Helsinki’s iconic railway station clock tower now welcomes visitors after decades of limited access. The 60-meter tower offers panoramic views over the city center from its newly opened observation platforms.
Entrepreneur Markus Pyrhönen leads the project, which includes a brewery restaurant at the tower’s base. Tours costing €24 take guests through eight floors and outdoor balconies during one-hour guided visits.
Climbing the 200-step staircase reveals original brickwork and occasional dust. The higher floors grow cooler as visitors ascend. Safety briefings address winter conditions, with slippery stairs in upper levels scheduled for improvement before frost sets in.
Completed in 1919 and designed by Eliel Saarinen, the clock tower has returned to its original public function. When the railway station first opened, the tower stood as Helsinki’s tallest building and sold admission tickets.
For most recent decades, public access remained rare. Now daily tours operate up to three times on busy days. Guides include trained Helsinki experts and even relatives of the original architect.
The observation deck allows visitors to step outside the granite walls. Balconies facing all directions provide views of Helsinki landmarks and railway yard activity.
Higher levels contain the original clock machinery room and current clock mechanisms. While no ticking echoes through the windowless space, the clocks periodically sound their movements.
A newly installed elevator reaches the third floor, fulfilling part of the station’s original 1919 design. During World War I, the tower served as a morgue, and in the 1940s, Lotta Svärd volunteers conducted air surveillance from its heights.
The €60 million development project continues through next year. A new à la carte restaurant will replace a former Burger King location by late this year.
This opening represents smart reuse of historic architecture, though the €24 ticket price may limit spontaneous visits from budget-conscious travelers.