Excellent, Julf. Thanks very much!!
On Jun 17, 2016, at 6:17 AM, Johan Helsingius <julf@julf.com> wrote:
Mason,
Nice idea, Julf. I get in Saturday and could use some ideas for something to see/do that afternoon.
"Must see" things are the Rock Church (Temppeliaukio), http://www.helsinginkirkot.fi/en/churches/rock-church-temppeliaukio very close to our meeting venue, and the market square and the neoclassical administrative centre around the Senate Square, with government buildings, main building of University of Helsinki, and Cathedral, but that is something we can check out either Monday night (as the City Hall where the Monday reception is held is in the middle of the area) or Tuesday on our way to the Council dinner.
On Saturday, most Finns will be nursing their hangovers from Midsummer Night (Friday), so museums and art galleries should be quiet and empty. :)
Here is a University of Helsinki memo on Midsummer in Helsinki: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/welcometouh/2012/06/21/juhannus-magical-midsummer-i...
For art museums, there is the Ateneum art museum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateneum with Finnish classical art, the Sinebrychoff Art Museum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinebrychoff_Art_Museum with older European art, and Kiasma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiasma with modern art. All are in architecturally interesting buildings - but Helsinki is not Paris, Vienna or London :)
There is also a smallish Design Museum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_Museum,_Helsinki, in the same block as the Museum of Finnish Architecture, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Finnish_Architecture
There are lots of interesting Art Noveau buildings in Punavuori (west-southwest of Scandic Marski hotel), Ullanlinna and Katajanokka (south).
Something that is easy to miss out is that there are lots of underground passages (appreciated by locals on cold winter days). Easiest way to see them is to go down to the underground levels at Forum shopping mall, central railway station, or Sokos or Stockmann department stores.
Main shopping streets are Aleksanterinkatu and Esplanadi - the esplanade leading down to the old harbour / market square. Just before market square you can drop in at Cafe/restaurant Kappeli http://www.kappeli.fi/index.php?id=frontpage where the Helsinki cultural leaders plotted independence (and got very drunk) in the late 1800's.
Julf
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