Saint John's Church

St. John's Church in the Ullanlinna district south of central Helsinki, with its twin 74-meter spires, is the tallest church in the city and the largest Lutheran sanctuary in Finland. Built 1888-1891 to a design by Swedish architect Adolf Melander in red-brick neo-Gothic, it rose during the era when Finland was a Russian Grand Duchy and Helsinki was rapidly expanding. The unsupported central nave seats 2,600 and offers acoustics so fine that the church is one of the most sought-after concert venues in Helsinki, where classical orchestral recordings are regularly produced. Set on a gentle hill, it is visible from the Esplanadi and a reliable landmark in the southern cityscape.