Old Church

The Old Church of Helsinki is the oldest church in Helsinki city centre, completed in 1826 by the architect Carl Ludvig Engel. The Old Church was originally intended only as a temporary solution when the 18th century Ulrika Eleonora Church, which was replaced by Helsinki Cathedral, was demolished to make way for the Senate square. Due to the temporary character, the old church was built of wood and without bells. The Old Church is surrounded by the Old Church Park, which was a former cemetery.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments

Visitors information

  • Bus stop within 100m
  • Parking within 250m
  • Café within 500m

Other nearby buildings

Kamppi Chapel

The Kamppi Chapel, or the Chapel of Silence, was built in 2012. The chapel is part of the Helsinki Design Capital Year projects and was designed by architect Mikko Summanen. The chapel won The Chicago Athenaeum: International Architecture Awards For The Best New Global Design Award 2010. he chapel does not hold a religious service but is a place where silence can be found.

Par Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22737578

St. John's Church

St. John's Church is a church built between 1888 and 1891 by Stockholm architect Adolf Emil Melander. The church is one of the most outstanding examples of neo-Gothic churches in Finland. The church was damaged during the great bombing of Helsinki in February 1944; among other things, several windows were broken. The church was restored for its centenary, and then part of the old decorative paint layer was exposed on the gallery wall.

Ofer Amir

Synagogue in Helsinki

The Helsinki Synagogue is an Ashkenazi synagogue built in 1906 by the architect Jac Ahrenberg (1847-1914). The exterior architecture of the three-storey building follows Art Nouveau, as well as the eclectic style common in Central Europe and England at the end of the 19th century. The interior has been exceptionally well preserved in its original appearance. There are rectangular concrete pillars with gilded Art Nouveau details in the capitals. The vertical supports of the gallery balustrades are also decorated with Art Nouveau style metal ornaments.