Mannerheimintie
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Mannerheimintie in the city centre, near its start |
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Mannerheimintie and apartment buildings of Meilahti (left) and Laakso (right), some 3-4 km north from Erottaja |
Mannerheimintie, or
Mannerheimvägen (in
Swedish), named after the Finnish military leader and statesman
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, is one of the most famous
streets in
Helsinki,
Finland. It was originally named Heikinkatu, after
Heikki Rehbinder, but was renamed after the
Winter War. The change of name was also suitable due to Mannerheim having paraded in along that road during the
Finnish Civil War, after German forces allied with Mannerheim's Finnish forces had retaken the city. That event is also portrayed in the landmark statue of Mannerheim sitting horseback. The statue is located along the Mannerheimintie just outside of the modern arts museum
Kiasma.
The street starts at
Erottaja in the city centre, near the
Swedish Theatre and the
Stockmann department store. It then continues as a main thoroughfare past the districts of
Kamppi,
Töölö,
Meilahti,
Laakso and
Ruskeasuo, until it finally merges into a highway leading outside the city towards
Hämeenlinna and
Tampere.
Many famous buildings are located at or near Mannerheimintie. Besides the theatre and department store mentioned above, these include the main post office, the
Kiasma modern art museum, the
Finlandia Hall, the National Museum and the
Helsinki Opera House.
Mannerheimintie is the subject of two well-known trick questions about Helsinki:
Q: Where is Mannerheiminkatu located in Helsinki?
A: Nowhere. It is named Mannerheimin
tie. There are streets named Mannerheiminkatu in other Finnish cities, though.
Q: How many streets run across Mannerheimintie in Helsinki?
A: One, Nordenskiöldinkatu. All other streets connecting with Mannerheimintie either end at the street or continue across it with a different name. However, Tilkanvierto street runs
below it in an underpass at Mannerheimintie 158–160.
* Mannerheimintie is usually falsely attributed as the longest road in Helsinki, however, that title belongs to the less famous
Hämeentie.
