Helsinki’s Island Fortress: An Audio Tour of Suomenlinna
Description
Suomenlinna is one of the world’s largest sea fortresses, and it sprawls across a series of six small islands. On this walking tour, I’ll show you around, and share the rich history of the island that’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. You'll see the Jetty Barracks which were designed to accommodate 250 soldiers in peacetime, the Suomenlinna Church which was once an Orthodox garrison church and is now an Evangelical-Lutheran church, and the Great Courtyard where you’ll find Augustin Ehrensvärd's grave. As you make your way around the island, I’ll tell you about the Mortuis Memorial Stone, the Military Museum of Manes and the 1918 Prisoner-of-War Camp Memorial which marks the spot where 8,000 prisons were held. While this two-hour tour is perfect for those who want to find out more about the island fortress’ history, we’ll also share some interesting facts about Helsinki and Finland with you. Did you know, for instance, that there are more saunas than cars in Finland?
Tour Options
Itinerary
Suomenlinna is one of the world’s largest sea fortresses, and it sprawls across a series of six small islands. On this walking tour, I’ll show you around, and share the rich history of the island that’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.
On this self-guided tour, you'll see the Jetty Barracks which were designed to accommodate 250 soldiers in peacetime, the Suomenlinna Church which was once an Orthodox garrison church and is now an Evangelical-Lutheran church.
On this self-guided tour, you'll see the Great Courtyard where you’ll find Augustin Ehrensvärd's grave. Listening to the story of Augustin Ehrensvärd, whose mission during the war was to increase the artillery’s capacity and to expand Hamina city’s defences
As you make your way around the island, you'll find out about the Mortuis Memorial Stone, the Military Museum of Manes and the 1918 Prisoner-of-War Camp Memorial which marks the spot where 8,000 prisons were held.
As you make your way around the island, you'll find out about the Mortuis Memorial Stone, the Military Museum of Manes and the 1918 Prisoner-of-War Camp Memorial which marks the spot where 8,000 prisons were held.
On this tour, you'll relive King Adolf Frederick’s first time walking through the King’s Gate in 1752.
On this tour, you'll pass by several bastions, including the Gyllenborg Bastion and the Bastion Hårleman, part of the island’s outer ring of defences.
On this audio tour, you'll learn about the submarine Vesikko which was launched from the Crichton-Vulcan dock in Turku and used during World War II.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please bring your own smartphone and headphones
Reviews(1)
Overall not a bad walking commentary on the history of the fortifications. It would be better if the commentary defined some of the many military terms for this of us less familiar with 19th century fort construction. E looked the fact that the audio stayed when you reached that particular place on the map. The biggest complaint is the starting process. Obviously, you need to let the app track your location. Envar is not obvious is that you must give it permission ALWAYS, not just "when using the app". That took us 20 minutes to figure out.
