SECRET HELSINKI

A dog that managed to catch 108 criminals without
human help, a statue to a homeless alcoholic, the
anti-aircraft defences where Tom of Finland became
a war hero, a plaque in honour of somebody who
never existed, swimming naked in the country’s
oldest swimming pool, the only church in the world
that doubles as a lighthouse, a walk through the
water to a secret island, a hidden Kalevala-scene
fresco inside the Old Student House, a natural
waterfall within the city, the location of Star Wars’
Princess Leia’s necklace, “Short Island” – the
antithesis of New York’s Long Island, a church
turned nightclub turned church again, the only
statue of a Russian tsar outside Russia …
Far from the crowds and the usual clichés, Helsinki is
filled with hidden treasures revealed only to
residents and visitors who leave the beaten path.
An indispensable guide for those who thought they
knew the city well or who would like to discover its
many other facets.