A Ferry to a Fortress

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Off the Helsinki coast is an old fortess, Suomenlinna Sveaborg, established in 1748. The fort was built during the time that Finland was under Swedish rule. Later, when Finland was under Russian authority, more cannons were added, facing west, toward Sweden. A quick 15 minute ferry ride spilled us out onto the picturesque island. The ramparts are irregular in shape and undulate with the uneven terrain. (Photo.) Today, the island is a major tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the island is a church, coutryards, restaurants, museums, small shops and a glass blowing studio. The island is the permanent home of about 1000 people.

The fortress church was originally built as a Russian Orthodox church but was later converted into a Lutheran one. The steeple on the church served as a lighthouse for air and sea traffic. We did not go inside as there was a wedding ceremony taking place.

Cannon guns placed by the Russians line the coastal defences of the sandbank walls. (Photo.)

The King's Gate was built between 1753 and 1754 and was the entry into the fortress. At this site, King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was anchored offshore while inspecting the construction of the fortress.

Tethered to the shoreline is a restored 1930s Finnish submarine, now a mini-museum. (Photo.)

We spent about half a day at the fortress, lazily enjoying the Baltic seaside scenery.

Then we headed back to see more of Helsinki itself and think about dinner. Hmmm, maybe some Nepalese food. We have only had a small sampling of Finnish food so far. Southern Finnish cuisine is naturally seafood-based. But in the Lappland coutry up north, they treasure their reindeer meat and wild berries. Finnish fare has culinary influences from Russia and other parts of Europe as well. Especially in the pastries and desserts. Being a fairly cosmopolitan city, Helsinki has a variety of dining choices. TexMex, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Nepalese and Italian are some.

After dinner we walked along the harbor near our hotel. We also took a tram out to the Church in the Rock. This church is unique in that it was blasted out of solid granite. (Photo.) The dome of the sanctuary is a 13 mile coil of copper ribbon.

If we can, we will try to visit Estonia as a day trip on a fast ferry. Also tempting is a 3-day visit to St. Petersburg, Russia but that would require a visa. Oh, well. Can't do everything...

We have only one more day here in Finland. Tomorrow night we will board an overnight cruise ship for Stockholm, Sweden. Stay tuned!

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