Suomenlinna Church

The Suomenlinna Church was built as a Russian Orthodox garrison church in 1854. The original building had five steeples with onion domes.

The appearance of the church – which dominates the southern view from Helsinki – was changed at the beginning of the Finnish era, when it was converted into an Evangelical-Lutheran church. In the alteration works, the main dome lost its onion shape and, outwardly, the tower was made quadrangular. The bases of the small domes were left under the roof. The walls were plastered to form an even surface.

A popular wedding church

The church steeple houses a beacon for air and sea traffic. The beacon emits four consecutive blinks which in Morse code stands for the letter H, for Helsinki.

The Suomenlinna Church is a popular venue for weddings, concerts and other events. The crypt of the church can also be rented for small events.

The distance from the main quay to the church is 200 metres. Waterbuses operate to the Artillery Bay quay during the summer season. The distance from there is approximately 300 metres.

Accessibility: The route from the main quay to the church follows the wheelchair route. The road leading to the main entrance of the church is steep (inclination 14%) and there are steps on the route. Access to the churchyard and the main entrance is more gently sloped from the Parade Field side.

There are steps at the entrance to the church. Detachable trough-shaped ramps can be erected by the caretaker upon request. However, the ramps are rather steep and designed mainly for prams and pushchairs. There are thresholds on the route from the main entrance to the nave. Steps lead to the altar. There are no designated places for wheelchair users in the church; the only space available is in the aisle or in front of the first row of seats.

The crypt is located in the basement. The nearest accessible toilet is in the Jetty Barracks near the main quay.