Path of Sibelius covers Helsinki and three nearby communities. Most of the sites are in Helsinki, reflecting the fact that the composer achieved the greatest accomplishments of his career in the city. All sites are marked on a map and can be easily walked through.
The guide sheds new light on Sibelius from multiple angles. Sibelius enthusiasts learn where he was born, went to school, studied, composed, partied with other famous Finnish artists, enjoyed nature, played music, premiered his major works, and lived his family life. “The sites have been so selected that they add to the obvious Sibelius scene,” says Helsinki City Museum curator Jere Jäppinen, who authored the guide.
In addition to the well-known monuments to the composer, Path of Sibelius leads cultural travelers to lesser-known monuments. One of these is a musical tribute to Sibelius at Helsinki’s Kallio Cathedral, which has played the composer’s Bell Melody at noon and 6 p.m. daily for over one hundred years with cathedral bells chosen by Sibelius himself.
In addition to Helsinki, the guide presents the composer’s birth town Hämeenlinna, Tuusula and Järvenpää where the Sibelius home Ainola is located, and Sibelius’s favorite summer resort Loviisa.
You can see the guide here.