HS Helsinki | The quiet life of Kamppi's chapel, which stood empty, is finally coming to an end

Helsinki the wooden Kamppi chapel located in the center opens its doors again during the spring.

The Helsinki parish union had to close the Kamppi chapel at the beginning of September. The reason was the extensive layoffs of the Helsinki Parish Association, due to which the chapel no longer had enough staff to keep it open.

Kamppi’s chapel has been a popular tourist destination in the center of Helsinki. It has also been possible to be quiet in the chapel.

Now the Helsinki parish association plans to reopen Kamppi’s chapel.

I’m fighting In the future, the chapel will continue to be a place of silence and open to everyone, but tourists are to be charged an entrance fee.

“The purpose of ticket sales in the chapel is to make it so that silence is still possible in the chapel”, director of joint parish work of the Helsinki parish association Stefan Forsén tells.

Forsén estimates that at least part of the chapel’s expenses could be covered by ticket sales.

“If Kamppi’s chapel proves to be very popular, the chapel’s operations can be developed with ticket sales income.”

The Kamppi chapel is supposed to be opened during the spring.

“Making arrangements takes a while. The estimate is that the chapel would open at the beginning of April. The most important thing is that the chapel is opened before the summer season, which is the most important time.”

Helsinki the parish association has collected fees from visitors in a few churches before. There has been a visiting fee for the Temppeliaukio church for years. In the Cathedral and Suomenlinna Church, a voluntary payment from visitors was introduced in 2021.

The Helsinki parish association has had to make savings in its operations. Last September, due to savings, the parish association dismissed or offered another job to a total of 23 employees.

The Helsinki Parish Association should receive a total of nearly five million euros in savings by 2025, because fewer and fewer people belong to the parish and pay church taxes.

Kamppi’s chapel was opened in 2012. According to the chapel’s website, approximately 350,000 visitors visit the chapel annually.