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The city center, characterized by its large multistory malls, is densely packed and easily explored on foot, the main tourist sites grouped in several clusters; nearby islands are easily accessible by ferry. Just west of Katajanokka, Senaatintori and its Tuomiokirkko (Luthern Cathedral) mark the beginning of the city center, which extends westward along Aleksanterinkatu. The wide street Mannerheimintie is comparable to New York's Broadway, moving diagonally past the major attractions of the city center before terminating beside the Esplanade. Southern Helsinki is a tangle of smaller streets, some of them curving and some of which run for just a few blocks before changing their names; carry a good map while exploring this area.
The train station, the terminus for routes all across the country and to St. Petersburg and Moscow in Russia, and its adjoining Railway Station Square are the city's bustling commuter hub. The station's huge quirky granite figures are by Emil Wikström; the solid granite building they adorn was designed by Eliel Saarinen, one of the founders of the early-20th-century National Romantic style.
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