Helsinki
The world's happiest people live in Finland, according to many surveys. So let's take a look at Helsinki, the capital, to find out what's going on here. Why are these people so happy?
The Finns will say it's more a matter of being content, being satisfied with their lives rather than giddy ha-ha happy all the time, and that's because their society functions very well. The economy is strong, the educational levels are very high, there is a decent level of economic equality, and the society provides services such as health and medical and retirement, and cleaning up the cities and maintaining the infrastructure, that makes everything work beautifully together. So, the residents are very happy about all of that. Of course, they do pay high taxes, but generally have a trust in the government and feel like the money is being pretty well spent on the society.
Another reason why their life is good is the city is a beautiful place. It has lovely buildings. It's nicely designed, plenty of sidewalk cafes and outdoor activities for those warm summer months, good streets, lots of bicycle paths, pedestrian areas with enough urban density to provide those walkable neighborhoods and shops and cafes nearby, but it's not crowded.
Helsinki's town planners have done such an excellent job of creating a livable city that it was praised at one time by the Harvard Architectural Digest as the best-designed city in Europe.
This is relatively small capital city, with a bit more than 600,000 residents. But there's an underground metro system, and numerous light rail trams running on the surface along the main street. This transit system is well-utilized because people are not living in the suburban sprawl pattern that we often find in America.
It was founded relatively late by European standards, in the 17th century, and it was designated as the capital of Finland in only 1812. The small town was initially built of wood and burned down several times, so that nearly all of the buildings that we see today are no more than 200 years old, relative youngsters by European standards.
The nation is also quite young, achieving its independence only in 1917 after a century of occupation by Russia, preceded by 650 years of control by Sweden from the mid-12th-century. Finland is located between Sweden and Russia and was often caught in the middle and devastated by the wars between those two larger powers.
Helsinki is continental Europe's most northern and remote capital city and shares a border with Russia that's 1300 kilometers long. Finland is actually a huge country. It's the sixth largest in Europe, but with only 5 million people, it's one of the least crowded nations in the world.
Top Five Visitor Attractions
Let's take a look at my favorite top-five visitor attractions. Of course, there are many more things to see and do here, but just for fun, let's take a shot at five of them:
1. Esplanade Park and shopping district
2. Market Square with its food and crafts on the waterfront
3. Senate Square with its historic buildings and cathedral
4. Shopping and people-watching in the vibrant downtown center
5. A boat ride out to the nearby islands, including the fortress called Suomenlinna
Esplanade Park
The Esplanade is one of those great city parks. It runs from the market and waterfront all the way to the busy commercial streets of town. There's beautiful greenery all around you, especially in the summertime. The park was designed in 1818 by Carl Engel, and it took a few decades to develop with extensive landfill and landscaping.
Market Square
One of the most popular attractions in Helsinki is Market Square. This is a colorful outdoor market, selling fresh produce and delicious cooked food ready to eat. Plenty of chairs and tables to sit down. It's located about one kilometer from the train station at the lower end of Esplanade next to the South Harbor. Salmon and other fresh seafood is grilled in front of you with a tasty aroma that makes you want to buy.
Senate Square
From here, you could walk one block over to Senate Square, a ceremonial center that was originally planned in the early 19th century to be the main public square of the city, dominated by Helsinki's famous cathedral. It's the oldest part of the town center designed by Carl Engel in a neoclassical style with a strong Russian influence.
Downtown Shopping
The Helsinki Central Railway Station is the most famous Art Nouveau building in the city. It's the main station for commuter rail and long-distance trains used by some 200,000 passengers daily, making it Finland's most visited building. It was designed by Eliel Saarinen and opened in 1919.
Alexander Street is my favorite street of downtown. It's the main east west street in the city, known in Helsinki as Alexi. Stockmann department store anchors the street at the corner with Mannerheimintie. It's the largest department store in all the Nordic countries.
Suomenlinna Fortress
From trains to boats. We're taking you to our number five activity in Helsinki, a boat ride through the inner harbor and out to a fortress in the sea. Suomenlinna is one of the world's largest sea fortresses, stretching over six separate islands and consisting of 200 buildings and six kilometers of defensive walls.
These popular islands are a mile offshore and they are sight of an old military fortress that has been turned into a vast park, with acres of meadows ideal for picnicking, massive defensive walls constructed centuries ago, a military museum, outdoor concert venues, cafes and restaurants, all set in a delightful green preserve with refreshing sea breezes and dramatic vistas looking back towards the city.
Suomenlinna is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland, and because of its historic importance and high state of preservation, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. About 800 people still live on the islands, enjoying what is now a peaceful and serene environment.
Helsinki is an excellent place to visit.
Watch the Helsinki part 1 — Introduction video →
Watch the Helsinki part 2 — Shopping District and Sibelius Monument video →
Watch the Helsinki part 3 — Retail and Kiasma Museum video →