Temppeliaukio Kirkko or with its more common name Church of The Rock is the modern architecture legacy of Helsinki capital of Finland. The most important feature that distinguishes Temppeliaukio Kirkko from others is its construction. Temppeliaukio Kirkko completed in 1969 and constructed by digging and excavating entirely underground. It also has a ceiling made of copper wire which stunning. Also, this church is a Lutheran and they have more than 15.000 members.
History of The Temppeliaukio Kirkko (Church of The Rock)
There is very interesting information about the history of the church. Construction first started in the 1930s but it stopped because of World War II. After the war, Temppeliaukio Kirkko designed by two architects, actually brothers. Timo Suomalainen and Tuomo Suomalainen are the architects of the unusually designed church. Construction started in 1968 and finished only in a year in 1969. Before the starting of construction, the area was chosen deliberately because of the rocky outcrops at the location. That outcrop was around 10 to 15 meters higher than the ground level. This very individual church also known with its English name; Church of The Rock which represents everything totally 🙂
As I told you before this church built directly inside of a massive solid rock block which is granite. The location of the church is also interesting. Because it was built a center of a residential block as you can from the first picture on the above. The shape of the church is very similar to a Newgrange. Newgrange is an ancient tomb in Ireland. You can check the picture to see the similarity between Temppeliaukio Kirkko and Newgrange. If you ask me, the inspiration of the architects is very clear.
Where is Temppeliaukio Kirkko?
Home of the Lutheran community of the Helsinki, Temppeliaukio Kirkko is located at the Töölö district. It is also very close to the Helsinki Art Museum and the Finnish Museum of Natural History. Also, Sammonkatu tram station (hard to read and write) is just 200 meters away. Tram line 1 and tram line 2 stops at Sammonkatutram station. There are also couple of bus lines (14, 18, 37, 41, 42, 69, 70) passes from the Kauppakorkeakoulut bus stop which is very close to the Temppeliaukio Kirkko. So, it is very easy to go to the Temppeliaukio Kirkko from anywhere in the Helsinki.
Visiting Temppeliaukio Kirkko
Before you plan your visit to the church please be aware that it may be a little crowded between 10.00 and 14.00. So it will be better for you to avoid those hours if you go to the Helsinki in high season. By the way, the winter season is more quite. You can find the opening hours for the church at the table given below. Also, this church is an active one, not a museum. Because of that from time to time timetables may vary. Especially if there is a wedding, christening or any other religious activities. Also, there will be some cultural activities like concerts. You can check their schedule from this page.
| Days | Opening Hour |
Closing Hour |
| Monday | 10.00 | 20.00 |
| Tuesday | 10.00 | 20.00 |
| Wednesday | 10.00 | 18.30 |
| Thursday | 10.00 | 20.00 |
| Fridays | 10.00 | 20.00 |
| Saturday | 12.00
15.30 |
13.45
18.00 |
| Sunday | Only for worshippers | |
Sunday Service
As you know the holy day of the Christians is Sunday. Sunday Service starts at 10.00 and generally takes around 1.5 hours. Anyone can join the Sunday service. There are multiple languages (Finnish and English) programs., don’t forget to ask when you arrive if you don’t know Finnish. It is strictly forbidden to take pictures and disturbing the worshippers during the service, please respect that.
Entrance Fee of Temppeliaukio Kirkko
Tickets for the Temppeliaukio Kirkko is quite cheap when you compared places like this. It is just 3 Euros per person. You can buy the tickets from “Tickets for Temppeliaukio Kirkko Helsinki” page of Tigets.com. If you buy your tickets from Tigets.com I will get a small commission 🙂 There are also guided tours between June and August. This tour organized by the church itself at 16.00, every weekday with no extra fee. If you are looking for a more enhanced experience you have an option for private just for you or a group. Private tour prices may vary between 60 and 360 Euro depending on the number of people and the language of the tour. For the private tour, you should book it at the church. The private tour will take around 15-25 minutes. To pack everything in order about prices about the Temppeliaukio Kirkko I made a table below.
| Type | Price | Buy |
| Regular | 3 Euro/Person | Tigets.com |
| Guided Tour (Weekdays at 16.00) |
3 Euro/Person | Tigets.com |
| Private Tour | 60 to 360 Euro | From church |
You can check available days to visit the Temppeliaukio Kirkko (Church of The Rock) from the calendar given below. Also, you can buy the tickets for your visit directly from the widget. If you ever visited please share your experience and thought about the Temppeliaukio Kirkko (Church of The Rock) to help others and improve this content! Pitää Hauskaa! 🙂
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