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Suomenlinna Sea Fortress in the Winter
by Andy / FarAndFurther-team
The Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, also known as Viapori, was built with French funding by Sweden between 1748 and 1788 as defense against Imperial Russia. It is the world's largest surviving sea fortress and as such has been given the status of an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Today it no longer has any military significance, but is an interesting place for anyone interested in (military) history or just a leisurely walk. If you visit Suomenlinna in the winter make sure you have enough warm clothes as weather can turn freezing cold!
There is no admission fee to Suomenlinna and you can reach it by ferry from the Central Marketplace of Helsinki. The ride lasts only about 30 minutes and offers some pretty cool sights along the way.
The ferry has arrived to Suomenlinna.
Most visitors enter Suomenlinna through the main gate.
One of the first things you'll come across is this grand church.
Its central dome doubles as a lighthouse, blinking the
Morse
code for the letter "H" for Helsinki.
Suomenlinna was built for defense purposes so it is no wonder there is
lots of military memorabilia on display.
"Vesikko", the last remaining WW 2 Finnish submarine.
There are lots and lots of tunnels to explore. Make sure you
bring a flashlight as the tunnels are not lit.
Statues in snow.
The inhabitants live in old wooden and stone buildings.
Small and medium size boats are repaired in the dry dock dating back to the 18th century.
Nice dramatic view of a park in the winter.
A small pond has frozen and is used for ice skating.
Fortifications.
Pretty cool reflection of the fort.
Gun boat of the Finnish Coast Guard.
A pair of Russian 6 inch 35 caliber naval guns cast in 1877.
"Pikku Mustasaari", one of the six islands Suomenlinna is built on.
It is 3 PM and the sun is setting early (this series was shot in January) so it's time to go home!
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photo series and travel stories from Finland
