Rick Steves’ Europe: Helsinki and Tallinn: Pearls of the Baltic

Rick Steves from their respective countries of Finland and Estonia – are not only neighbors, but soul sisters.

People are also reading… In spite of its Swedish roots, old Helsinki feels Russian. When the Russians took over Finland in 1809, they moved the capital to Helsinki and hired German architect Carl Ludvig Engel to model the city after their capital, St. Petersburg. This resulted in fine Neoclassical squares and stone buildings with white trim and columns. Because filming in Russia was not possible during the Cold War, movies like Gorky Park and Dr. Zhivago were actually filmed in Helsinki.

A short ferry ride takes you across the harbor to Helsinki's most important sight: Suomenlinna Fortress. It was built by the Swedes with French financial support in the mid-1700s to counter Russia's rise to power. Think of it as European superpower chess. The Russians made St. Petersburg their “eye on the West.” The French countered by moving a Swedish castle to Helsinki, stopping the Russian offensive – for the time being.

At the center of the lower town is Town Hall Square, a marketplace through the centuries. The 15th-century town hall dominating the square is now a museum with city history exhibits; climbing its tower earns a commanding view.

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