A Baltic tour, Helsinki, Tallinn, and Stockholm (2)

Upon arriving in Helsinki, we visit the Rock Church from 1969, which features a 22km long copper wire on the ceiling.

The monument to the Finnish composer Sibelius (1865-1957) is also very impressive.

The Cathedral, framed by the university and the government building in the city center, is wonderfully accessible.

Among the delicacies are also the cinnamon rolls called Korvapuusti.

In 1944, the Red Army took over the Estonian SSR, Estonia. The Estonians lost their independence; they were deported to Gulags in Siberia, and Estonian culture and language were suppressed. The disdain the Estonians have against everything Russian is still noticeable today.

Only in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, did states like Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia gain their freedom and experience financial growth. Due to this economic boom until 2007, the three countries are often referred to as the Baltic Tigers.

The Stockholm Archipelago comprises about 30,000 islands with about the same number of inhabitants.

Djurgården is an island in the center of Stockholm. An amusement park where one can dive into the Viking past or visit the ABBA Museum.

Every year, in the blue hall of the City Hall from 1911, the Nobel Prize nominations are held with a banquet.

“Skål!”...and thank you for stopping by

...and a must for photographers in Stockholm is 'The Fotografiska' directly across from Djurgården.