Helsinki: Feeling the Elegance of the Nordic Coastal City

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is the economic, political, cultural, tourism and transportation center of Finland, and has been rated as one of the most livable cities in the world for many years. Helsinki is a vibrant coastal city, featuring a number of coastal islands and green urban scenery. Abundant gourmet cuisine, unique architectural design, and native Nordic culture have long attracted the attention of tourists from all over the world.

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Helsinki was founded in 1550 AD when Finland was a territory of Sweden. The name Finland means "newly discovered place" in Swedish. At that time, King Gustaf I of Sweden built this city on the Baltic Sea coast opposite Tallinn in order to compete with his opponents for trade. It was named Helsinki, and the history of Helsinki began since then.

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Under the reflection of the sea, no matter in summer or winter, this port city always looks beautiful and clean, noble and elegant, so it is called "the daughter of the Baltic Sea" by the world. In fact, Helsinki does have a bronze statue named "Daughter of the Baltic Sea", which is located in the harbor market in the city. Although the sculpture is black and green, it is still difficult to conceal the charm of the sculpture girl. She symbolizes the new life and hope of Finland.

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In addition to downtown Helsinki, there are many other interesting sights near the capital worth visiting. Espoo and Vantaa have fascinating modern scenery. The historic Porvoo shows people the history of Baltic shipping and medieval city life. Within a two-hour drive from the capital, there are 6 national parks, which are worth exploring one by one.