Car Hire Helsinki - Mini guide to Helsinki
Helsinki is a lively city whose people are typically friendly, if not immediately welcoming and out-going. Clean and fresh, Helsinki is a pleasure for nature buffs and artsy travelers alike.
The most colourful square in Helsinki is the Kauppatori (Market Square), best seen in the morning when it's most lively. The famous promenade street of Helsinki, Esplanadi, begins west of Market Square.
Helsinki’s main vein is the lovely Mannerheimintie. East of Mannerheimintie, opening onto Kaivokatu, is the Helsinki Railway Station. Toward the harbor is Senaatintori, crowned by the landmark cathedral. Designed by Carl Ludwig Engel, this "Senate Square" also includes the government and university buildings. Further east is a bridge crossing over a tiny island--Katajanokka--dominated by the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral.
An important aspect of Helsinki's cultural and artistic life is the Kaapeli Tehdas (Cable Factory). This industrial building houses a restaurant, the Cable Gallery, which doubles as a vast theater and various small but worthy museums, including the Suomen Valokuvataiteen Museo (Photographic Museum of Finland). If shopping is your thing, Helsinki shops are well-stocked with high-quality goods: leather garments, glassware, knitwear, leisurewear, interior decoration articles, consumer electronics, jewellery, antiques and art.
West of the city centre, on Seurasaari Island, Seurasaari Open-Air Museum provides a enchanting glimpse into Finland’s past. On a tight cluster of islands just south of the Helsinki fish market is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the sea fortress of Suomenlinna. Espoo is an independent municipality just west of Helsinki. The most important sight in Espoo is the pastiche studio-castle of Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
Helsinki's airport is 19km north of the city, in Vantaa. There are flights to Helsinki from the USA, Europe and Asia. Finnair offers international as well as domestic services, with flights to 20 Finnish cities at least once a day.
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