Suomenlinna, which means “Castle of Finland”, is a sea fortress built in the 18th century. It was included in the World Heritage List in 1991 as a unique monument of military architecture. It has served in the defense of three realms: Sweden, Russia and Finland. Suomenlinna is one of the top tourists destination in Finland.

How to get there

Suomenlinna is still part of Helsinki. From the Market Square, you have to take a ferry that will bring you to the island. It will take you 15 minutes to arrive at Suomenlinna and the ticket price costs around 8 Euros.

What to see

King’s Gate. The King’s Gate is the entrance to the fortress and is the iconic symbol of Suomenlinna. It was built in 1753 until 1754.

Great Courtyard. The Great Courtyard served as the main square and administrative centre of the fortress.

Dry Dock. Suomenlinna’s Dry Dock is the oldest dry dock in Finland and one of the oldest operational dry docks in Europe.

Suomenlinna Church. Suomenlinna Church was built as a Russian Orthodox garrison church in 1854. Its original building had five steeples with onion domes

Jetty Barracks. Jetty Barracks was built during the Russian era. It is the main gateway to the fortress, and is the first building that visitors see as they arrive at the main quay.

Bastion Zander. Bastion Zander has been the flag bastion of the fortress throughout its history.

Prisoner-of-war Camp Memorial. This memorial is located close to the ferry harbor. A total of 8, 000 prisoners stayed in this camp. A tenth of them died of starvation and disease.

It is advisable to spend one day at Suomenlinna so that you will be able to see all these places and spend time exploring them. From the port, these places are accessible by foot. This place is very scenic and beautiful, thus, not should be missed when visiting Finland.