Helsinki, like all Nordic capitals, is a city built on the sea. Wherever you go inside its borders, the sound of the waves is never far away. From islands and harbours to inner bays, it is a place enveloped by water. A city of long straight roads carved out into the coastal bedrock, designed for walking and exploring.
Yet unlike many European cities, Helsinki is a capital purposefully constructed to become a centre point. It was created as the heart of the Grand Duchy of Finland, as window to the world and a display of imperial accomplishment. Built up on top of a small military and trading outpost, it is a marvellous example of early 19th century innovation. What it lacks in a traditional old town, it makes up in the Nordic values of clarity and functionality.
To experience Helsinki is to encounter a place where the calmness of nature meets the ease and comfort of a metropolis. A place where you can both withdraw to contemplation and engage in lively city culture. A place where traditional styles and modern Scandinavian designs meld into a harmonious whole. It is a city best approached without haste and urgency and the preoccupation to “see it all”. Watching passers-by in cosy café, whilst enjoying a traditional cinnamon bun, is as central to the charm of the city as viewing its monumental architecture.
To experience Helsinki is to encounter a place where the calmness of nature meets the ease and comfort of a metropolis. A place where you can both withdraw to contemplation and engage in lively city culture. A place where traditional styles and modern Scandinavian designs meld into a harmonious whole. It is a city best approached without haste and urgency and the preoccupation to “see it all”. Watching passers-by in cosy café, whilst enjoying a traditional cinnamon bun, is as central to the charm of the city as viewing its monumental architecture.
Most importantly, Helsinki is a city of students. Home to the biggest university in Finland, with a campus located right in the city centre, the capital is bustling with young people: students reading, walking and sitting together on the stairs of the Helsinki Cathedral. As visiting researchers, we hope to show you that ours is a capital that is steeped in university tradition, yet always strives to keep it vivid in the sentiments of the present.
