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Vyborg

This appealing Gulf of Finland provincial town is dominated by a medieval castle and peppered with beautiful Finnish art-nouveau buildings and romantic cobblestone streets. An important port and rail junction, Vyborg is 174km northwest of St Petersburg and just 30km from the Finnish border. It has just about enough to do to justify staying over, but is also an easy day trip from St Petersburg.

Attractions

Must-see attractions for your itinerary

Vyborg Castle
Vyborg
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…
Hermitage Vyborg
Vyborg
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…
Alvar Aalto Library
Vyborg
A must-see for architecture fans is the beautifully designed public library, one of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto's iconic designs. After years of…
Lenin & Esplanade Parks
Vyborg
Explore these two central and adjacent leafy parks, separated by Leningradsky pr, to find intriguing statutes and carved trees. At the southern end of…
Anninskie Fortifications
Vyborg
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…
Park Monrepo
Vyborg
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…
St Olaf’s Tower
Vyborg
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…
Clock Tower
Vyborg
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.