Key events in Finland’s history have happened here. Although the fortifications on the island were begun by the Swedish military in the mid-18th century, they were seized by the Russians, who completed them with barracks and an Orthodox church. The fortress that dominates Suomenlinna was intended to be hidden from approaching fleets and follows the contours of the island – so it is an aesthetic act as much as a military one, romantic and pragmatic. Here are five of the best islands to visit. Ten minutes after setting foot there, you realise that this is because they like them just as they are: wonderfully weird, green and waiting to be explored. If at first you get the feeling that the Finns don’t know what to do with these wonderful natural assets, amid the grasses under a blue sky, it’s a feeling that’s short-lived. Even better, newly accessible possibilities are always emerging, as the Helsinki government has plans for a new water taxi service, which will grant easy access to the more eastern – and untouched – islands. Most are abandoned to nature to some degree or other: most are wooded or full of long grasses and flowers such as bellflower and St John’s wort. Several islands were owned by the military until the latter part of the 20th century and the early part of this one, and – because they were untouched during this time – they bear witness to more than their recent history. ![]() There is a geological serendipity to this, of course – islands no bigger than 200 acres dot the sea at regular intervals off the mainland, but the way in which they have been used historically creates huge variety. This gives your trip on a small ferry a lovely informal starting point, from the heart of the city and away from the busy Tallinn and Stockholm routes (fresh strawberries from the market are a perfect dish for the open upper deck).īut what makes the islands particularly worthy of a dedicated visit is that although they are often within swimming distance of each other and all share a certain odd feeling of calm after strife, they each boast very separate characters. This is excellent news, not least because all are extremely suitable for day trips from Helsinki, most from the Market Square jetties. However, now that the city of Helsinki is opening the islands up thanks to cheap ferries – whilst pledging, mercifully, to leave them undeveloped – they are increasingly ours for the discovering. There is a culture of small-boat ownership in the city, so until now the islands have been mostly visited by local Finns, hopping over with picnics in the summer. Although they are only a short trip from a city that looks Scandinavian, they provide a totally different experience: something more Baltic, more unmistakably Finnish, some with elfin names such as Lonna and Melki, others that are orcish and double-vowelled. The islands of Helsinki are only just opening up fully to the outside world.
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