Suomenlinna is a World Heritage Site and one of the most popular attractions in Finland,
but what is Suomenlinna?
What is Suomenlinna?
Suomenlinna is a sea fortress, tourist attraction and one of Helsinki districts.
Where is It?
Suomenlinna is located on a group of islands on the coast of Helsinki. It takes about 15-20 minutes ride on a ferry or water bus to reach from Helsinki.
How to Get to There?
You can get to Suomenlinna either with a ferry or with a water bus. Ferry runs throughout the year, while the water bus is in service only in summer. There is also a guest harbour for those arriving with their own boats.
How Big is It?
Built on six islands, there are about 200 buildings in an area of 80 hectares. The total lenght of the defensive walls is about 6 kilometres.
What to Do?
There is much to do in Suomenlinna. In addition to the fortifications, there are also several museums, shops, restaurants, cafes, art gallery spaces and small parks. It is also a great destination for a picnic. There is even a small beach if you want to take a little swim in the Gulf of Finland. But please notice that there is also a lot of sea traffic which sometimes may cause dangerously high waves.
Visit the Museums
There are five museums (Suomenlinna Museum, Ehrensvärd Museum, Military Museum of Manege, Customs Museum and Toy Museum) and museum submarine Vesikko. In addition there are about 100 old cannons from different ages.
How Much is the Admission?
Museums have entry fees, but there is no entry fee to Suomenlinna. Just the ferry/water bus ticket price.
Visit Anytime of the Year
Suomenlinna is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland with about one million visits every year. And although some museums might be closed during winter, Suomenlinna is more than just a summer destination. It is great summer destination, but interesting also in Autumn or Winter.
Unique Helsinki District
Suomenlinna is not just an tourist attraction, but also one of Helsinki districts. There are about 350 apartments and 800 people living in Suomenlinna.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
When you visit, remember that Suomenlinna is protected. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Most of the old fortification structures, walls and ramparts are unfenced. So please be extra careful when moving around in the fortress, especially when climbing up the walls. Check the visitor instructions from here.
Have fun visiting Suomenlinna. For more info, visit Suomenlinna website.
Image by Suomen Ilmakuva Oy / Suomenlinna Governing Body