Affectionately known as the 'Daughter of the Baltic', Helsinki sits at the arrowhead of a peninsula, surrounded by an archipelago of 315 islands, perfectly placed between its two great trading cousins, Stockholm and Moscow.
Helsinki's population just teeters over half a million, and with its tallest city centre building only 12 storeys high, Helsinki seems almost provincial. However, statistics reveal that the city is one of the fastest growing areas in the European Union. Within the last decade, over 100,000 inhabitants have moved into greater Helsinki and by the year 2030, government statistics predict over 1.3 million people will be living within the region.
The city's distinctive 'East meets West' culture is symbolised in the contrast between the cool, clean lines of Finlandia Hall and the rich golden 'onion' dome of Uspenski Cathedral. The centre of the city, the neoclassical mini-St Petersburg built by German-born architect Carl Engel, is easily explored on foot and most of the main sights are within walking distance of the centre.
The pace of Helsinki life varies with the seasons. In the summer, the Finns revel in 20-hour-long summer days whilst in winter, city evades the harsh wniters by going underground and becoming a creative hive of productivity.
Perhaps it is the balance between these two climatic extremes that conspires to make Helsinki one of Europe's most creative and technologically progressive capitals.
Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/helsinki#ixzz15bmkGHub
Helsinki's population just teeters over half a million, and with its tallest city centre building only 12 storeys high, Helsinki seems almost provincial. However, statistics reveal that the city is one of the fastest growing areas in the European Union. Within the last decade, over 100,000 inhabitants have moved into greater Helsinki and by the year 2030, government statistics predict over 1.3 million people will be living within the region.
The city's distinctive 'East meets West' culture is symbolised in the contrast between the cool, clean lines of Finlandia Hall and the rich golden 'onion' dome of Uspenski Cathedral. The centre of the city, the neoclassical mini-St Petersburg built by German-born architect Carl Engel, is easily explored on foot and most of the main sights are within walking distance of the centre.
The pace of Helsinki life varies with the seasons. In the summer, the Finns revel in 20-hour-long summer days whilst in winter, city evades the harsh wniters by going underground and becoming a creative hive of productivity.
Perhaps it is the balance between these two climatic extremes that conspires to make Helsinki one of Europe's most creative and technologically progressive capitals.
Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/helsinki#ixzz15bmkGHub
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