The White Church

This is the Helsinki Cathedral. It is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in the heart of Helsinki. It was finished in 1852.

It forms one side of the Senate Square. Tall steps lead from the square up to the church building. It is quite a climb.

The area around the church is not busy, but it is within walking distance of downtown and many shops. The day that we were there, an outdoor market was open a short distance away by the harbour.

The Rock Church

This picture is of the inside of the Rock Church or Rock Temple in Helsinki, Finland. This church is built into the side of a hill. It's walls are solid rock. I found it absolutely beautiful.

The name of the church is actually Temppeliaukio Church. It is a Lutheran church. It opened in 1969.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit this church every year. It is also frequency used for concerts.

Helsinki Olympic Stadium

From St. Petersburg, Russia, we sailed overnight to Helsinki, Finland. One of the first stops on our tour while there was the Olympic Stadium.

This stadium was built for the 1940 Olympics. However, these Olympics were cancelled. In 1952, the Olympics were finally hosted here.

It is still the largest stadium in Finland and is used for many sporting events and concerts. The 2005 World Championships in Athletics were held here. The tower is 72 meters (240 feet high).