Before taking the bizarre voyage from Helsinki to Tallinn in Estonia later that day to start working my way south through the Baltic countries, I decided to kill some time by taking the ferry to Suomenlinna Islands in Finland, which are located approximately four kilometers southeast of the city.
Ferry to Suomenlinna Islands in Finland
The sign at Kauppatori — which is also known as Market Square — for the ferry boat to Suomenlinna Islands cannot be missed. The ride is only approximately 15 minutes. The ferry boats operate on a regular schedule. Sveaborg translates into English as Castle of the Swedes.
The ride itself was pleasant and quiet. Only a few other people were aboard the vessel. Additional seats are located on the left.
The crisp, cold April morning ensured little humidity in the air as the ferry left the harbor.
With a population of between 800 and 900 residents, six of the eight Suomenlinna Islands are fortified. Almost one million people visit the islands each year.
Valkosaari is a small island just outside Eteläsatama, which is the South Harbour. The large white wooden pavilion with its distinctive green roof was designed in 1900 by the architects Estlander and Settergren. The pavilion currently houses Restaurant NJK during the summer season. Nyländska Jaktklubben, NJK is the yacht club which operates the berth.
Klippan Island is the home of Restaurant Saaristo in front of South Harbour. The restaurant is only open during the summer season. Klippan Island also has a small lighthouse.
This Barnacle goose welcomed me to the Suomenlinna Islands.
Iso Mustasaari is one of eight islands of Suomenlinna Islands. It is the island at which the ferry docks at its main port. The view includes Helsingin tuomiokirkko, which is also known as Helsinki Cathedral. The ferris wheel of Market Square is also in view. Klippan Island is seen on the left in the above photograph.
I was surprised to see how crowded the area for the ferry was when I returned to Helsinki. I cannot imagine what the summer season is like with the crowds.
Final Boarding Call
Boarding of the ferry is located just east of Market Square in Helsinki. This is also where the fare is paid: 2.80 euros each way; or five euros for a return trip. Suomenlinna offers a lot to see; so give yourself several hours to explore the four islands which are connected by bridges.
The following information is from the official Internet web site of Suomenlinna:
The ferry service is operated by the Helsinki Region Transport Authority. Depending on the season and the time of day, ferries run one time per hour to four times per hour from the morning until the night throughout the year. The journey to Suomenlinna takes approximately 15 minutes.
Ferry schedules can be found in Suomenlinna Online Guide under Traffic or HSL Journey Planner.
The ferry departs from the east side of the Market Square, opposite the Presidential Palace. In Suomenlinna, the ferry arrives at and departs from the main pier of Iso Mustasaari island, on the north shore of Suomenlinna.
To reduce emissions, using public transport to get to the Market Square is strongly recommended. Very few parking places are located around the Market Square. I simply walked there, as the walk was easy.
The ferry is part of Helsinki public transport. If you have a valid Helsinki Region Transport Authority ticket — AB, ABC or ABCD — you can use it in the ferry. Suomenlinna is in the Helsinki Region Transport Authority ticket zone A.
If you don’t have a valid ticket you can buy it from the ticket machine on the departure pier or via the Helsinki Region Transport Authority mobile software application program. An AB day ticket is the best option; and it allows unlimited travel for 24 hours not only in the ferry but also on trams, buses, commuter trains, and the metro in zones A and B.
Tickets need to be purchased before boarding. Please note that tickets are not sold on board. See the Helsinki Region Transport Authority web site for ticket prices.
The crossing is free with a Helsinki Card.
On ferries, you have the possibility of open air travel on deck.
If possible, you are advised to avoid the busiest travel hours which on a beautiful summer day is on weekends around 11:00 in the morning through 2:00 in the afternoon. During this time, you can consider arriving by water bus; or traveling earlier or later to the fortress.
All photographs ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
