helsinki Photos

HELSINKI is a UNESCO world heritage site, for its fortified inhabited sea fortress Suomenlinna.

Situated in the Finnish Gulf, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, Helsinki is the capital of Finland.

Founded in 1550 by King Gustav I of Sweden, the town only began to develop substantially after it was annexed to Russia, in 1809. Notable among its monuments is the neoclassic Cathedral, built between 1830 and 1852.

Due to its architecture, Helsinki has frequently served as a site for American movies about the ex-Soviet Union (such as the movie Gorky Park).