Video: The Fortress of Suomenlinna
A tour through the Fortress of Suomenlinna outside Helsinki, which has been growing and evolving since 1748.
Just off the coast of Helsinki, an island fortress has protected the waters of Finland and Sweden since 1748. An ongoing construction project, Suomenlinna has been renovated, expanded, and preserved to the present day. Its 200 buildings cover six islands total.
The fortress began as a Swedish project, guarding an important sea route between the Swedish and Russian Empires. After the Finnish War ended in 1809, Russia assumed control of the fortress and made its own improvements. Then, in 1917, Finland gained its independence. Suomenlinna gained its modern name, meaning Fortress of Finland, and continued to function as a military base through World War II. Since 1973, it has instead served as a public space and popular tourist site. The islands are now an open-air museum, public park, and even home to about 900 inhabitants.
Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can take a quick tour of the islands yourself through this video courtesy of UNESCO:
References
“Fortress of Suomenlinna.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, whc.unesco.org/en/list/583/.
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