Must-See
Suomenlinna
A sea fortress spread over a cluster of islands at the harbor mouth, a UNESCO site reached by a 15-minute ferry.
- Open
- Always; the museums keep shorter hours in winter
- Price
- Free; paid for the ferry and the museums
- Time Needed
- Half a day
- Address
- Suomenlinna, 00190 HelsinkiDirections
- Getting There
- The ferry from the Market Square, about 15 minutes, runs all year on a public transport ticket.
Why Go
Sweden began the fortress in 1748 to guard against Russia, and called it Sveaborg; Russia took it in 1808, and after independence it was renamed Suomenlinna, 'Castle of Finland'. Walls, bastions and cannons wind across the islands, with the King's Gate on the water.
About 800 people live here. Museums, a wartime submarine you can climb into, cafés and grassy ramparts for picnics fill the rest.
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