Rising stoutly from an islet in Vyborg Bay, this castle was built by the Swedes in 1293 when they first captured Karelia from Novgorod. Most of it now consists of 16th-century alterations. The castle contains several exhibition halls, including a mildly diverting small museum on local history, but the main attraction is climbing the many steps of whitewashed St Olaf’s Tower for commanding views over the town (closed for renovations at time of research).
© Aleksandr Medvedkov/Shutterstock
Vyborg Castle
Top choice in Vyborg
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.58 MILES
Housed in a wing of a striking building designed by Finnish architect Uno Ulberg in 1930, this small museum hosts themed exhibitions that are curated from…
0.78 MILES
A must-see for architecture fans is the beautifully designed public library, one of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto's iconic designs. After years of…
0.6 MILES
Explore these two central and adjacent leafy parks, separated by Leningradsky pr, to find intriguing statutes and carved trees. At the southern end of…
0.25 MILES
At the southern end of Tverdysh Island is this double line of fortifications, built between 1730 and 1750 as protection against the Swedes and named after…
1.13 MILES
This 180-hectare park facing onto tranquil Zashchitnaya Bay is a lovely place to escape the world for a few hours, if not most of the day. It’s laid out…
0.02 MILES
The last remaining part of the original Vyborg castle, this tower can be climbed for great views of the town. Unfortunately, it's inaccessible for the…
29.93 MILES
Diagonally across the park from its own bell tower, the adorable wooden Lappee Church was built in 1794 to an unusual ‘double cruciform’ floor plan, the…
0.21 MILES
The Clock Tower was first built in 1490 and is worth climbing for the views of town. At time of research, it was closed for long-term restoration.
Nearby Vyborg attractions
0.02 MILES
The last remaining part of the original Vyborg castle, this tower can be climbed for great views of the town. Unfortunately, it's inaccessible for the…
0.21 MILES
The Clock Tower was first built in 1490 and is worth climbing for the views of town. At time of research, it was closed for long-term restoration.
0.25 MILES
At the southern end of Tverdysh Island is this double line of fortifications, built between 1730 and 1750 as protection against the Swedes and named after…
0.35 MILES
One unmissable relic of Vyborg’s Swedish times is the squat Round Tower, which now houses a restaurant.
0.42 MILES
This is the remains of the 15th-century Town Hall, with its distinctive white tower crowned with what resembles a giant metallic wizard’s hat.
0.58 MILES
Housed in a wing of a striking building designed by Finnish architect Uno Ulberg in 1930, this small museum hosts themed exhibitions that are curated from…
0.6 MILES
A small gallery inside Vyborg's arts school that has regularly changing exhibitions.