Architecture
In a few towns, such as Porvoo and Rauma, old wooden town centers from the 18th and 19th centuries are quite extensive and well-preserved. People still live and work in them.
Wood is the main material of buildings in the country side, whether barns or houses. As you travel around the country, you can different styles of rural architecture in the various provinces such as Ostrobothnia, Häme or Savo. You can also go on a tour of the rural architecture of Finland on the Island of Seurasaari in Helsinki.
The end of the 19th century brought National Romanticism to Finland, massive buildings that look like castles in a fairy tale. Some examples of this style include the National Museum and the main railway station of Helsinki, but also many blocks of ordinary apartment buildings, for example in the Kaivopuisto or "Well Park" district of Helsinki.
The 20th century has seen the worldwide spread of Finnish fame in architecture, with architects like Alvar Aalto, and Eero and Eliel Saarinen.
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