Esplanadi park

Esplanadi is an elongated promenade park at the heart of Helsinki, separating Pohjoisesplanadi from Etelaesplanadi over some 400 metres. It was laid out in 1818 by German-Finnish city architect Carl Ludwig Engel as part of the neoclassical replanning of Helsinki after the great fire and the city's elevation to capital in 1812. At its centre stands the 1885 bronze monument to national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, sculpted by his son Walter. The north side is lined with classic Finnish stores like Marimekko, Aarikka, and Akateeminen Kirjakauppa, the largest bookshop in the Nordics. In summer bands play at the Espa pavilion; in winter the city Christmas tree stands here.