Senaatintori (Senate Square)

Senaatintori (Senate Square) Review

You've hit the heart of neoclassical Helsinki. The harmony of the three buildings flanking Senaatintori exemplifies one of the purest styles of European architecture, as envisioned and designed by German architect Carl Ludvig Engel. On the square's west side is one of the main buildings of Helsingin Yliopisto (Helsinki University), and up the hill is the university library. On the east side is the pale yellow Valtionneuvosto (Council of State), completed in 1822 and once the seat of the Autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland's Imperial Senate. At the lower end of the square, stores and restaurants now occupy former merchants' homes.