The yacht port of Helsinki
Helsinki facing the Baltic Sea, it commands busy transit on its pier, ferry boats and marina.
On the photo is visible one of Helsinki's numerous yachting marinas. On the right is a causeway leading to Tervasaari island, where merchants used to store their tar in the 17th century. Now a park with a summer restaurant, this island is a popular place for a walk.
The redbrick buildings (in the background) served as barracks until the early 20th century but were taken over by the Military Academy in 1924. They now house the Military Museum and the Academy has moved out to Santahamina.
A short history of Helsinki
At the command of Gustavus Wasa, the King of Sweden, Helsinki was built at the mouth of the River Vantaa in 1550. The King ordered the burghers from Rauma, Ulvila, Porvoo and Tammisaari to move to Helsinki. The new town was supposed to compete for Russian trade with the town of Tallinn on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Finland.
For a long time, Helsinki grew very slowly. In the hope of attaining a better harbour, Helsinki was relocated further south to its current location by the open sea in the mid-17th century.
In the 18th century, Helsinki had to face great ordeals: war, plague and famine. The Russians invaded Helsinki during the Greater Wrath lasting from 1713 to 1721, and again in 1742. Fortification of Helsinki became a priority of the Swedish defence policy.
In 1748, the construction of a sea fortress at Suomenlinna, which is among the largest in Europe, was begun. The fortress was then known as the Gibraltar of the North. The fortress is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it received the Europa Nostra award in 2000.
As a result of a war between Sweden and Russia, Finland was annexed as an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. Helsinki was made the capital of the Grand Duchy in 1812, after which the historical Empire-style centre was built around Helsinki Cathedral. The country¿s only university was moved from Turku to Helsinki in 1827.
In the late 19th century, Helsinki grew rapidly and developed into a modern European city. Transport links important for an industrial town were created by building railroads to Hämeenlinna in 1862 and to St Petersburg in 1870. The population exceeded the 100,000-inhabitant mark at the beginning of the 20th century. (Source: Helsinki.fi)
Hello George! Nice sails, very nice marina. Wonderful cityscape in the background. Natural light and colours. Good POV and wide perspective. Well done!
ChrisJ (100042) 2009-04-21 19:18
Reminds me a little of Victoria Harbour on Vancouver Island, in Canada. Nice repetition of the yachts, with good colour & sharpness. Tfs!
jjcordier (76876) 2009-04-21 22:59
Superbe ciel et belle lumière qui donnent beaucoup d'intérêt à cette vue générale du port d'Helsinki.
Graal (98261) 2009-04-21 23:15
Jó napot George,
an interesting place in Helsinki. Good presentation of port. Fine POV and composition. Well quality of photo. I like it.
hay_kes (30448) 2009-04-22 13:41
A wonderful panoramic view vith great perspective.TFS.
paura (47166) 2009-04-23 3:25
Beleza de paisagem aqui, amigo. O equilíbrio da imagem, com os prédios ao fundo, ficou excelente.
Wanda1 (14982) 2009-04-27 21:56
I always thought that yachts with their long masts were quite photogenic, and they are nicely lined up here in the port in neat rows. Good elevated point of view to get a nice overview of the port and the urbanscape in the background.