Suomenlinna fortress in Helsinki

We are planning on being there on May 16th 2011. We were thinking of hoping a cab from the ship to Market Square then catching the ferry to the frotress. We read that we should get the Helsinki card for 35E, as it includes the entrance fee (26E plus ferry ride 7 E). How much time should we allow to see this site? Anything that we should not miss at the fortress? Our ship docks at 10 am and leaves at 6 pm

We were also hoping to be able to spend a little time shopping in Market Square and if time allows stroll to Senate Square. Does this sound doable? Any suggestions where to eat? Is Helsink as expensive as Copenhagen? Thanks, Sue

I can't think of anything "can't miss" at the fortress. The whole thing is pretty fascinating. Just stroll around and see what you see!

Its definately doable. You'll catch the ferry to Suomenlinna at the Kauppatori (the outdoor market) so its easy to see it before or after. And, senate square is only a block over. A 5 minute walk maybe (if you are a slow walker). Have fun!!

Edit: Yes its expensive... Thank the Euro for that. If you want eat cheaper and local, grab something from one of the vendors at the market. There will be several stalls selling fantastic food. Just follow your nose to your favorite.

We are planning on being there on May 16th 2011. We were thinking of hoping a cab from the ship to Market Square then catching the ferry to the frotress. We read that we should get the Helsinki card for 35E, as it includes the entrance fee (26E plus ferry ride 7 E). How much time should we allow to see this site? Anything that we should not miss at the fortress? Our ship docks at 10 am and leaves at 6 pm

We were also hoping to be able to spend a little time shopping in Market Square and if time allows stroll to Senate Square. Does this sound doable? Any suggestions where to eat? Is Helsink as expensive as Copenhagen? Thanks, Sue

Hello Sue

Visiting the fortress is a top idea but it's free to enter and walk around if that's all you want. I did this

Obviously the Helsinki card gives you a lot of privileges but you can see lots for next to nothing too

All the best, Tony

Is it possible to walk from the ship to market square? We like to walk.

Is it possible to walk from the ship to market square? We like to walk.

Yes, it's about a 25-30 minute stroll, but there will almost certainly be a shuttle service from port to the top of the Esplanade (500m from Market Square) which was 8 euros return last June.

It depends on where you dock but if you dock at LMA (as we are) I bet it is 45 minutes to the market.

Kirk

It depends on where you dock but if you dock at LMA (as we are) I bet it is 45 minutes to the market.

 

Kirk

Fair enough Kirk. I was basing my guestimate on the experiences of

others but they were talking about

walking from the railway station so

your figure from Market Square seems very reasonable.

I guess we are some of the few who did NOT enjoy the Fortress. We loved the ferry ride there and back, but when we got to the fortress and wandered around a bit, there was nothing that really interested us enough to spend some valuable time there. I am only speaking for us, as I know many people loved it. But, to be very honest, we found it boring and caught the next ferry back to Market Square. You do get some great views of Helsinki from the ferry though.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1118.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1121.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1123.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster1122.jpg

Cheers

Len

I guess we are some of the few who did NOT enjoy the Fortress. We loved the ferry ride there and back, but when we got to the fortress and wandered around a bit, there was nothing that really interested us enough to spend some valuable time there. I am only speaking for us, as I know many people loved it. But, to be very honest, we found it boring and caught the next ferry back to Market Square. You do get some great views of Helsinki from the ferry though.

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1118.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1121.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1123.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster1122.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

we are voters fro the fortress. as others have said you decide what interests you there. a very interesting museum that we paid an entry fee (sorry, no idea how much). views back into the city lovely. the old fortifications intersting to scurry through. Helsinki was all about design for us so our must do was the Design Museum.

From our trip blog here's our day in Helsinki -

Saturday 4 September - Helsinki

Helsinki was fantastic. First to more important things.

There was a text message on my phone last night from Teri telling us that Christchurch had been hit by a big earthquake. As Al's parents live just outside of Christchurch we were both very concerned. BBC news had brief snippets and some pictures but also the good news that there had been no fatalities.

For whatever reason we didn't take a laptop with us to try and get on the net or even Al's mobile so that he could call his folks. Met some fellow Kiwis who told us that they had been online and that it was actually pretty bad with a lot of damage. No water, no power, no sewerage - so Al became even more concerned. Helsinki reportedly had free wifi so we'd try and email NZ when we got into town.

Caught the number 16 bus, stop just outside the port as detailed on cruise critic. Was 3.90 euros for an all day ticket - buses, ferries, trains and trams.

Ferry for the fort departed from just beside market square. Tried to connect to the internet but no luck. Oceania Regatta was in the harbour with four other ferries. People have kept saying each time they see all these ships “There are four liners here. Why aren't we?" They don't understand that a ferry can only dock where there facilities to offload its cars and trucks have been built. Helsinki obviously has at least four of these docks.

Ride out to the fort was very picturesque. Lots of weird smoothish basalt (?) islands all around the harbour. Took about 15 minutes. It was warm enough to sit up on the open top deck.

We loved the fort. Had a great museum with audio visual presentation that detailed the fort's, and Helsinki's, history. Then we just wandered around. Lots of the old fortifications and tunnels have been cleaned out so that you can scramble around (in the dark) and investigate.

Sky started to clear and then the sun came out for a little bit. Startled some hares. Al had never seen one before. Bigger than I remembered.

Back on the ferry to the market square. Had lunch at a little stall with some locals. Helsinki was such a 'local' town. It was the most 'human' of the cities we visited. Not sure how to explain it but the locals were there at the markets and cafes sitting having meals, they were out at the fort, on the trams, just strolling around. They looked happy and had no attitude. Very different to the fashion parade 'look at me' city that was Stockholm.

Heaps of stalls at the market square - crafts, fish, fruit and veg. Everyone tucking in to a wide variety of seafood based fast food (mainly salmon, some deep fried whitebait kinda things). Al had reindeer balls (delicious), I went with the seafood paella. Washed down with some local beer, of course. It was 2.5 percent. They could sell it in Woolies :)

Then we got on a 3T tram and rode around the town. We noticed the wifi was working so we got a couple of emails off to Al's Dad and his sister.

Tram came back to the main train station even though we thought it was going to the design district. It may well be doing a figure of eight and was heading there but we got off and headed there on foot.

Amazing buildings in Helsinki. Not like anything we've seen so far. The design museum was great. Much better than Copenhagen's. Huge display of glass sculpture and it was fantastic. Furniture, industrial, design, architecture - I was in heaven.

Then we just wandered slowly back to the ship. Even at a very slow pace it only took us about 45 minutes to get back to the dock. Helsinki looks to be in the middle of a programmed to build a waterfront park all of the way around to the cruise ship docks. They only have about a kilometre and a half to finish.

Great sail away. Ship did another pirouette to get out of the harbour and then a crazy ferry over took us heading down the channel and nearly ran a yacht over. Most likely wasn't as close as it looked but wouldn't have been fun on that yacht.

Are the reindeer balls marked in English?:D I don't want to miss them.:eek:

Are the reindeer balls marked in English?:D I don't want to miss them.:eek:

and not a hair in sight!:D

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A few comments:

Was 3.90 euros for an all day ticket - buses, ferries, trains and trams.

Actually a one day ticket costs 7.00 euros. the 3.90 Euro one is for the ferry only.

“There are four liners here. Why aren't we?" They don't understand that a ferry can only dock where there facilities to offload its cars and trucks have been built.

And South Harbour cannot receive ships longer than 800 feet as they have to zig-zag past the fortress to enter that harbour.

Lots of weird smoothish basalt (?) islands all around the harbour.

Granite actually

Lots of the old fortifications and tunnels have been cleaned out so that you can scramble around (in the dark) and investigate.

Just remember, this is not Disneyland. There are some dangerous places here and accidents have happened so keep track of where your kids are running.

some deep fried whitebait kinda things).

Vendace a.k.a. European cisco (Coregonus albula)

Al had reindeer balls (delicious),

Meatballs with ground reindeer meat, mixed with breadcrumbs soaked in milk and finely chopped onions. They are seasoned with white pepper and salt. Should be no problem to find them at the market square.

Is it possible to walk from the ship to market square? We like to walk.

No problem at all. From quay LHB it is 0.6 miles and for quay LHC about one mile to the recidential area and from there another 1.2-1.3 miles to the market square depending on the route you take.

From quay LMA it is one mile cross the harbour area plus another 1.2 miles to the market square.

Numbers 1, 2 and 4 on this map:

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/international_cruise

Thank you for posting the information and the map. I think perhaps to make sure we have enough time to see everything we will take a cab to the townsquare and then time permitting, walk back to the ship. Do I understand correctly that there are kiosks that sell the tranportation card when we get off the ship? And there are atms to get Euros when we get off of the ship?

No problem at all. From quay LHB it is 0.6 miles and for quay LHC about one mile to the recidential area and from there another 1.2-1.3 miles to the market square depending on the route you take.

From quay LMA it is one mile cross the harbour area plus another 1.2 miles to the market square.

 

Numbers 1, 2 and 4 on this map:

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/international_cruise

Do I understand correctly that there are kiosks that sell the tranportation card when we get off the ship? And there are atms to get Euros when we get off of the ship?

Not sure about that as it is in restricted area. Perhaps someone else can answer?

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/buck100/alb1/sb1.jpg

Thanks for these great photos of the fortress (post 12) Ultima. I don't have a camera and make up albums from others' fine shots, but hadn't seen any from Suomenlinna until now.

Actually a one day ticket costs 7.00 euros. the 3.90 Euro one is for the ferry only.

lucky us cos we only paid 3.90 each when we got on the bus and just showed the same ticket when we got on the ferry :)