Uusimaa (Nyland in Swedish) is the southernmost region of Finland, wrapped around the Gulf of Finland and home to the capital, Helsinki. It combines a compact seaside capital, a UNESCO sea fortress, ancient forest national parks, and wooden-house towns such as Porvoo, Hanko, and Ekenäs, all within about two hours of each other by public transport.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Uusimaa.
-
1
Swedish crusade to Finland
Traditional date of Sweden's first crusade to southwest Finland, the start of Swedish rule that lasted until 1809 and brought Christianity to the coast of Nyland
-
2
Treaty of Nöteborg
Sweden and Novgorod fix a border across Finland, placing Nyland and the future Helsinki area on the Swedish side
-
3
Raseborg Castle built
Swedish authorities build the stone castle of Raseborg (Raaseporin linna) to control the coast of western Nyland
-
4
Ekenäs founded
King Gustav I Vasa founds the town of Ekenäs (Tammisaari) on the Gulf of Finland
-
5
Helsinki founded
Gustav I Vasa founds Helsingfors at the mouth of the Vantaa River to rival Tallinn; the settlement is moved to its present Vironniemi peninsula in 1640
-
6
Construction of Sveaborg begins
Sweden begins the island fortress of Sveaborg (now Suomenlinna) under the direction of Augustin Ehrensvärd
-
7
Sveaborg surrenders
The Swedish garrison at Sveaborg surrenders to Russian forces in May during the Finnish War, opening Finland to Russian rule
-
8
Diet of Porvoo
Tsar Alexander I opens the Diet of Porvoo and confirms Finland's laws, creating the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire
-
9
Helsinki becomes capital
Alexander I names Helsinki the capital of the Grand Duchy, leading to Engel's Neoclassical rebuilding of the centre
-
10
Helsinki Cathedral completed
The Lutheran cathedral on Senate Square is completed to designs by Carl Ludvig Engel, who died in 1840, before it was finished
-
11
Uspenski Cathedral completed
The Orthodox cathedral opens in Katajanokka, a symbol of the Russian era in Helsinki
-
12
Hvitträsk completed
Architects Saarinen, Gesellius and Lindgren finish their lakeside studio colony in Kirkkonummi, a landmark of National Romantic design
-
13
Independence declared
Finland declares independence from Russia on 6 December 1917, with the Parliament and Senate meeting in Helsinki
-
14
Civil War in Helsinki
German troops supporting the Whites take Helsinki in April 1918 during the Finnish Civil War
-
15
Hanko leased to the Soviet Union
After the Winter War, the Treaty of Moscow in March 1940 leases the Hanko peninsula to the USSR as a naval base; Finnish residents are evacuated until the Soviets leave in December 1941
-
16
Helsinki Olympic Games
Helsinki hosts the Summer Olympics at the stadium completed in 1938
-
17
Helsinki Final Act
The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe concludes in Helsinki, leading to the OSCE
-
18
Suomenlinna becomes a UNESCO site
The Fortress of Suomenlinna is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
-
19
Finland joins the EU
Finland joins the European Union; it adopts the euro in 2002
-
20
Oodi opens
Helsinki Central Library Oodi opens on 5 December 2018, the eve of the centenary of independence
-
21
Finland joins NATO
Finland becomes the 31st member of NATO on 4 April 2023
Historical sites
Places where Uusimaa's past comes alive.
Fortress of Suomenlinna (UNESCO)
Begun by Sweden in 1748 as Sveaborg to guard against Russia, captured by Russia in 1808, and held by Finland since 1918. The fortress on six islands was inscribed by UNESCO in 1991 and still has about 800 residents.
Where: Helsinki
Admission: Grounds free; museums about €5-11 each (about $6-13 USD); HSL ferry AB ticket €3.30-3.50 (about $3.80-4.10 USD)
Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral
Carl Ludvig Engel designed the Neoclassical ensemble of Senate, University and Cathedral after Russia made Helsinki the capital of the Grand Duchy in 1812. The cathedral was finished in 1852.
Where: Helsinki
Admission: Square free; cathedral free from 1 November to 31 May (voluntary donation about €8, $9 USD), paid in summer
Uspenski Cathedral
Completed in 1868 to a design by Aleksey Gornostayev, this Orthodox cathedral shows the Russian-era architectural influence in Helsinki and is among the largest Orthodox churches in Western Europe.
Where: Helsinki
Admission: Free (a small fee of around €5, about $6 USD, has been reported)
Porvoo Cathedral
A late-medieval stone church on the hill above Old Porvoo, where Tsar Alexander I opened the Diet of Porvoo in March 1809 and confirmed Finland's constitution and religion as part of the Russian Empire.
Where: Porvoo
Admission: Free
Old Porvoo
One of Finland's few surviving medieval street plans, with 18th and 19th century wooden houses and red riverside warehouses; Porvoo was already a trading town in the 14th century.
Where: Porvoo
Admission: Streets free; Porvoo Museum about €8-12 (about $9-14 USD)
Raseborg Castle Ruins
A stone castle begun by the Swedish crown in the 1370s on what was then an island, controlling the sea route and the surrounding Nyland county; it fell into ruin after it was abandoned in the 1500s and now hosts summer medieval events.
Where: Raseborg
Admission: Entry fee applies; guided tour with entry €15.50 (about $18 USD)
Espoo Cathedral
A medieval stone church whose oldest parts were completed in the 1480s, making it the oldest preserved building in Espoo; it became a cathedral when the Diocese of Espoo was founded in 2004.
Where: Espoo
Admission: Free
Ekenäs Old Town and Church
Gustav I Vasa founded Ekenäs (Tammisaari) in 1546 as a trading town to compete with Tallinn. Its old centre keeps a low wooden street plan and a church from the 1600s.
Where: Raseborg
Admission: Free
Hvitträsk
Architects Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren built their joint studio and homes here in 1901-1903 on a forested lakeshore, a landmark of Finnish National Romanticism.
Where: Kirkkonummi
Admission: €15 (about $17 USD), €14 online (about $16 USD), reduced €10 (about $12 USD)
Ainola
Architect Lars Sonck designed this villa for the composer Jean Sibelius and his wife Aino; the family lived here from 1904, and Sibelius wrote many of his late works at the lake before his death in 1957.
Where: Järvenpää
Admission: €16 (about $18 USD), pensioners €11 (about $13 USD), students €7 (about $8 USD)
Halosenniemi
The home and studio of painter Pekka Halonen, built in 1902 on the shore of Lake Tuusula, part of the artists' colony that also housed Sibelius, and a centre of Finnish national romantic art.
Where: Tuusula
Admission: €14 (about $16 USD), €12 reduced (about $14 USD)
Fiskars Ironworks Village
An ironworks founded in 1649 that grew into the Fiskars company; the buildings now house artists, designers and craft studios and the Fiskars Museum on the river.
Where: Raseborg
Admission: Village free; museum fee applies (see fiskarsvillage.fi)
Hanko Museum
A museum in the old Manner machine workshop, reopened in 2024, telling the story of the peninsula's spa era, industry, emigration and the 1940-1941 Soviet lease of Hanko as a naval base; the exhibition 'Fragments of a World War' ran until 30 August 2026.
Where: Hanko
Admission: €10 adult (about $12 USD), €7 pensioners and students (about $8 USD), children free
Helsinki Olympic Stadium
A functionalist stadium completed in 1938 for the cancelled 1940 Games and used for the 1952 Olympic Games; its 72 m tower offers a view over Helsinki, and the renovated stadium reopened in 2020.
Where: Helsinki
Admission: Tower €7.50 (about $9 USD), children 7-16 €4.50 (about $5 USD)