The sea lions
Four spouting water around the base.
Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sanja7s — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Volker von Bonin — CC BY 4.0 · Daderot — CC0
Havis Amanda is a bronze fountain at the edge of **Market Square** on Helsinki's harbour: a female figure standing on a rock ringed by four sea lions spouting water, with four fish at the base. **Ville Vallgren** sculpted it in Paris and it was unveiled in Helsinki in 1908, intended to represent the city itself rising from the sea — the maiden of the Baltic. Its unveiling caused a **major scandal**: women's associations and newspapers objected to its nudity and to the sculptor's use of a French model, and the public argument ran for years. Today it is Helsinki's first symbol. And it carries a living tradition: on the **eve of the first of May** — Vappu — Helsinki's students gather round it in their thousands and place a white graduation cap on the statue in a televised ceremony. It is the largest annual gathering in the city. **Free and always open**; the fountain is shut off and covered in winter.
Four spouting water around the base.
Food and craft stalls on the harbour behind it.
Market Square, Helsinki
Esplanadi ParkHelsinki's elegant street: Esplanadi is a long park between two avenues from 1813 minutes walk4.6
Market Square (Kauppatori)Helsinki's harbour, market and terminus in one place: Market Square on the south3 minutes walk4.5
The University of HelsinkiThe main building of the University of Helsinki stands on the western side of **3 minutes walk4.5
Helsinki CathedralFinland's first picture: a white cathedral with green domes crowning a vast flig4 minutes walk4.7
Uspenski CathedralThe largest Orthodox church in Western Europe: Uspenski in red brick with thirte6 minutes walk4.7Finland's largest popular celebration, running from the eve of **30 April** through **1 May**. Its origin is labour day and a spring festival together, but it has become above all a students' festival: everyone — including people who graduated forty years ago — wears the white cap with its black band, and they gather around Havis Amanda to crown her, after which Kaivopuisto park fills the next day with tens of thousands for a mass picnic. Alcohol is heavily present at this festival specifically. **If you visit Helsinki on those two days expect a completely different city** — and places closed on 1 May.**