Helsinki, Finland
Finland’s capital city, founded on June 12, 1550, is a multi-faceted town that is unique in many ways and has much to offer any visitor.
Helsinki is set apart from other big historical cities by two factors: the great physical presence of nature and the very clear grid pattern used to design the city’s streets. Most big cities have a limited number of parks. In Helsinki, parks can be found behind almost every corner. Even in the most densely-built districts of the city center, dense parks have been introduced to liven up the landscape. Both the overwhelming presence of nature and the clear street pattern – the network of straight, symmetrical wide streets, which make finding any address a simple task – are the creation of the city’s two main designers, Johan Albrecht Ehrenstr�m and Carl Ludvig Engel.