Suomenlinna Fortress is ready for the summer 2011

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!

Summer in Helsinki is not complete without a trip to Suomenlinna Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sea views and historic walks provide pleasant scenery, while the idyllic cafes and atmospheric restaurants offer great places to stop and take it all in.

Theatre, festivals and exhibitions
The annual and by now traditional MeriViapori wooden boat event attracts and delights visitors this year on 18 June. The Guards Band festival fills Suomenlinna with old and new military music on 10–11 June. Les Lumières offers a unique opportunity to admire historical costumes on 12–19 June and towards the end of the summer, on 24–27 August, Suomenlinna Fortress serves as the stage for Viapori Jazz. In mid-August, Viaporin Tuoppi, the largest regatta for wooden sailboats in Finland will be arranged in the waters of Suomenlinna.

This summer, the open-air theatre offers a Finnish-language production of Astrid Lindgren’s beloved classic Ronia the Robber’s Daughter. The play tells a story about all-conquering friendship and longing for freedom and it is a great adventure for the whole family. The direction is by the new generation theatre-maker Akse Pettersson.

Suomenlinna Museum will host an exhibition on 20 May – 31 December entitled Bubbling Under, the Underwater Cultural Heritage at Suomenlinna. Under the surface the traces of human activity lie hidden from our view. What secrets can be found in the waters surrounding Suomenlinna – a UNESCO World Heritage site?

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. Tours of the fortress are always on foot, so travellers should bring comfortable shoes and wind-proof clothing.

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.

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.

How to get there? 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.

Linkit:

Suomenlinna Fortress Suomenlinna Ferry

Text: Suomenlinna Governing Body, Annukka Salo
Photo: Suomenlinna Governing Body

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