Suomenlinna, Sea fortress on islands near Helsinki, Finland.
Six interconnected islands form a network of stone fortifications, bastions, and defensive walls that extend for several kilometers along the coastline facing the open sea.
Sweden commissioned the fortifications in 1748 under architect Augustin Ehrensvärd to defend its eastern territories. Russia captured the stronghold in 1808 during the Finnish War and held it until Finland gained independence in 1917.
Several museums operate within the fortifications, presenting Finnish military history, maritime traditions, and domestic life through permanent collections and rotating exhibitions.
Year round ferry service connects the Market Square dock to the islands with departures every 20 to 40 minutes. Visitors can explore freely, as most areas remain accessible without admission fees or guided tours.
Around 850 people live year round within the fortification boundaries, running a school, library, shops, and churches that serve both residents and the thousands of daily visitors during summer months.
Location: Helsinki
Inception: 1748
Website: https://suomenlinna.fi
GPS coordinates: 60.14361,24.98444
Latest update: November 28, 2025 21:17
Military buildings from different countries demonstrate the evolution of defense structures and command centers across centuries. This collection includes medieval castles, early modern fortifications, barracks, command posts, and contemporary military installations. Each structure documents the military strategies, technological advances, and historical events of its era. The sites range from European fortress systems such as Vauban fortifications in France to Asian defensive walls and American military bases from various periods. Many of these structures played critical roles in wars and conflicts and are now accessible as monuments or museums. They provide insights into military architecture, engineering practices, and the strategic importance of their locations.
This collection brings together fortified military structures that show how defensive architecture has evolved across different eras and continents. Malbork Castle in Poland spans 140,000 square meters of brick constructions erected by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century, while the Alhambra in Granada combines palaces and city walls in a complex where medieval Islamic architecture meets military needs. The Krak des Chevaliers in Syria reflects the defensive ingenuity of the Crusaders, and Suomenlinna, a naval fortress spread over six islands near Helsinki, illustrates how the Swedes and later the Finns fortified their Baltic coastlines in the 18th century. The sites include mountain strongholds like Masada, where Herod built a refuge on an isolated plateau of the Judean Desert, and Chittorgarh Fort in India, covering 7 square kilometers (about 2.7 square miles) and housing a protected city. In Europe, Edinburgh Castle has occupied its volcanic rock since the Middle Ages, while Bourtange in the Netherlands features the geometric bastion layout typical of 16th-century fortifications. Each fortress retains the elements that ensured its defense: walls, moats, watchtowers, and cisterns. These structures tell stories of sieges, conquests, and conflicts that shaped their regions and remain today prominent witnesses to world military history.
Vesikko
288 m
Military Museum of Finland
347 m
Krepost Sveaborg
471 m
Suomenlinna Church
485 m
King's Gate
506 m
Ehrensvärd's grave
82 m
Noah's Ark, Suomenlinna
428 m
Military Museum's Manege
347 m
Crownwork Ehrensvärd
401 m
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld memorial
1.9 km
Paikallismajurin talo
83 m
Ehrensvärd Museum
89 m
Helsinki Coast Guard Station
483 m
Suomenlinna Toy Museum
453 m
Mortuis
254 m
Finnish Customs Museum
172 m
Suomenlinna Museum
253 m
Harmaja Range Rear Light
482 m
Länsi-Mustasaari - Pikku Mustasaari Bridge
573 m
Ehrensvärd Museum
100 m
Pikku Mustasaari Bridge
635 m
Susisaari Bridge
224 m
Kustaanmiekka lighthouse
719 m
Kesäasunto A7, alun perin yliupseerirakennus, 1858
1.2 km
Suomenlinna beach
279 m
West Mustasaari
648 m
Alexander Battery
1.3 km
Luola, 1900 (5)
2.3 kmReviews
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