World Heritage Site Suomenlinna

The Suomenlinna sea fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built over a period of three centuries, Suomenlinna is nowadays a unique residential district of Helsinki and a popular tourist destination. The military architecture of the six fortified islands recounts the history of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Russian Empire and the Republic of Finland.

Bastion Fortress

The maritime fortress was built for defence, and European principles of fortress construction were applied to the northern conditions of the Baltic Sea. The fortress, built of stone from the nearby islets, implements the bastion system in an exceptional way.

In these places, you can familiarize yourself particularly well with the subject when visiting Suomenlinna:

• Kustaanmiekka information signs
• Kustaanmiekka fortification structures and the rampart
• Suomenlinna Museum

Dry Dock

Construction of the dry dock began in the 1750s in order to build Sweden’s new archipelago fleet. The shipyard was protected by fortifications. The dry dock, one of the oldest in the world, is now used to repair traditional ships.

In these places, you can familiarize yourself particularly well with the subject when visiting Suomenlinna:

• Observation deck of the dry dock with the informations signs
• During the docking out in spring and docking in in autumn

Cultural Landscape and Island Nature

The maritime cultural landscape in Suomenlinna consists of, for example, worked bedrock and non-native species of fortress nature. The nature is experienced differently according to the seasons and the time of the day.

In these places, you can familiarize yourself particularly well with the subject when visiting Suomenlinna:

• Sea journey to the fortress
• Blue route
• Suomenlinna guest harbor in summer
• The clear starry sky and darkness at Kustaanmiekka as part of the fortress’s cultural landscape
• The different silence and soundscape of the fortress developed as a car-free district

Construction and purpose of use

From the 18th century to the present day, the construction of the fortress has responded to the political, economic, technical and cultural challenges of different eras, and that can be seen in the multifaceted
style of the buildings.

In these places, you can familiarize yourself particularly well with the subject when visiting Suomenlinna:

• Suomenlinna buildings; visit the services to also explore the interiors
• Restoration and repair construction sites in Finland’s largest restoration project
• Exhibition on the second floor of the Suomenlinna Museum

A vibrant neighbourhood

The fortress has always been a place of residence for people, today there are more than 300 homes in Suomenlinna. There is a school, day care centre, library, museums, restaurants, offices and events in Suomenlinna. Year-round, the everyday life is paced by the ferry that operates from early morning to late night every day.

In these places, you can familiarize yourself particularly well with the subject when visiting Suomenlinna:

• Russian merchant quarter
• City residents’ cultivation plots
• Local businesses in Suomenlinna
• Artisans’ events