Hotels near Helsinki Cathedral and Senate Square

Topping every list of things to do in Helsinki, Helsinki Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) crowns Senate Square (Senaatintori) on a granite plinth 50 steps above the city. The Evangelical Lutheran cathedral was designed by German architect Carl Ludwig Engel and completed in 1852, 12 years after Engel's death, by his student Ernst Lohrmann. Its bright-white neo-Classical facade with a green central dome and four smaller corner cupolas is the postcard image of Finland.

Senate Square below is the historic heart of Helsinki, laid out by Engel and Johan Albrecht Ehrenstrom after the Russian Grand Duchy moved the Finnish capital from Turku in 1812 (both architects also worked on Saint Petersburg, which explains the family resemblance). The 1894 bronze statue of Tsar Alexander II stands in the middle. Around the square are the Government Palace, Helsinki University main building and the Sederholm House (the city's oldest stone house, 1757). Entry to the cathedral is free, open daily 09:00-18:00 with slightly extended hours in summer. Winter Christmas market fills Senate Square in December.

Pro Tip: Climb the 50 exterior steps for a photo of Senate Square below and the market square in the distance - it is a set piece for every Instagram post from Helsinki. Come at 20:00 in summer for the low golden light, or at 15:00 in December for the market square, glogi (mulled wine) and gingerbread biscuits.