Helsinki Central Railway Station is the main transport hub of Finland.

Helsinki is the Central railway station, which is familiar to many travelers who come to the capital of Finland by bus or train. It is an architectural monument and at the same time the main transport hub of the country.

By tradition, a small excursion into the history of the building. The first building of the Central Station was built in 1861, and it opened only a year later. The building looked more like a country estate. A three-storey wooden building, lined with stone, this was how the first Helsinki railway station could be described. After 30 years, the population and passenger traffic began to grow rapidly, which prompted the Railway Council to build a new building. The process at the first stages was not fast: a construction competition was not announced for a long time, a project was not immediately selected. The project of architect Eliel Saarinen was approved only in 1904, and construction began a year later. The construction was stopped due to the outbreak of the First World War, and in 1919 the station was opened, despite the fact that it was not finished. The building was completed for the next 6 years. An unusual decision was that the old building was not demolished immediately. It functioned and was gradually demolished, transferring services to new premises.

To date, the station is an example of Finnish Art Nouveau. Its walls and arches are made of reinforced concrete, lined with natural granite. The station is decorated with two pairs of statues of stern men holding spherical lamps that light up at night. The building is very easy to recognize, as its clock tower has become a symbol of the city. It rises almost 50 meters above the ground, so if you are in the city for the first time or are afraid of getting lost, focus on it. Assign a meeting place at the train station, there are many streets leading to it, and the tower is easily visible from different sides of the city (but not from everywhere). Station square in Finnish: Rautatientori (pronounced as "rautatientori"), and the station is "Rautatieasema" ("Rautatieasema"). Take note, the main language in the city is Finnish and Swedish, and not all taxi drivers know Russian and even English. Or have a recorded address of the station with you: Kaivokatu, 1. This will make it easier to navigate the city.

In addition, even if you don't need a train station for its intended purpose, it's worth looking there. You can get a free city map at the train station (as well as at the airport). Or buy it at a kiosk. But you will not be able to use the station as a place to spend the night, it does not work at night, since trains do not run on the territory of the country at this time. The main hall is open from 5:00 to 2:00, luggage storage (they are paid) from 5:20 to 23:00. It is useful to know that in the evening you can buy groceries at the station, at a time when most of the shops of the city are already closed. The same goes for banks.

The station serves suburban, regional and international trains; more than 200 thousand people use it daily. The first acquaintance with the station you will have if you come to the country by rail. The Allegro train comes here from St. Petersburg or Vyborg, and Lev Tolstoy comes from Moscow. Buses with tourists also come here. The ring Railway is an easy connection to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport from all over Finland. The fastest travel time to the airport for passengers on a flight from the center of Helsinki is about 30 minutes. They can get to the airport via Huopalahti (32 minutes) or via Tikkurila (27 minutes) at ten-minute intervals. There is a bus stop next to one of the exits of the railway station, from which you can also get to Vantaa Airport during the day and at night. From the station you can get to the ports on foot and by taxi, as well as by public transport. The easiest way to get to the ports in the center of Helsinki is by tram; the Western Harbor, the Olympic Terminal and the Juniper Beak terminal. Vuosaari Port is easily accessible by metro and bus. At the station is the Rautatientori metro station (Railway Square), the busiest in the city.

When you arrive at Helsinki Central Station, you are not in the city center. Many attractions are within walking distance. Across the street is a shopping center with many cafes and shops. From the railway station, you can easily reach any part of the city, neighboring towns, ports and the airport.