Finland's sights, pictures and descriptions

Assumption Cathedral (Helsinki)
On the Katajanokke Peninsula, high above the skyline of the Finnish capital, rises the largest Orthodox Cathedral in Europe, which was built at the order of Emperor Alexander II in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dormition Cathedral is an important religious landmark in Finland, whose history dates back to between 1862 and 1868.
The cathedral was built according to the project of Alexei Gornostayev, which was based on another church - the Church of the Ascension in the village of Kolomenskoye. The building was erected from red bricks left over from the Bomarsund Fortress destroyed in the Crimean War. The very shape of the temple symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and its 13 domes represent Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The construction of the temple was carried out at the expense of voluntary donations, and in 1868 the consecration of the cathedral.
Today Dormition Cathedral, which has become one of the main attractions of the capital, serves as the residence of the Archbishop of Helsinki. Each year comes to visit the shrine half a million tourists.
The external appearance of the cathedral is quite modest, but impressive in its enormous size: four massive granite columns prop up the vault of the temple from the inside, which is crowned with a blue dome with a scattering of golden stars. A rich display of icons, many of them miraculous, completes the interior decoration of the temple. Huge chandeliers hanging from the high vaulted ceilings complement the typical Orthodox style of the church's decorations. Today, the Cathedral of the Assumption hosts a variety of exhibitions and public events.

Suomenlinna Fortress (Helsinki)
Not every traveler, wondering what to see in Finland, includes a visit to Suomenlinna: someone sailing by on a ship, contemplates its facade from afar, someone just observes it from the waterfront. Meanwhile, Suomenlinna is one of the main attractions of Finland, namely its capital, Helsinki. This place holds a centuries-old history, and there really is something to see.
Suomenlinna Fortress, which was built in 1808 and originally called Sveaborg, was erected at a time when Finland was part of the Swedish kingdom. Later as a result of Russian-Swedish war in 1809 the fortress was passed to Russian Empire, and for the next century the Russian garrison was located here. In 1918, after the Great October Revolution, the fortress got a new name - Suomenlinna.
Today the fortress has become an important tourist destination, in its central part is a tourist information center, where you can get a map, learn more about the hiking routes, visit a souvenir shop, a cafe or a museum. This is where guided tours leave. The main hiking route, marked in blue on the map, is 1.5 kilometers and goes through all the memorable places of the fortress. Inside the structures of the fortress there are tunnels, some of which are available for exploring. In the main square in front of the fortress Suomenlinna there is a tomb of the founder of the fortress and its first commandant - Augustin Erensvärd.

Santa Claus Village (Rovaniemi, Lapland)
According to legend, the dwelling of Santa Claus is located in Lapland on Mount Korvatunturi. But as rumors started to spread among people about his place of residence, Santa, not wanting to be declassified, chose a place near the town of Rovaniemi to meet people. That's how far beyond the Arctic Circle, among the sparkling snows and dense forests, Santa Claus' village appeared many years ago.
But the real appearance of a popular attraction in Finland has a very different story. In 1950, wife of U.S. President Eleanor Roosevelt visited the region. In honor of her visit has been built a small wooden hut, which was presented as a temporary home of Santa Claus.
Over time, around this house a whole fairy tale village was formed, where a magical fairy tale mixed with reality: fairy tale characters live here and such events occur, which make even adults believe in miracles. Today, in addition to the house that started it all, Santa's village has Santa's post office, his office and even a reindeer farm. Guests can visit the many slides and stay in the cottages for longer stays. You can relax in one of the many restaurants, as well as visit the Arctic Winter World Park, full of amazing activities: it's amazingly beautiful slides and ice sculptures with mesmerizing lighting, a cafe where drinks are served in ice glasses, and there is even an igloo, an ice hotel where you can spend the night in a sleeping bag equipped with heating.

Turku Castle (Turku)
At the mouth of the Joki River there is another important landmark of Finland - the Castle of Abo, or Turku. The value of this structure is primarily because of its rich history - Turku Castle was built during the Middle Ages, and was one of the largest buildings of those times.
The history of the castle dates back to 1280, when the Swedes decided to found a fort on the site of the future castle. Over time, the fortress has played the role of the administrative center of the Swedish power in Finland. Despite the impressiveness and reliability of the building, the fortress was repeatedly attacked by the Danes and Novgorod inhabitants.
For several centuries until the 16th century the fortress was strengthened, expanded and rebuilt, until it was converted into a beautiful palace, which became a place for various celebrations with the participation of nobles and dignitaries.
The time of splendid entertainments of the Renaissance passed quickly, and by the beginning of the 17th century the castle was abandoned, and later there was a huge fire. Restoration of the castle began only in the 19th century and was completed only after the Second World War.
Today, within the walls of Turku Castle is a historical museum, and in its chapel wedding ceremonies are held. The Renaissance tradition of holding various ceremonies, banquets, exhibitions and celebrations of various events in its halls has returned.

Lemmenjoki National Park (Lapland Region)
True connoisseurs of wildlife, hiking romance and real extreme will definitely find something to see in Finland. Lemmenjoki National Park will be a real find for them.
After all, this is one of the most sparsely inhabited, untouched by man territories in Europe, located in Lapland on the border with the Norwegian park Anarjohka. These territories acquired the status of a national park in 1956, and since then the area has almost doubled in size to 2,850 square kilometers.
Travelling through this region is an ideal way to escape from the hustle and bustle of the world and merge with the wildlife. It is impassable wilderness, off-road, calm, measured and natural silence, which nothing can disturb.
For the most adventurous travelers are offered a walk in the most difficult places, for this special boats are offered - the only way to travel in such areas. Adhering to a certain route, you can climb Mount Morgam, and from there you will have a wide view of almost the entire northern border, vast forested areas and vast mountainous areas.
For those who don't want to venture out, there is a beautiful park area, with numerous trails and wilderness huts. Rental of any of the huts with a set up campfire site is also offered.

Olafsborg Castle (Suvonlinn)
On the rocky shore of Finland's largest lake Saimaa rises majestically Olavinlinna Fortress, or Olafsborg in Swedish parlance, which was built in the late 15th century. In terms of popularity in the tourism industry, the fortress is probably the next largest after Turku Castle. The famous landmark of Finland got its name from the name of the 11th century Norwegian King Olaf Haraldsson.
The fortress is located in Suvonlinna - a small resort town near the border with Russia.
Construction of the fortress dates from 1475, its construction was supervised by Danish knight Tott. He had planned the location of the fortress in advance, because the borders of Muscovite Russia at that time were constantly expanding, and he had already been planning to conquer the Finnish territories.
The fortress turned out to the good, its ability to withstand fi****ms was unrivaled, and in the 15-16 centuries, the fortress successfully defended its positions during the attacks of Moscow Russia.
Finally, at the very beginning of the 18th century Olafsborg Fortress was conquered by Russian troops, and at the same time Turku Fortress was besieged. Since then, the fortress remained in the possession of the Russian Empire until Finland's independence.
Today, Olafsborg houses a museum with exhibitions devoted to the history of the fortress and orthodox iconography, as well as a regular opera festival, a tradition that dates back to 1912.