Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (Helsinki)

Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (Helsinki) ... built over 250 years ago and once had a population of 4600, larger than the population of Helsinki at the time. Construction began off the coast of Helsinki in 1748, when Finland was part of the Swedish Empire and the Swedes built a fortress on the islands as a counter to the increasing Russian naval strength in Kronstadt. In 1808, the fortress surrendered to the Russians, with Finland becoming part of the Russian empire. The fortress was originally called Sveaborg (literally, Sweden’s Fortress), but was renamed Suomelinna (Finland’s Fortress) in 1918, one year after Finland finally gained independence from Russia. Today, the fortress is an integral part of the city and home to around 900 inhabitants. There are a variety of attractions on the islands, including guided walks, the Suomenlinna Museum (with the Suomenlinna Experience multi-media show), the Ehrensvärd Museum, the Doll and Toy Museum, the Manege Military Museum, Submarine Vesikko, the Coast Artillery Museum and the Customs Museum.