Suomenlinna
Sea Fortress Begun By Sweden In 1748 On Six Islands Off Helsinki; UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1991 · Helsinki, Uusimaa
Suomenlinna is an eighteenth-century sea fortress spread across six islands at the entrance to Helsinki's harbour, and it is one of the largest sea fortresses in the world and a World Heritage Site. Sweden began building it in 1748, when Finland was part of the Swedish kingdom, to guard against Russia, and named it Sveaborg; it surrendered to Russia in 1808, was bombarded by an Anglo-French fleet during the Crimean War, and became Finnish only after independence. Visitors walk among bastions, ramparts, cannons, tunnels and dry docks, past the King's Gate on the water, and can climb into the Second World War submarine Vesikko. What makes it unusual is that it is a living place: several hundred people live on the islands, and there are cafes, a brewery and a church that doubles as a lighthouse. The ferry is part of Helsinki's public transport, and the fortress itself is free to walk. In summer Helsinki picnics on the ramparts; in winter the islands are windswept and quiet. It is the easiest great sight in Finland.
Suomenlinna islands, a short ferry ride from Helsinki's Market Square, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
The islands are open at all times and free to walk; residents live here, so keep evenings quiet. Museums, the visitor centre and the submarine Vesikko keep their own hours, with shorter seasons outside summer and Vesikko open only in the summer season. Ferries run all year from the Market Square, roughly fifteen to twenty minutes, on the public transport network, with less frequent sailings in winter - check the last ferry back.