The sea fortress, Suomenlinna, which is located at 15-20 minutes of ferry distance from the capital city of Finland, Helsinki, has become a popular sight due to its unique monument of military architecture. It has also been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Hence, there is simply no reason for us not to pay this amazing fortress a visit.
With Helsinki being our first step into Europe, we spent some time enjoying the moment and taking a lot of photographs after getting off the high speed train from St. Petersburg. Thus, there was a slight delay heading to Suomenlinna as compared to our itinerary. It was fortunate that our hostel is centrally located which is about 10 minutes of walking distance from Helsinki Central Station and another 10 minutes walk to the market square (ferry terminal to Suomenlinna). Please click here for the full review of our accommodation in Helsinki.
By the time we reached the market square, we found out that the next ferry will depart to Suomenlinna at 4.30pm. As we knew that the tourist information center closes at 5.00pm during autumn, we will need to rush to the center the moment we arrive in Suomenlinna. Bear in mind that the museums are also closed at 5.00pm during autumn. Suomenlinna is only accessible by water which the options being the ferry (all year round) and waterbus (only available during summer).
After purchasing our return ferry tickets (EUR5 per person), we wandered around the market square (which was about to close) while waiting for the ferry. Nevertheless, we managed to buy some blueberries and lingonberries as well as a plate of fried vendace with calamari and potatoes for our late lunch (closer to early dinner).
Tips: The ferry ticket (EUR5) to Suomenlinna is actually included in the 1-day HSL ticket (EUR9). It will definitely be more worth it if you can arrange your trip such that you will spend the entire day exploring both the attractions in Helsinki and Suomenlinna.
Welcome aboard the ferry to Suomenlinna! We chose to enjoy the sea breeze by sitting at the open air seats. It was really cold but we enjoyed the breath-taking views accompanied by lots of seagulls throughout the short journey.
It was almost 5.00pm by the time we arrived at Suomenlinna but we still managed to drop by the tourist information center to get some maps and brochures. Suomenlinna is actually quite big and it consists of 6 linked islands. Since this area is a car free zone (except for service vehicles), the only options to roam around the island is by cycling (rental bicycle) or walking. If you are interested in historical places, you can probably spend one whole day exploring the fortress.
With limited time as the sky was turning dark, we decided to take the Blue Route which covers all the main attractions across the entire fortress area. We just followed the blue signs along the way pointing us towards the direction of the Blue Route.
The Blue Route starts with the Jetty Barracks built during the Russian Era and also acts as the main gateway to the fortress. You may be curious why the Russians appeared here? Geographically, Finland is located between Sweden and Russia. Hence, this sea fortress has been used both by the Swedish and Russians before Finland becomes independent.
There are houses, cafés and a church right after the Jetty Barracks. Well, it was actually quite boring and there doesn’t seem to be anything interesting in the beginning. However, the journey became more interesting as we go deeper into the Blue Route with some astonishing views here and there.
We even spotted a cruise ship passing very near to us to the extent that we could wave to the people on the ship! It is not every day that you get to see a cruise ship passing that close to you. What an incredible moment indeed! Not long later, we spotted another cruise ship passing by.
Other that the cruise ships, it is also not easy to see a submarine every day! Check out this Finnish submarine built in the 1930s to serve the Second World War. Unfortunately, admission fees are required to go inside the submarine and it was about to close by the time we got there.
Additionally, we also passed by a few places which might be an ideal place to rest or even have a picnic being accompanied by the green grasses and fresh air.
Walking towards King’s Gate Quay which is located towards the south of Suomenlinna, we stopped at a spot around Kustaanmiekka sand banks and artillery. We simply loved the magnificent views looking at all the different angles from this spot (cannons, rock houses, sea, etc.). Even though the sea breeze was quite strong, it didn’t stopped us from taking lots of photos. There are also some benches available for you to rest and enjoy the fantastic views. It was so relaxing sitting there but also cold at the same time due to the autumn sea breeze.
We also came across plenty of small little windows with cannons facing the sea along the way to King’s Gate Quay. This is probably meant for defense against the incoming enemy ships.
Finally, we arrived at King’s Gate Quay which was bloody cold because there was nothing to block the strong wind. We just couldn’t stay there for a long time and wanted to run towards the small little windows to hide from the wind.
We were basically done with the main sights of Suomenlinna but we still found some nice views while walking back to the main quay. This was our first time seeing such nice autumn leaves. Autumn is definitely a beautiful and cool season!
Tips: We also visited the KMarket nearby the ferry terminal of the main quay. We noticed that some of the food items here are cheaper than those found in the supermarkets in Helsinki especially the Water-soluble Vitamins.
The entire Suomenlinna exploration took us about 2.5 hours. Surprisingly, there were still quite a number of tourists even at 5.00pm! The start of the journey might bore you a little but it gets more interesting and attractive as you venture deeper. Just be patient! Visiting this sea fortress in the evening may not be the best timing but you get to experience a peaceful place with smaller crowds while being accompanied by the cold breeze.
Guided walking tours are also available at some charges. You can always check out their official website here for more information especially on the fees and opening hours of the museums, tourist information center, cafés, etc.
At the time of writing, there are about 800 people living in this sea fortress. The Governing Body of Suomenlinna is responsible for the maintenance of the majority of the apartments there. There are also some basic facilities available for the people staying there such as a library, a kindergarten, a primary school, a church and a grocery shop. Annually, about 250 soldiers will attend the Naval Academy which is probably the only military unit left on the island. We were glad that we have the opportunity to check out this place. If you are a historical traveler, you will definitely spend a lot of time exploring the islands.
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