Suomenlinna – Don’t Miss This Helsinki Island

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I wasn’t in Finland for long. But in the short time I was there, Helsinki made quite the impression. Before I even got there I had heard of Suomenlinna. An island just off the coast, and a short ferry ride away. I was traveling in December so not optimal time to be going further away from the warmth and bright lights of the city. Especially given that Suomenlinna is an old abandoned fortress on an island. But it sounded so mysterious and intriguing that I just had to see what it was all about.

What is Suomenlinna island?

The name Suomenlinna actually translates to Castle of Finland, although there is no castle there. Suomenlinna is actually a fortress, originally built during the 18th Century by Sweden in an attempt to ward off Russia. That didn’t work and the fortress was surrendered to Russia who had it until Finnish independence a century later.

Click here to book a tour of Helsinki including Suomenlinna island through Viator

Where is Suomenlinna island

Suomenlinna is about 4 kilometers off the mainland from Helsinki. Out there in the Baltic Sea it is a desolate place in the winter with rough seas around it and bone chilling winds. Believe me I felt them! From mainland Helsinki Suomenlinna is a 15 minute ferry ride away. From the island itself you can get some good views of Helsinki and of course some impressive views out to sea. Read more about getting between Tallinn and Helsinki on a budget here.

How do you get to Suomenlinna island?

There is a ferry that departs to Suomenlinna from the mainland multiple times a day. The ferry ride is about 15 minutes long and the ferry has both indoor seating areas and and outdoor area where you can stand to take photos or get some fresh air. Despite the cold weather in December, I stayed outside most of the time, taking in the views.

Tickets for the ferry cost 2.80 EUR and are part of the Helsinki transit system. That means you can also visit Suomenlinna if you have purchased a day pass for the transit system. The ferry terminal is right at Market Square, opposite Helsinki City Hall. You can purchase tickets from one of the machines right there. You have the option to select other languages on the machines so no need to worry about figuring them out. On Suomenlinna island there are also ticket machines. But note that the machines don’t give change so you need the right amount of money.

What time of day is best to visit?

Allow plenty of time to look around the island. The main route through the island is 1.5 kilometers in each direction so if you plan to walk it, and spend time around the island in some of the museums or admiring the views then you will need at least a couple of hours. I went earlier in the morning around 10am and left the island around 1:30pm. That gave me enough time to walk around the island, have some food, and still be back to Helsinki to do more things in the afternoon.

In all honesty I could have stayed longer, but it was getting darker and colder given the December weather and short days. It should also be noted that there are some museums and sites on the island that aren’t open in the winter months. So if you visit in the summer you may wish to spend longer there. I recommend leaving in the morning then you don’t miss anything you want to see.

What time of year should I visit?

Suomenlinna is open to visitors all year round. The ferries are more limited in the winter months, but I still found they ran regularly enough. Typically once or twice an hour each way. But in summer there are many more departures, up to 4 times an hour. There were a good number of people on the ferry when I went over there, on a weekday in December. However, the ferry certainly wasn’t full and I didn’t run into many people around the island.

Once people reached the island they kind of scattered in different directions so there was no cafe full, no museum overrun and no battling people for the views. I’m told this is quite the opposite in the summer when the island is very popular. So if you want to visit in the summer, I would again suggest an early start to the day to try and beat the rush.

Is there food on Suomenlinna?

Yes, there is. There are a number of cafes and some restaurants. While a couple of them are seasonal, there are a few cafes that are open year round and are quite close to the ferry terminal. That way you don’t need to worry about rushing for the ferry. The cafes sell sandwiches, pastries and hot meals as well as hot and cold drinks and cakes. There was a good selection in each of the ones I went into.

There is also a grocery store right next to the ferry terminal where you can buy snacks or drinks for your walk around the island. The prices were a little higher than on the mainland, but since Finland is already not a cheap place to visit, it didn’t really make too much of a difference to me. Check out this reusable water bottle for a more sustainable trip.

Is the island easy to walk around?

Yes and no. Yes, because Suomenlinna is not too big, so the distance from one end to the other is easy enough if you are physically fit. The no part of this is because the island roads are all cobble stones. And not just the little flat cobble stones, but rather large ones that make walking sometimes a challenge if you don’t watch your step, and could be problematic to those with wheelchairs or strollers/prams.

There are lots of areas to walk around the island, so you could do a lot of walking if you wanted to. There are green areas too. The cafes and the church are quite close to the ferry terminal, however to get to the museums you really do need to walk at least halfway through the island.

Is Suomenlinna free?

There is no entrance fee to the island. But in order to get there you will obviously need to pay to get on the ferry. You can conceivably visit the island for pretty cheap, the cost of the ferry ticket. Since you can walk around a lot of the sites and trails for free. The main thing you will want to do that costs money are some of the museums which all have their own entrance fee. There are combined tickets if you want to visit more than one, but again I would check the opening times because some of them are closed in the off season.

Do people live on Suomenlinna?

Yes, there are some people who call this island home. It actually seems like a pretty nice place to live. I saw a few houses while I was there but the majority of people live in apartments there. There aren’t many and it is apparently very difficult to actually get one, so don’t pin all your hopes on living here just yet. To be one of the select 800 people to live there could be a bit of a wait. There are areas of the island where you’ll see signs that it’s a resident area. Be mindful of these signs and where you should not be going as I’m sure the locals don’t want you wandering through their back garden.

What is there to do on Suomenlinna?

There are 6 museums, a church, a number of cafes, restaurants and even a brewery. You won’t be short of things to do on Suomenlinna no matter what time of year you visit. And if you really don’t want to do any of that then just appreciate the scenery and the solitude of being away from the busy city. Here are some of the popular things to do on the island.

Walk the Blue route

The main route through the island is clearly marked on the map you can get in the visitor center. It is also signposted along the island so you really can’t get lost. The Blue route is the route you can take to see the main sites around the island. It will take you from the ferry dock past the church, the main museums, the dry dock and ultimately to King’s Gate with incredible views out to sea. As I mentioned above some of the path can be uneven so watch your step as you walk.

Suomenlinna church

The church is one of the first things you’ll come across after setting off on the Blue route. It’s a simple, yet beautiful building and can be seen from various points on the island. It is also interestingly unique, functioning simultaneously as a church and a lighthouse. The church was originally built as a Russian Orthodox church for the military in the 1800s after the island turned over from Swedish to Russian rule. When Finland became independent the church became Lutheran and has since lost a lot of it’s Russian influenced features.

Suomenlinna Museum

If you really want to find out more about the fortress, the history of ownership and even the environmental protection of Suomenlinna you have to stop in at the museum. The first floor of the museum walks you through the island from the beginning, how the fortress was built (and why). There are artifacts and historical pictures that make it really interesting. The storyboards and information are in English, Finnish and Russian so you can easily follow along.

The second floor is more about the conservation and preservation of the fortress, as well as its UNESCO status. The museum is 8 EUR to get in, and since I was there in December I had it almost to myself. It has a really awesome gift shop, but it is expensive. There’s also a small cafe (again, not the cheapest). If you only visit one museum on the island, make it this one.

Dry docks

After you leave the museum you’ll cross a bridge. Go up and around on the Blue route and take a brief detour to the right from the Great Courtyard to reach the dry dock. The historical dry dock is still in use today. Even though you can’t go onto the dock, there’s an observation area looking down on it where you can perhaps see people working on the boats. It might not look like much but this is the biggest dry dock in the country and an important place in the past and now.

Get lost in the bastions

The bastions are the defensive walls surrounding the Great Courtyard. They felt kind of like tunnels, well not underground tunnels but they were dark and eerie. After you cross the bridge and just before you get to the dry dock, you will walk through the bastions into the Great Courtyard. A series of increasingly dark and creepy tunnels stretch in both directions. I walked through a few of them, checking out the views from the openings, and scaring nesting birds (by accident). But there seemed to be no end to them and I wasn’t willing to go further into the abyss as it felt like the beginning of some weird horror movie.

Augustin Ehrensvärd’s tomb

Who? Well, this is the Swedish military architect who originally created Suomenlinna. Although then it was called Sveaborg. He is responsible for building and rebuilding the fortress. The Great Courtyard, on the Blue route is his final resting place. It’s quite an elaborate tomb, as Ehrensvärd was and still is highly though of for his work building Suomenlinna.

King’s Gate

At the end of the 1.5 kilometer Blue route is the impressive King’s Gate. Named after the King of Sweden who visited at the time Suomenlinna was built, it is the gateway to the island’s fortress. This is the main site on the island for anyone visiting and is quite the site to passing ships. During the summer you can even get a better view of it yourself as there is another passenger waterbus service (JT-Line) which runs to and from Suomenlinna but departures go from both the main ferry terminal that I described above, or from King’s Gate. This service is not available during the winter.

Enjoy the views

Despite all the history, the interesting things I learned about the island and the amazing fortress, the best thing for me were the views. I expected the island to be cold and it was a little windy and chilly. But what I didn’t realize was how beautiful it would be. In fact the weather on the mainland was cloudy and not too great when I set off, but brightened up when I got to Suomenlinna. Then when I left the island it got cloudy again and started to rain. I was really lucky to see it as I did. Maybe the weather is just naturally nicer there.

Walking along the trails nearer to the King’s Gate was my favorite part. Watching the waves crash against the rocks below. Looking out to sea. Viewing the coastline through the openings in the fortress walls. In December there were only a handful of people there and I had the whole area to myself for about half an hour. It was fantastic. If I watched Game of Thrones (I know, I know) I would imagine this would be a good place to film it.

Spend the night

Yes, you read that correctly. You can actually stay on Suomenlinna? How, I hear you ask? Well there’s a 39 bed hostel close to the main ferry dock on the island. There are shared dormitory rooms and private rooms. Pricing starts at 25 EUR for a dorm bed, and private rooms are from 70 EUR a night.

As someone who booked a basic hotel in Helsinki itself I can assure you this is pretty cheap for Finland. So much so that I wish I’d known about it in advance, as this would have been a unique place to stay and I would have had more time to explore the island. With Helsinki only a 15 minute ferry ride away, you aren’t that isolated. The ferry runs until after 2am in case you want to go out in Helsinki for dinner and drinks. Next time, I’m staying here for sure. Book your stay at the Hostel Suomenlinna today.

Some last minute tips for visiting Suomenlinna

• Respect the residential areas of the island. People live here.
• Budget enough time to enjoy the island and not rush it.
• Watch your step on the island. The uneven pathways and exposed cliff edges may not be suitable for all.
• Save money on drinks and be eco-conscious, bring a reusable water bottle. There is a water station at the Visitor Center near the ferry terminal.
• Recycling and trash bins are around the island. Use them.
• The main public toilets are at the Visitor Center. Others may only be open seasonally, especially towards the King’s Gate area.
• Stick to the paths, don’t go wandering off too much, remember it’s a UNESCO heritage site and is protected.
• Remember to check the ferry timetable. In summer there is the HSL (local Helsinki transit service) ferry, and the JT-Line waterbus. Tickets are not transferable between the two. In winter, only the HSL ferry runs.
• Check the opening times of the museums, especially if traveling off season as some are closed. Same goes for the church.

Yes, but should I go to Suomenlinna?

I’m sure a lot of that convinced you that you should visit Suomenlinna. But if you’re still on the fence take my word for it and just go. Even if you are visiting Helsinki for a short amount of time like I was, I would still put Suomenlinna on your list. It’s a place like no other, and although I loved Helsinki, it is still a city. So it’s nice to get out and see something else. The island has so much to offer, and is just beautiful. I would love to return in summer and see how it changes, and maybe get a better view of the King’s Gate.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to Suomenlinna? What was your favorite part? Have you visited any other places like this?