Must-see in Helsinki: a first-timer's guide

A brief history Helsinki was founded by Sweden in 1550 to rival Tallinn's trade, and stayed a small town until Russia took Finland in 1809 and made it the capital. The neoclassical centre by C. L. Engel dates from that era; independence in 1917 and the wars that followed forged a strong national design culture. Today it is a compact Baltic capital of saunas, islands and clean modern architecture. 10 must-see attractions 1. Suomenlinna — an 18th-century sea fortress across six islands, a short ferry from the market square. 2. Helsinki Cathedral — the white neoclassical church on its high steps above Senate Square. 3. Temppeliaukio Church — a modernist sanctuary blasted directly into bedrock, famous for its acoustics. 4. Uspenski Cathedral — the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe, in red brick above the harbour. 5. Market Square and Old Market Hall — berries, salmon soup and reindeer beside the water. 6. Oodi Central Library — a timber-and-glass civic living room facing parliament. 7. Design District — dozens of studios, vintage shops and the Design Museum in a walkable grid. 8. Ateneum Art Museum — the national collection of Finnish golden-age painting. 9. Loyly or a public sauna — the essential Finnish ritual, followed by a sea plunge. 10. Seurasaari Open-Air Museum — relocated wooden farmhouses on a wooded island of tame squirrels. Tip: summer daylight lasts almost all night — plan long evenings outdoors.