Some popular and interesting sights, and easy ways to pass the time during both our stops in Helsinki
Below are some of the sights that are reachable from the tram 2/3 line
Market Square (Stop #1 on tram)
Located in the South Harbour at the very beginning of the Esplanade Park, the Market Square is Helsinki's most international and famous market. The booths here sell traditional market foods and treats, as well as handicrafts and souvenirs. There is also a heated café tent where you can comfortably sip steaming hot coffee even on the coldest days in winter.
Sunday 10am-5pm / Monday-Friday 6.30am-6pm
Helsinki Cathedral (Stop #2 on tram)
The Cathedral rising on the northern side of the Senate Square is the stage of national and academic festive services and one of the most popular tourist sights. The church is part of Helsinki"s Empire era centre and a landmark for those arriving by sea. It has become the symbol of the whole of Helsinki. Earlier called St. Nicholas Church and Great Cathedral, the current main church of the Helsinki Diocese was completed in 1852. The Kazan Cathedral located in St. Petersburg is considered to be the model for the neoclassical style of the church. Sculptures of the twelve apostles guard the city from the roof of the church.
Located in Senate Square
Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral (Stop #2 on tram)
Completed in 1868 in the Katajanokka district of Helsinki, the Uspenski Cathedral is the largest orthodox church in Western Europe. With its golden cupolas and redbrick facade, the church is one of the clearest symbols of the Russian impact on Finnish history.
Located in at Pormestarinrinne 1 - east of Senate Square
Kamppi Chapel - (Stop #6 on Tram)
Kamppi Chapel is located in a corner of the Narinkkatori square in Helsinki, at the entrance of the Kamppi shopping center.
The Chapel is intended to be a place where people can have a moment of silence and meet each other. It offers an opportunity to calm down in the middle of perhaps the busiest area in Finland.
The shops don't open until 12pm on Sunday
Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church - (Stop #9 on tram)
Excavated directly into solid rock, the Temppeliaukio church is situated in the heart of Helsinki, at the end of Fredrikinkatu.
Because of its special architecture, the church, completed in 1969, is one of the main attractions in Helsinki.
The church hall is covered with a dome, lined with copper and supported on the rock walls by reinforced concrete beams. The interior walls are of rugged rock and rubble wall.
Before noon, the sunlight spreads from the row of windows surrounding the roof periphery to the altar wall, where an ice-age crevice serves as the altarpiece.
Sibelius Monument (stop #13 on tram)
24 metric tonnes of abstract act in honour of the famous Finnish composer, the monument was designed by Eila Hiltunen and sparked a lot of controversy when it was unveiled in 1967.
The Helsinki public was a little bemused by the concept of abstract art those days.
Worth seeing just to go stick your head into one of the 600 odd vertical metal pipes and make some of your own music into them
Hietalahti Market Hall
Hietalahti Market Hall (in Finnish Hietalahden kauppahalli) used to be an antique hall but was returned back to a market hall in 2012 and locals welcomed it warmly when it opened.
Outside the market hall there's a rather popular flea market daily in the summer time.
If you're interested in high quality food, this market hall is your place. In addition to ingredients, the market hall is also a perfect place for lunch. You can enjoy tasty soup in Soppakeittiö, fresh shrimps at Räken, perfect burgers ar Roslund and delicious fish dishes at Marja Nätti.
Open from 8am Monday-Saturday
Suomenlinna
What remains of this "Finnish fortress" is accessible by public ferry from Kauppatori (the market square).
This UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 1700's as Finland (and Sweden's) easternmost defences, is now a beautiful and eerie spot for a windswept picnic.
Just 10 minutes from the city
