FIN: Suomenlinna (Part 1)

South of Helsinki, Finland

Translated as 'Castle of Finland' from Finnish, Suomenlinna is an inhabited 18th century sea fortress built on a few islands off the coast of southern Helsinki. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, it offers a picturesque landscape that's perfect for a day trip from the city.

To go to the island, head to Market Square to catch a ferry. My BFF and I took a JT-Line that cost each of us €7.00 (~S$10.85) for a return trip.

Service is frequent, especially in summer.

You can purchase some snacks and drinks onboard.

Don't forget to take a handy map when purchasing your ferry ticket.

The journey between Market Square and Suomenlinna takes at least 30 minutes.

Silja Line is a Finnish cruiseferry brand operated by an Estonian company named AS Tallink Grupp.

The construction of the fortress began in 1748 as a means to resist Russian expansionism.

We dropped off at Artillery Bay. Nearby is a bridge that connects two big islands, which I shall call the northern island and the southern island for easy reference. This post covers the northern island, while the next one shall cover the southern island.

Finnish seems like a difficult language to learn.

We crossed the bridge after exploring the northern island.

War Museum is the closest attraction to the Artillery Bay ferry stop.

It was a peaceful afternoon at the island. Well, I guess that's pretty much the norm throughout the year.

There are about 800 residents in the whole of Suomenlinna.

Would you like to retire in Suomenlinna?

We spotted another ferry stop. 

That looks like a war ship.

We then saw a well-preserved Russian trading block, which comprises ornamented wooden houses that used to be occupied to Russian garrison traders. Nowadays, those houses are mostly privately owned.

In the past, those buildings supplied food and medicine for military and civilian needs.

Erected in 1854, Suomenlinna Church was constructed as an Eastern Orthodox garrison church for Russian troops occupying the fortress. It was then converted into an Evangelical Lutheran church in the 1920s.

An interesting fence constructed from cannons and chains!

The church bell weighing a whooping 6,683 kg is the largest in Finland.

Can anyone help me decode those tablets?

Do note that cycling is only permitted on the paved roads only, making it a not-so-good option to explore the area compared to by foot.

I wonder if that's a school with a soccer field.

"Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be~"

Suomenlinna's Toy Museum boasts a collection of toys and dolls from as early as the beginning of the 19th century to the 1960s.

The museum must be at least 30 years old.

From there, we made our way back to Artillery Bay via a different route.

Sveaborg is the original name of the fortress in Swedish, which is translated to 'Castle of Sweden'.

Military Museum's Manege was originally a Russian artillery storage built in 1880.

There's a building with some small animal sculptures displayed on its windows.

Let's cross the bridge to explore the southern island!

Stay tuned for Part 2!