postcard from Helsinki

Helsinki Cathedral (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Helsinki is definitely well worth a visit... first, because it is the hub for Finnair. Finnair has a comfortable business class that offered advantageous pricing for our flight to Europe. You can include a layover of up to 5 days in your itinerary.

Senate Square in the city's center is dominated by Helsinki Cathedral. During our visit, the steps in front of the church were filled with tourists, all enjoying the brilliant summer sunshine. As with other Lutheran churches I saw in Scandinavia, the pulpit faces sculptures of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon — a not-so-subtle reminder to the preacher to remain true to the theology of these Reformation leaders.

Oodi Library (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Include Oodi Library in your visit. The winner of the 2019 Public Library of the Year, the architecture is stunning — and you'll be amazed at the variety of resources available to visitors. These include sewing machines, large format photo printers, 3D printers, a laser cutter, and music studios. You can even play a virtual reality game. The library has a restaurant and wine bar and, yes, there are books and magazines too! Find something to read from the shelves (which include English-language books), and nestle in one of the library's many reading nooks to enjoy your selection.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.