Helsinki is Finland's capital and the centre of its cultural, financial and economic activity. The city is located in the southern part of Finland on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. While it embodies much of the Finnish spirit and its progressive hi-tech push, it is unlike any other Finnish city, due in part to the fascinating combination of Swedish and Russian influences.
Helsinki was founded in 1550 by the Swedish king, King Gustav I. The early years of Helsinki’s past are marred with a series of problems, including disease, poverty and a series of local wars. As a result of these problems, Helsinki did not establish itself as a strong city for a number of years. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Russia defeated Sweden in a war known as the Finnish War, and Russia then established Finland as its own area. At that time, Helsinki began to grow.
Helsinki has a climate that is transitional between maritime and continental. Summers are warm and bright, temperatures ranging from a cool 15°C (59°F) up to a hot 30°C (86°F) in the warmest month of July. Days are long and sunny, with up to 19 hours of daylight. The city is blanketed by snow in winter, temperatures plummeting well below freezing to the point where the sea itself freezes over, and it is never fully daylight. Spring arrives late, in early April.
The economy of Helsinki is primarily service-based, having gradually moved away from heavy industry. Most large Finnish companies have their headoffices and other important functions in the Helsinki metropolitan area, primarily due to international connections, logistics network and workforce availability. It is also the often-favoured choice as a location for regional headoffice of international companies operating in the country. Information technology and financing sectors form the backbone of Helsinki's economy. Helsinki is surrounded by the natural harbors of the Gulf of Finland. The harbors and excellent railway and road connections to the nation's interior have made the city into Finland's chief gateway to the world. Helsinki's main industries in the 20th century included food and metal processing, printing, textiles, and clothing.
There are about 20 Universities and 29 polytechnics that comprise the higher education system in Finland. The main emphasis is on providing quality higher educational opportunities, while encouraging scientific research of international standards. Universities in Finland offer Bachelor's, Master's and Doctor's degrees as well as a Licentiate's degree. Polytechnics in Finland which are owned by municipalities or private bodies provide an opportunity for students to take up vocational programs that can prepare them to join the workforce.
Helsinki has a simple and extremely efficient public transport system, rated one of the best in Europe, making it easy to hop onto trams, buses, the metro or a ferry with a single ticket purchased from the driver, ticket machines or even by SMS on a mobile phone. There are plenty of taxis available to be hailed, ordered by telephone or boarded at one of the many taxi ranks. A car in the easily navigable city poses no problems, and there are several car hire agencies available. Helsinki retains a small-town feel: there are no high-rise buildings and the market square is still surrounded by 19th-century architecture. Its green parks and waterways, fresh sea winds with seagulls flying over the busy market square, and many open-air cafes make it a perfect summer destination.
Suomenlinna is a major monument of military architecture. The construction of the sea fortress on the islands just off Helsinki in the middle of the 18th century was the most extensive building project during Swedish rule. The 250-year-old fortress, which has been preserved intact because of its military use, is today part of the world heritage. In 1991 it was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Uspenski Cathedral was built between 1862 and 1868. The bricks came from the Bomarsund fortress in Aland, which had been destroyed during the Crimean War in 1854. Today, the cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Helsinki in the Finnish Orthodox Church. The exterior of Uspenski Cathedral is not elaborately decorated, but is nevertheless striking with its deep-red brick walls and green-and-gold onion domes. There are 13 onion domes in all, representing Christ and the twelve apostles.
Every autumn fishermen gather in the Market Square for the traditional Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair to sell their Baltic herring products and other fish products. The fishermen of the Baltic Sea supply with their best: traditional pickled Baltic herring as well as a delicious selection of Baltic herring in an array of marinades from rowan berries to pink peppercorns. Finland’s popular annual Marathon event attracts thousands of runners from around the world, most probably because the race follows a particularly scenic course along the coastline in and around Helsinki.
The Helsinki Festival, held annually in late August-early September, is Finland's biggest cultural festival. The art festival's programme includes music, theatre, dance, visual arts, cinema as well as city events, featuring both Finnish and foreign artists of international repute. Since its founding in 1968, the festival has developed into an event that crowns the Finnish festival summer and welcomes the autumn season of arts. Every year in late August-early September Helsinki becomes a lively festival city, where a rich and diverse programme of arts entertains both Finnish and foreign art lovers.
