Helsinki Excursions
Seurasaari: The whole island of Seurasaari is an open-air museum (tel: (09) 4050 9660; website: www.nba.fi/en/seurasaari_openairmuseum), dotted with 18th- and 19th-century houses representing the whole gamut of Finnish life. One of the islands located immediately off Helsinki's coastline, this was the brainchild of Axel Olai Heikel, who set the museum up in 1909, to preserve the traditions of Finnish life. The oldest building on the island is the wooden Karuna Church, which was completed in 1686. The island, joined to the mainland by a bridge, can be reached by bus 24 and tram 4 from Erottaja and is open daily from 1100 to 1700 from June to August and Monday to Friday from 0900 to 1500 and Saturday to Sunday from 1100 to 1700 between 15 and 31 May and 1 and 15 September. Admission is charged. Tourist Board officials are on site to provide information.
For a Whole Day
Suomenlinna (Sea Fortress): Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this sea fortress, lying approximately 1.5km (1 mile) off the coast of Helsinki, was once the bastion of the Swedish empire, with a larger population than Helsinki itself. Work began on the huge complex in 1748, when Augustin Ehrensvärd designed a system of bastions, a dock and barracks. It is made up of two islands connected by a small bridge and includes the Suomenlinna Museum, Suomenlinna Experience (a multimedia presentation) (tel: (09) 4050 9691; website: www.nba.fi/en/suomenlinna_museum), Suomenlinna Toy Museum (tel: (09) 668 417), Submarine Vesikko (tel: (09) 1814 6238) and the Military Museum's Manege (tel: (09) 1814 5296), as well as restaurants and bars.
There is a regular ferry connection to Suomenlinna from the Market Square (free with a Helsinki Card, journey time -15 minutes). Travel information is available from City Traffic (tel: (09) 010 0111). Water buses also operate from May to September, again leaving from Market Square. Additional information is available from the Suomenlinna Visitor Centre (tel: (09) 684 1880; website: www.suomenlinna.fi). During the summer months there are daily guided tours in English, Swedish and Finnish around Suomenlinna. In the winter there are tours in English during the weekends.
Tours of Helsinki
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