On a street since 1640. Signs are in Finnish, Swedish, and Russian

Uneven stones from Swedish times; smooth stones from Russian times.

Central train station designed by Eliel Saarinen, father of the architect of Dulles Airport

Tom with arms outstretched on the roof of the Amos Rex art museum

Very cool city library that Kevin told us about.

Church in the Rock -- inside a previous quarry

Starter of whitefish topped with birch mayonnaise, semi dried tomatoes, jalapeño, and wild flowers

Sautéed reindeer with lingonberries and mashed potatoes

Helsinki architecture at its finest

July 9, 2025 in Finland ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

I had researched Finnish architecture in Helsinki and we saw some very unique examples today. The Stockman department store started as an Art Nouveau residential building. Elial Saarinen did a great job of renovating the neoclassical theater in 1935, and the 1880s National Library of Finland and the Eliel Saarinen central train station were thankfully left intact.

We then moved on to the really innovative designs done in recent times: the Amos Rex art museum, Kamppi Chapel of Silence, the University of Helsinki Library, the national music hall, the Helsinki City Library, and the Church in the Rock. All were spectacular.

After 16,000+ steps and napping for an hour, we had a delightful dining experience at Restaurant Kulta. Bills itself as Finnish food presented in an elevated style. We had a whitefish starter and reindeer for a main course. Both delicious! But don’t tell the children. I don’t way them to think we might have eaten Rudolf!Read more