Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1973
—The Finnish garrison moved out, the fort's administration was transferred to
the Ministry of Education, and the fort was opened to the public.
Tours:
The museum's film on the island's history runs twice hourly (last showing 30
minutes before closing; pick up English translation of exhibits by entrance). The English-
language island tour, which runs daily in summer (otherwise only on weekends), departs
from the visitors center (€8, free with Helsinki Card, June-Aug daily at 11:00 and 14:00,
Sept-May Sat-Sun only at 13:30).
GettingThere:
Catch a ferry to Suomenlinna from Market Square. Walk past the high-
priced excursion boats to the public HKL ferry (€5 round-trip, covered by day ticket and
Helsinki Card, 15-minute trip, May-Aug 2-3/hour—generally at :00, :20, and :40 past the
hour, but pick up schedule to confirm; Sept-April every 40-60 minutes). If you'll be taking
at least two tram rides within 24 hours of visiting Suomenlinna, it pays to get a day ticket
instead of a round-trip ticket. A private ferry, JT Line, also runs to Suomenlinna from Mar-
ket Square in summer (at least hourly, €6.50 round-trip, tel. 09/534-806,
www.jt-line.fi
).
Background:
The fortress was built by the Swedes with French financial support in
the mid-1700s to counter Russia's rise to power. (Peter the Great had built his new capit-
al, St. Petersburg, on the Baltic and was eyeing the West.) Named Sveaborg (“Fortress of
Sweden”), the fortress was Sweden's military pride and joy. With five miles of walls and
hundreds of cannons, it was the second strongest fort of its kind in Europe after Gibraltar.
Helsinki, a small community of 1,500 people before 1750, soon became a boomtown sup-
porting this grand “Gibraltar of the North.”
The fort, built by more than 10,000 workers, was a huge investment and stimulated lots
of innovation. In the 1760s, it had the world's biggest and most modern dry dock. It served
as a key naval base during a brief Russo-Swedish war in 1788-1790. But in 1808, the Rus-
sians took the “invincible” fort without a fight—by siege—as a huge and cheap military
gift.
Visiting Suomenlinna:
Today, Suomenlinna has 1,000 permanent residents, is home to
Finland's Naval Academy, and is most appreciated by locals for its fine scenic strolls. The
island is large—actually, it's four islands connected by bridges—and you and your imagin-
ation get free run of the fortifications and dungeon-like chambers. When it's time to eat,
you'll find a half-dozen cafés and plenty of picnic opportunities.
Across from the ferry landing are the Jetty Barracks, housing a convenient WC, free
modern art exhibit, and the pricey Panimo Brewery restaurant. From here, start your stroll
of the island. The garrison church, which was Orthodox until its 20th-century conversion
to Lutheranism, doubled as a lighthouse. A five-minute walk from the ferry brings you to
the visitors center, which houses the worthwhile Suomenlinna Museum, where the island's
complete history is presented in a fascinating 25-minute “multi-vision” show.
From the visitors center, climb uphill to the right into Piper Park, past its elegant 19th-
century café, up and over the ramparts to a surreal swimming area. See the King's Gate on
the far side of the island before heading back to the ferry.
