Soumenlinna, Finland

Soumenlinna - Helsinki - Tallinn - St Petersburg - Moscow

• Soumenlinna from one end to another would be at least a mile long and given detours, one need to travel at least 3-4 miles to cover the basics. Be ready for these long walks.
• There are beautifully placed restaurants and cafes within the fort walls that tempt you to just settle after a long walk. Do that.
• The periphery throws great views of the sea and parts of fort island. Make sure you walk along the edges to cover that.

Soumenlinaa & Vallisaari are two islands south of Helsinki in the Baltic Sea. It takes €4 and half hour to reach the islands - cheap for the rustic life one witnesses here. It was the same day we reached Helsinki that we ventured for these islands and loved what we saw. Clearly the brightest gem of tourist spots in Helsinki, that were a perfect start to our visit to Scandinavia.

Fortress of Soumenlinna

Our first destination was Vallisaari. Its an idyllic island with viewpoints and old structures. A winding path leads to the edge of the island from where the fortress of Soumenlinna is visible. The solitude of the island is appealing. We were through in half hour and decided to take a ferry to the fortress.

Vallisaari

It was still bright when we reached the famous Soumenlinna island. The fortified island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must visit. Long organized walks are present with restaurants in the middle of fort and souvenir shops here and there. It is a complete picnic spot. We traversed the island from one end to another which took us couple of hours.

Hobbit Bunkers, Soumenlinna

The hobbit like bunkers and adjacent cannons at the far end of the island were fascinating specially when at 180 degree the endless sea was visible. There were even couple of houses where people actually lived. The June weather was perfect for such outing and we enjoyed every ounce of fresh breezing cool air as we moved through the now defunct fort. It was 7 in the evening and the day was still bright. The last ferry from Soumenlinna was at 11 hence we had enough time.

Inside Soumenlinaa

We had coffee and snacks at one of the fort restaurants before moving back to the capital. Cold winds made the ride chilly but once we alighted, it was again that pleasantly cool breeze around. We decided to pick salad from K-Mart and walk back to our hostel. In total we walked 25000 steps within 7 hours. It was a record that we broke two days later in Tallinn.