FIN: Suomenlinna (Part 2)

South of Helsinki, Finland

Welcome to the second part of my adventure in Suomenlinna, one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Finland. After exploring the northern island as described in Part 1, my BFF and I made our way to the southern island to discover more of the unique military architecture.

Historical records mentioned that Carl Olof Cronstedt, a Swedish naval commander who led the Swedish army against the invading Russian forces in 1808, decided to surrender after just minor skirmishes. The reasons for the surrender remains an unsolved mystery.

Once overtaken by Russia, Suomenlinna saw a large-scale building programme,
including extra barracks, dockyard extension and reinforcement to the fortification lines.

There's a kiosk selling postcards, snacks and drinks.

There's a shipyard near the bridge, though it looks somewhat messy.

For a split second, I thought I was at a ship graveyard instead.

To be frank, we didn't explore much of the southern island as we had to leave for the airport in the evening to fly back home. We simply followed the coastal path southward without detouring much.

Submarine Vesikko, used during World War II, is now a museum that opens only during summer.

If I'm not mistaken, the building on the right-hand side is a theatre.

I was glad we were able to do the following scenic walk on the island.

This photo reminds me of a view I saw in my childhood, though I'm not sure where.

Does it look like I was gonna be blown away?

The short video clip below should give you an idea of how strong the wind was.

There was a couple ahead of us.

Don't imagine a scene where they were going to get shot by the cannon.

The cannons are well-preserved.

Suomenlinna's own version of The Hobbit house?

We almost reached the ferry stop.

Restaurant Walhalla has been around since 1952.

We were in time to catch the 6.30pm service.

The King's Gate is an iconic symbol of the island, which was built in 1753 as the entrance gateway to the fortress.

The gate was built on the site where the ship carrying King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was anchored while he inspected the construction of the fortress in 1752.