HELSINKI, FINLAND

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Helsinki

Finland's capital city, founded on June 12, 1550, is a multi-faceted town that is unique in many ways and has much to offer any visitor.

Helsinki is set apart from other big historical cities by two factors: the great physical presence of nature and the very clear grid pattern used to design the city's streets. Most big cities have a limited number of parks. In Helsinki, parks can be found behind almost every corner. Even in the most densely-built districts of the city center, significant parks liven up the landscape. Both the overwhelming presence of nature and the network of straight, symmetrical and wide streets, which make finding any address a simple task, are the creation of the city's two main designers, Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel.

Helsinki is formally divided into a total of 54 districts, but more commonly the city is merely divided into the center and the suburbs. The southern districts are older (some would say more revered), and they contain most of the city's ... more