Helsinki Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h00 and 26 Audio Commentaries

Helsinki has the particularity of having a district called the Design District and in this district, in which you are currently located, there is the majestic Design Museum, which stands right in front of you.

Esplanadi Park, or Esplanadi in Finnish, is a privileged place for the inhabitants of the city. Founded in 1812, it connects the centre of Helsinki to its port, surrounded by beautiful 19th century buildings.

Located at the end of the Esplanade Park, here you are in front of the Swedish Theatre. Since Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, it was essential to have a Finnish-language theatre, located on the Train Station Square, and a Swedish-language theatre, which stands in front of you.

I would like to take this opportunity to speak to you in the Finnish language, the second official language of the country, along with Swedish.

Built between 1888 and 1893, this Lutheran church called St. John’s Church has a beautiful neo-Gothic style designed by the Swedish architect Adolf Melander.

The Design District is a must-visit area in the Finnish capital, revealing a large number of designer and antique shops, art galleries, museums and fashion stores that make it a trendy area where Finnish identity is everywhere!

As you walk down Fredrikinkatu Street, one of Helsinki’s main streets popular for its many shops, I offer you a little insight into local gastronomy!

Here you are in front of the so-called “old church of Helsinki”. And as its name suggests, it is indeed the oldest church in the center of the capital!

Here we are in the Kamppi district, the central district of Helsinki animated by the large shopping centre in front of you.

This surprising building, located on Narinkkatori Square, is the chapel of Kamppi.

This beautiful building is the Helsinki Museum of Natural History. The building in which it is housed was built in 1913, and at that time it was not a museum at all, but a Russian high school.

A true curiosity of the city, this church is nothing ordinary. Yes, yes, it's a church you see there! We see here only the dome, since it was built directly in the rock!

You are in front of the building that houses the Finnish Parliament. The architect Pekka Helin, winner of a design competition, will be responsible for building this modern structure of almost 300 offices.

On your right is the entrance to the Amos Rex, a museum of modern and contemporary art completely renovated in 2018. It is located in this building called the Lasipalatsi, which means “glass palace”, built in the 1930s in a remarkable functionalist style.

This beautiful train station, a masterpiece of Finnish Art Nouveau, was built between 1909 and 1919 to cope with the population growth in the Finnish capital, which rose from 20,000 in the 1860s to almost 95,000 in 1900.

Here you are in front of the National Theatre of Finland, the oldest Finnish-language theatre. Finland did not gain independence until 1917, and before that it belonged to Sweden until 1809 and then to Russia from 1809 to 1917.

You are in front of the museum which contains the largest collection of classical art in Finland!

To enjoy your visit to Helsinki even better and understand its monuments, there is nothing like a little look back at the history of what is known as the White City of the North!

An emblematic place of the city, Senate Square has religious, political and commercial buildings. Apart from the unmissable Tuomiokirkko Cathedral, there is also the Government Palace on the right, the former University of Finland and its library on the left and a shopping centre opposite.

Here is the flagship monument of Helsinki. Overlooking the Senate Square, the Tuomiokirkko is the Lutheran Cathedral of Helsinki, built between 1830 and 1852 to the designs of the architect Carl Ludwig Engel, who also completely converted Senate Square.

Crossing this small bridge, you have a superb view of the Ouspenski Cathedral overlooking the island of Katajanokka on which you will arrive.

This beautiful cathedral built of red brick is the Orthodox church of the city, built in 1868 for the Russian population.

You are here in the heart of the Katajanokka district, a small island located east of Helsinki. It is separated from the rest of the city by the canal of the same name, dug between the 1830s and 1840s.

Here you are in front of the Helsinki Presidential Palace, which, as the name suggests, is one of the official residences of the President of the Republic of Finland.

The Point of Sale Square is certainly one of the liveliest places in the city, and here there is a friendly and warm atmosphere that is due to the presence of the Helsinki Point of Sale!

The port of Helsinki is a true symbol of the city: it has existed since the very beginning of its foundation. Helsinki was indeed a small fishing port before becoming this European capital open to tourism.