Historic Helsinki Self-Guided Walking Tour
Explore Helsinki with our self-guided walking tour. Helsinki is the youngest of the Nordic capitals. It was established in 1550 by King Gustav Vasa, but didn’t see development until the early 19th century, when it was transformed into the capital under Russian rule. But this doesn’t mean that Helsinki is a boring, modern city! In fact, quite the opposite. Helsinki is a gem of architecture, from the Neo-Classical Russian style to the trendy, almost political Art Nouveau of the early 20th century.
On this walk I focus on the historic centre of Helsinki, in particular the areas around Market Square, Senate Square, and the Esplanade.
In this article...
Downloadable Version of This Guide
We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided walks on our online store.
Online Guide
- Information about points of interest
- Images of each point of interest
- Historic overview of the neighbourhood
- Directions between points
- Historic photos
Downloadable Guide
- Information about points of interest
- Images of each point of interest
- Historic overview of the city
- Directions between points
- Historic photos
Helsinki Self-Guided Walking Tour
This walk begins on Market Square, under the monolith with the Russian Eagle.
Market Square
Market Square is the central square of Helsinki. In the summertime, there are vendors here selling Finnish food and souvenirs. In October, the annual herring market is held here. If you happen to be here on the first Friday of the month, don’t be confused if you see a lot of Old American cars – this is a long tradition at Market Square!
The ferries to Suomenlinna leave from Market Square.
There are a number of interesting historic buildings on Market Square, so let’s look at those before going to Uspenski Cathedral.
Stora Enso Headquarters
The Stora Enso headquarters is a distinctive building designed by the renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and completed in 1962. The materials used included Carrara marble, granite, copper, and brass. It is commonly called ‘the sugar cube’ by locals and is something of a controversial building because many believe it clashes with the historic neo-classical architecture of Market Square. It has at times been called the ugliest building in Finland, but since 2010 it has been granted protection status.
Stora Enso is a major Finnish company that develops and produces solutions based in wood.
Presidential Palace
The Presidential Palace is the official residence of Finland’s president. The building was originally constructed as a residence for a merchant, Johan Henrik Heidenstrauch. In 1837, since the building was so lavish, it was purchased to be converted into the residence for the Governor General of Finland, but instead became the official residence in Helsinki of the Emperor of Russia. The building was re-designed by Carl Ludvig Engel to give it the characteristic neo-classical look it has today. When Finland became independent and the Constitution was passed in 1919, it was converted to the Presidential Palace.
Uspenski Cathedral
Uspenski Cathedral feels like a fitting place to start this walk. We will come back to Market Square a little later. The cathedral was completed in 1868 and serves the Finnish-speaking Orthodox congregation. It is believed to be the largest orthodox church in Western Europe and was completed using 700,000 bricks.
The cathedral is one of the clearest symbols of Russian history in Helsinki.
It is possible to visit the cathedral for free. Visit their website for up-to-date opening hours: https://www.hos.fi/en/uspenski-cathedral-main-cathedral-of-the-orthodox-parish-of-helsinki-and-the-diocese-of-helsinki/
Main Guard Post
This blue building is the Main Guard Post. It was built in this location in 1843. Historically it was the central guard post of the Helsinki garrison, acting as a post to guard the most important military targets. It was also where they would detain soldiers who were drinking alcohol.
In Finland there is compulsory military service for men, and this is one of the places they can do their service. They guard from 7:45am in the morning until 10pm at night. One guard shift lasts an hour at most, or only twenty minutes in winter. They must stand absolutely still and carry assault rifles on their backs.
The Second Customs House & Historic Harbour
The body of water you see is where the original harbour of Helsinki was while Finland was under Swedish rule. This can therefore be regarded as one of the oldest places in the city. The red brick building is the customs and packing house from 1854. It was built to replace the original customs house, which we will see next. Today this building is a day-care.
Aleksanterinkatu
Aleksanterinkatu is a historic street in Helsinki. It is believed to have been here since Helsinki was founded in 1550 but got its current name in 1833 after Emperor Alexander I. Trams have run on the street since the beginning of Helsinki’s trams. This is also the official Christmas street of Finland since 1949.
Historic Customs House
This yellow building tucked away is the historic customs and packing house from 1765. It is one of the few surviving buildings from the time of the Swedish rule. The reason why it is at an angle is because there was originally a plan to build a wall around Helsinki, and this building follows the curve of the wall. However, those plans were never finalised. Today the building is protected.
Oldest Building in Central Helsinki
The Sederholm House is a stone house from 1757, making it the oldest building in central Helsinki. It was built for a Swedish merchant. Ever since 2015 the free Helsinki City Museum has been located inside the building.
Senate Square
Once Helsinki was established as the new capital of Finland, Senate Square became the main square. The buildings here are designed by Carl Ludvig Engel in the distinctive neo-classical style.
Before this became Senate Square, this was a graveyard with a church called the Ulriika Eleonoora Church. When it was designated as the new centre of Helsinki, all the historic buildings as well as the church were torn down. The graves were not moved, so the graves from the 17th and 18th centuries are still under the square. Even in the 2000s, bones have come up in connection with construction work.
Here is an overview of the most distinctive buildings as well as the statue of Alexander II. Stand in front of Helsinki Cathedral and face it.
Government Palace
This building is to the right of Helsinki Cathedral.
The Government Palace of Helsinki is the office building of the Council State of Finland and the reason for the name ‘Senate Square’. The Senate moved into the palace in 1822 after the building was completed. In the early years of Finland, the building was home to many important public agencies, including the Bank of Finland, Post of Finland, Customs Board and National Archives.
University of Helsinki
This building is to the left of Helsinki Cathedral.
The University building was completed in 1832. It was heavily damaged due to bombing during World War II and had to be reconstructed.
Helsinki Cathedral
Helsinki Cathedral is the main Lutheran Church of Helsinki. The church was completed in 1852 in a neoclassical style with a Greek cross layout. The two white buildings on either side of the cathedral are later additions: the one to the left is a bell tower, while the one to the right is a chapel. The zinc statues of the Twelve Apostles are also a later addition.
Statue of Alexander II
The statue of Emperor Alexander II was erected in 1894 to commemorate his re-establishment of the Diet of Finland in 1863. Alexander II also fought for Finnish autonomy and promoted the use of the Finnish language, amongst other things. The figures around the statue represent law, culture, and peasants. While there have been debates if the statue should be removed, it remains a symbol of the role Alexander II had in establishing Finnish statehood.
Sofiankatu
Sofiankatu is a historic street in Helsinki city centre. The street has existed since the 1640s, though the buildings here are from the early 19th century under Russian rule. The cobblestone on the ground represents the two eras: the smoother cobblestone is from the Russian time, while the uneven cobblestone is from the Swedish time. Here you will also see the street sign in the three languages: Finnish, Swedish and Russian.
Havis Amanda
The Havis Amanda is a statue that was put on this site in 1908. The work drew strong criticism at first, especially from women who thought its nakedness and seductiveness was inappropriate. Some womens groups even called it as a ‘common French whore’ (the model was in France). The sea lions, with their tongues out, were said to represent men lusting after the woman. However, many of the Swedish elite loved the statue as it made Helsinki look more like a cultural European capital. The statue is supposed to represent Helsinki as the woman rising from the Baltic Sea, which is represented by the sea lions.
The Esplanade
The Esplanade is a public park and esplanade designed by architect Carl Ludvig Engel during his construction of Helsinki around 1818.
On the eastern end of the park, where you are now, is the historic Kappeli restaurant from 1867. The stage outside the restaurant has several music performances throughout the summer months.
Many of the historic buildings are on the right side, so I’ll focus on that side. However, it is worth while walking down the centre of the Esplanade too. You’ll see a statue of Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet of Finland and other statues of prominent Finns.
Uschakoff House (Roberts Coffee)
The Uschakoff House was originally built in 1815 for Jegor Uschakoff, a Russian merchant who immigrated to Finland in 1808. The building had warehouses and shops on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floor. In 1896, the building was sold to the Private Bank of Helsinki and rebuilt into the Art Nouveau style. The bank closed in 1922 and the city bought the building. The Art Nouveau Hall has been preserved inside and now it is a Roberts Coffee. Highly recommended to go in!
Academic Bookstore
I know this is technically a history walk, but we have to include Alvar Aalto wherever possible. On the right, towards the end of the Esplanade, is the Academic Bookstore designed by Alvar Aalto and opened in 1969. The interior of the building is lovely and worth visiting.
Stockmann Department Store
The beautiful brick building at the end of the street is called the Argos House. It was completed in 1897. It was originally built as a residential building and is one of the first Art Nouveau buildings to be completed in Helsinki. Stockmann department store bought the building in 1919 and has been there ever since.
Swedish Theatre
You have now made it to the end of the Esplanade, where the Swedish Theatre is.
The first theatre to be constructed on this site was completed in 1825 and was a small wooden theatre. The building was designed by, you guessed it, Carl Ludvig Engel. However, the theatre soon became cramped, so it was decided to build a new theatre out of stone. The current building was inaugurated in 1866 and was originally called the New Theatre. However, when the Finnish language theatre was established in 1872, the name was changed to Svenska Teatern, or Swedish Theatre.
Thanks for coming!
I hope you enjoyed this walk around the historic area of Helsinki. Be sure to visit our travel guide page to learn more about this wonderful capital!
