Market Square, Helsinki

[1] It is located in central Helsinki, at the eastern end of Esplanadi and bordering the Baltic Sea to the south and Katajanokka to the east.

The Presidential Palace, Helsinki City Hall, Swedish Embassy and the Stora Enso Headquarters building (designed by Alvar Aalto) are all located adjacent to Market Square.

The height of the square's popularity[citation needed] is in early October, when the annual Helsinki herring market (silakkamarkkinat) begins.

Up to the early 19th century, the site of the Market Square was the muddy bottom of the Kaupunginlahti bay with fishing piers.

The Market Square was born in the early 19th century when the centre of Helsinki was rebuilt to serve as the new capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland.