Discovering Helsinki.
Heat. Heat. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board. During this cruise, we will tell you stories about the history of Helsinki as well as about the places you will see. The market square Kadori is the most popular marketplace in Helsinki. On a busy summer day, up to 30,000 people visit the market. The old red and yellow brick building by the square is the charming cupboard market. Built in 1889, it is the oldest of its kind in Helsinki and well worth a visit. Here you can find local cheeses, smoked ham, and reindeer meat, as well as smoked and cured fish. Finland was a part of the kingdom of Sweden until 1809. King Gustav Vasa founded Helsinki at the river Panta in 1550. The place was difficult to reach by sea and about 100 years later. The town was moved to the area where white cathedral today stands. Sweden lost the war against Russia in 1809 and as a result Finland became an autonomous pot, a grunt duchy of Russia. The Russians considered that the capital Duru was situated too close to Sweden and made Helsinki the capital of the Grand Duchy in 1812. This decision was not changed when Finland became an independent state in 1917. Heat. Heat. Heat. Malcosari Island is home to NJK, the oldest yacht club in Helsinki, founded in 1861. The beautiful wooden pavilion which is from year 1900 is today a popular summer restaurant. On neighboring island there’s a similar wooden villa another popular summer restaurant. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. was built in the early stages of the sea fortress to protect the ships that sailed to and from Helsinki. The walls were built according to similar fortresses in Goththingberg and Kruna in Sweden. The island of Terrabasari or tar island used to house warehouses for storing tar which Finland exported all over Europe. Tar is a dark, thick and sticky oil which is formed in pinewood at high temperatures and it is mainly used to protect boats, ships and buildings. However, in Finland, it is also believed to be good for your health. In Finland, we have an old saying, if tar, alcohol, and sauna doesn’t help, then death is next. Mhm. No wonder then that you can find tar shampoo, tar flavored candy, and tar schnubs here. Today, there’s a park with a playground and a dog park, as well as a summit theater and a restaurant on the island. The restaurant operates in a building which used to be a tar warehouse built in 1805. The Kunhaka neighborhood is a fancy area of Helsinki. The name translates into the crown’s pastures and the name dates to the 18th century when the horses of the crown’s artillery were taken for pasture in this area. This part of the city houses some important institutions such as the presidential palace, the Lutheran Cathedral, the government palace and the bank of Finland as well as many buildings of the University of Helsinki. The central part is built in empire style. The quay at the seafront is called Haluri and it used to be the place where imported wood was unloaded. Today the quay is home to old wooden yachts. The houses on the street by the sea were built between the late 1880s and the early 1920s. The Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral on the hill in the Katayanovka district was built in 1868. It is the main church for the Orthodox congregation in Helsinki and the largest Orthodox church in all Western Europe. The church kipolas are covered with 22 karat gold. The building with the black cup by the sea is the Katayanoka Casino. This was originally built for the Russian Marine Officers in 1913, but it is now owned by the Finnish Officers Union. There’s a popular restaurant in the building. Hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Ruby booty ruby booty anywhere. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. Baby and we open Hey, up. Heat. Heat. N. Swim, baby.
Brief overview of the our sightseeing tour of Helsinki, Norway.
Part of the Discovery series. Summer 2025.
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Best appreciated with quality headphones and a larger screen.