

• Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland.
• The population of Helsinki is over 600.000, but over 1.000.000 people live in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
• Helsinki is situated on the south coast by the Baltic Sea and there are over 300 islands around Helsinki.
• Helsinki is the northern most capital in EU.
• Helsinki is Finland's major political, educational, financial, cultural and research centre
• King Kustaa Vaasa set up Helsinki in 1550 (Finland was a part of Sweden then).
• Helsinki is one of the coldest cities in the world. The average annual temperature is + 5 degrees (we would like it to be a bit warmer :). In winter the temperature can be as cold as -30 degrees below zero while in summer time we can enjoy +30 degrees in the sun!
• Helsinki was the World Design capital in 2012.

                                                                                                        all photos and videos by class 6

Helsinki central railway station

Helsinki Central railway station is a landmark in central in Helsinki. Over 200.000 people use it every day. It is Finland's most-visited building. 

The Helsinki Cathedral (evangelic Lutheran church)

One of the most famous sights in Helsinki.  For many it is the symbol of Helsinki. 

The church has a tall green dome surrounded by four smaller domes. The building represents neoclassical style. White church and blue sky - the colours of Finland's flag. Beautiful!

Class 6 sitting on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral.

The Senate Square

The Senate Square is the very centre of Helsinki. It is surrounded by a number of significant buildings, such as the Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace and the main building of University of Helsinki. In the middle of the square you can see the statue of czar Alexander II of Russia.

The main building of University of Helsinki

 The Esplanade Park  

In the heart of Helsinki there are two famous streets: North Esplanade and South Esplanade. There is a lovely walking path between them.

Around the Market Square

The statue of Havis Amanda. Every year on the eve of 1st of May (Vappu), this statue is a centre for celebrations. Students of the local universities put a cap on the statue in an elaborate ceremony. For many it is a "must see". 

You can take a ferry to Stockholm, Sweden from South Harbour every day.

The Uspenski Cathedral

The Uspenski Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in western Europe. There is a magnificent icon display inside. One of the icons is believed to work miracles.

After all that walking and sight-seeing, we were ready for lunch at McDonalds.

In Mannerheim street

Kiasma - museum of contemporary art

Kiasma is a contemporary art museum located in Mannerheim street in Helsinki. Kiasma has five public floors, connected by ramps, stairs and lifts. Art Kiasma's collection has over 8000 works of art, both Finnish and foreign.