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| SUOMI
- FINLAND |
| Helsinki - Helsingfors |
| Suomenlinna sea fortress I |
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Suomenlinna, until 1918
Viapori, or Sveaborg is an inhabited sea fortress built on six
islands and which now forms part of the city of Helsinki. It is a
UNESCO World Heritage site and popular with tourists and locals,
who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. It was renamed
Suomenlinna in 1918 for patriotic and nationalistic reasons,
though it is sometimes known by its original name. The Swedish
crown commenced the construction of the fortress in 1748 as
protection against Russian expansionism. The general
responsibility for the fortification work was given to Augustin
Ehrensvärd. The original plan of the bastion fortress was
strongly influenced by the ideas of Vauban, the foremost military
engineer of the time, and the principles of Star Fort style of
fortification, albeit adapted to a group of rocky islands. In
addition to the island fortress itself, seafacing fortifications
on the mainland would ensure that an enemy would not acquire a
beach-head from which to stage attacks. The plan was also to
stock munitions for the whole Finnish contingent of the Swedish
Army and Royal Swedish Navy there. In the Finnish War the
fortress surrendered to Russia on May 3, 1808, paving the way for
the occupation of Finland by Russian forces in 1809. First part
is from the entrance to the bridge crossing a small channel to
the next island.
Click on the picture to get a larger
version
| Nice
view from the boat towards the fortress |
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| We
started from the northern end and walked slowly towards
the other end in the south |
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| Not
only brick houses, but also nice wooden buildings |
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