Ristinkirkko (Church of the Cross)

Alvar Aalto's Church of the Cross is one of the more interesting modern churches in Finland — a white asymmetric building with a sweeping curved roof and an interior dominated by a free-standing concrete cross that appears to hover above the altar.

The church is normally open in daylight hours outside services. There are regular concerts (the organ is excellent) and a small but striking bell tower beside the entrance. It sits across the street from the central market square, an easy stop on any walking route.

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Ristinkirkko was Alvar Aalto's last major building, designed in 1969 and completed in 1978, two years after the architect's death. The hovering white concrete cross above the altar — visible from every seat in the asymmetric fan-shaped nave — gives the church its name.

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