Emperor's Helsinki - Architecture Walk

The Emperor's Helsinki architecture walk traces the first hundred years of Helsinki's development as a capital city and its central monuments.

The walk examines how a small coastal town grew into the capital of the new Grand Duchy. The buildings surrounding Senate Square draw inspiration especially from the neoclassicism of St. Petersburg and Berlin - symmetry, colonnades, and other forms from ancient and Renaissance architecture. In the late 19th century, a smaller square of public buildings developed next to Senate Square - the Bank of Finland, the House of Estates, and the National Archives - which draws on Renaissance ideals but is more national in character.

Starting point: City Museum hall (Aleksanterinkatu 16). Register at the museum information desk before the walk begins. Duration: max 1.5 hours. Ticket: 13 €.

Walks fill up quickly, so advance ticket purchase is recommended.