Helsinki Cathedral
About Helsinki Cathedral
Helsinki's Cathedral (Helsingin Tuomiokirkko) is a Lutheran Church and the most iconic building in the city. It was built during the first half of the 19th century during the time the Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia and sits alongside the Senaatintori / Senate Square, just behind the Statue of Russian Czar Alexander II. Its green domes pierce the sky and are already visible from the Baltic sea if you enter Finland by ship.
Payment Accepted:
[Flag as duplicate]
First To Review:
Nov 2, 2008
Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko , in Swedish Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan ) is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki , located in the centre of Helsinki , Finland . The church was built as a tribute to the Grand Duke , Nicholas I , the Tsar of Russia and until the independence of Finland in 1917, it was called St. Nicholas' Church .
A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Helsinki, with a tall green dome surrounded by four smaller domes, the church was built in 1830-1852, representing the neoclassical style. It was originally designed by Carl Ludvig Engel , the building forming the climax of the whole Senate Square designed by Engel, surrounded by a number of buildings all designed by him. The building has a Greek-cross plan (i.e. a square central mass and four arms of equal length), and is symmetrical in each of the four cardinal directions, each marked by a colonnade and pediment . Engel had intended to place a further row of columns on the west end to mark the main entrance (opposite the altar at the east end), but this was never realised. The building was later altered by his successor Ernst Lohrmann , whose four small domes make the architectural connection to the cathedral's model, Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, even clearer. Lohrmann also erected two separately standing bell towers and zinc statues of the Twelve Apostles at apexes and corners of the roofline.
Today the cathedral is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki. Annually more than 350,000 people visit the church, some of them to attend religious events, but most are tourists.
A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Helsinki, with a tall green dome surrounded by four smaller domes, the church was built in 1830-1852, representing the neoclassical style. It was originally designed by Carl Ludvig Engel , the building forming the climax of the whole Senate Square designed by Engel, surrounded by a number of buildings all designed by him. The building has a Greek-cross plan (i.e. a square central mass and four arms of equal length), and is symmetrical in each of the four cardinal directions, each marked by a colonnade and pediment . Engel had intended to place a further row of columns on the west end to mark the main entrance (opposite the altar at the east end), but this was never realised. The building was later altered by his successor Ernst Lohrmann , whose four small domes make the architectural connection to the cathedral's model, Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, even clearer. Lohrmann also erected two separately standing bell towers and zinc statues of the Twelve Apostles at apexes and corners of the roofline.
Today the cathedral is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki. Annually more than 350,000 people visit the church, some of them to attend religious events, but most are tourists.
Dec 26, 2008
This is a must-see icon of the city. If the weather is nice, the steps in front of the cathedral are a good place to take a rest and do some people watching.
Nov 17, 2009
I've been here before but dont remember so much, but latest I was there for around 12h and I liked the city, it was nice (That was in September this year).
Hotels Near Helsinki Cathedral
Related Links
Travel insurance from Worldnomads.com
