Things to do in Suomenlinna
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Manege
One of two museums that retells Suomenlinna’s military history and can be visited with a combination ticket (€6). Manege commemorates WWII and displays heavy artillery. Finland was forbidden to possess submarines by the 1947 Treaty of Paris and the WWII-era U-boat Vesikko is one of the few submarines remaining in the country. You climb inside and see how it all worked – it’s not for the claustrophobic.
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Susisaari island
Old bunkers, crumbling fortress walls and cannons are at the southern end of Susisaari island; poking around here gives the best impression of how the fortress once looked. Be careful with young children here, as there are some nasty drops. A torch will come in handy if you fancy exploring some of the tunnels.
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Vesikko
Finland was forbidden to possess submarines by the 1947 Treaty of Paris and the WWII-era U-boat Vesikko is one of the few submarines remaining in the country. You can take a look inside and sympathise with its wartime crew - it's not for the claustrophobic.
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Suomenlinna Panimoravintola
Further along at the main ferry quay, this is an excellent brewery-restaurant with a spectacular lunch buffet. Three types of beer are brewed here - a lager, an ale and a porter - and the enclosed courtyard terrace is a good place to enjoy one.
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Shipyard
The Shipyard is where sailmakers and other workers have been building ships since the 1750s. As many as two dozen ships are in the dry dock at any given time. They can be from 12m to 32m long and from as far away as the UK.
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Suomenlinna Museum
At the bridge connecting Iso Mustasaari and Susisaariis is the Suomenlinna Museum, covering the island's history. There's a scale model of Suomenlinna as it looked in 1808 and an illuminating 30-minute audiovisual display.
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Toy Museum
The delightful Toy Museum is a private collection of hundreds of dolls and almost as many teddy bears – the personal achievement of Piippa Tandefelt. The cafe here serves delicious homemade apple pie.
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Walhalla
The gourmet restaurant Walhalla looks out onto the southwest side of Susisaari and serves Finnish classics like reindeer and Arctic char. The terrace bar is ideal for watching boats slide by.
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Church
The Church on Iso Mustasaari island was built by the Russians in 1854. It's the only church in the world to double as a lighthouse - the beacon was originally gaslight but is now electric and is still in use.
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Jetty Barracks Gallery
Next to the main quay, the distinctive pink Jetty Barracks Gallery is one of the best-preserved remaining buildings of the Russian era, and now has various exhibitions.
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Ehrensvärd Museum
Ehrensvärd Museum preserves an 18th-century officer's home and contains dozens of model ships, sea charts, portraits and blue-and-white tile Swedish stoves.
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Café Chapman
Near the dry dock on Susisaari is a pleasant café in an old stone storehouse. There's a busy terrace in summer.
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Pizza Nikolai
This pizza place has a memorable outlook, cheap prices and a relaxed atmosphere.
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Coast Artillery Museum
Coast Artillery Museum displays heavy artillery in a bunker-style exhibition.
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