Suomenlinna Fortress is ready for the summer 2010
With its museums and events, Suomenlinna Fortress is a memorable experience: old stone walls, cannons, tunnels, restaurants, cafes and much more. The ferry trip to the island is an experience in itself!
Theatre, festivals, exhibitions
The photo exhibition by Tim Bird offers landscapes and scenery from Suomenlinna in the winter. Minna Metsärinne has photographed light, shadows, forms and colours shaped by nature over the centuries for her exhibition Suomenlinna – Svartholma II, On the Footsteps of Ehrensvärd.
MeriViapori is an annual and traditional wooden boat event that attracts and delights visitors in June. Les Lumières offers a unique opportunity to admire historical costumes in the middle of the summer. In August, Suomenlinna Fortress serves as the stage for Viapori Jazz. Arranged in the waters of Suomenlinna on August 14, Viaporin Tuoppi is the largest regatta for wooden sailboats in Finland.
This summer, the open-air theatre offers a production of Cyrano de Bergerac, directed by Pertti Sveholm and performed by the Ryhmäteatteri theatre group.
Guided tours
Spanning 260 years, the history of Suomenlinna Fortress comes alive during guided tours that explain, among other things, why the fortress was built. These fascinating tours also reveal many other secrets hidden behind the bastion walls. Old stories from the time when Finland was under Swedish and then Russian rule vibrantly illustrate life on the island during peace and war.
Adventures for children
Children will enjoy exploring the tunnels in Suomenlinna. They will also be able to see and visit a real submarine, Vesikko, as well as meet the dolls and teddy bears at the Suomenlinna Toy Museum.
With the help of a map, the tunnels of Susisaari and Kustaanmiekka offer an intriguing experience – and for children, an exciting one. Maps of the Suomenlinna tunnel network can be purchased at the Visitor Centre.
The Commandant and the Cunning Plotter is an adventure tour for children between 6 and 13 years of age and their parents. The tour takes families on a fascinating journey to Suomenlinna during the Age of Enlightenment in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
New website at www.suomenlinna.fi/en/
Suomenlinna’s acclaimed website has been further improved. The site presents Suomenlinna as not only a year-round tourist destination, but also a former military base, a restoration site and a place of residence.
The visitor’s guide offers information on the sites and sights for different groups, such as families with little children, tourist groups and individual travellers. In addition, the website provides accessibility information for visitors with impaired mobility.
Furthermore, the site offers extensive information on the history of Suomenlinna and ongoing restoration work, also depicting the island as a lively district of Helsinki.
Home to 850 people
Suomenlinna is a popular tourist destination, but it also is the home of approximately 850 people. The nature, sea and tourist seasons give Suomenlinna a distinct character as a residence.
Visitors should respect the residents by not entering private yards and not making noise late at night. Visitors should dispose of their litter in rubbish bins on the island or take refuse with them when leaving the island.
Tours of the fortress are always on foot, so travellers should bring comfortable shoes and wind-proof clothing. The ferry from Helsinki Market Square may occasionally be full in the summer, but the traffic is frequent and the next one may leave as soon as 15 minutes after. Visitors can also take a waterbus to Suomenlinna.
Suomenlinna Sea Fortress Website Suomenlinna Ferry Timetable
