Readers, Welcome to my blog (formerly Birds, Blooms, Books, etc). I'm entering a new decade taking on the challenge of moving from Maryland after living there 46 years and learning about my new home here in New England in the Live Free or Die state - New Hampshire. Join me as a write this new chapter of my life.

Monday, July 18, 2016

European Vacation - Part V

Suomenlinna - The Sea Fortress - Finland

Suomenlinna is only accessible by water so we took the ferry across - a 15 to 20 minute trip.


There were lots of schoolchildren aboard too.


The church steeple with light house on top is the first visible landmark of this sea fortress.











My sister in law lived on this island when her father was stationed there.  Here she is at the door of the apartment building where they resided.


Here's the interior door on the second floor.


And the back windows she would have looked out of all those years ago.



From the information pamphlet: "Founded in 1748 on a cluster of islands off the coast of Helsinki, the Suomenlinna sea fortress is a cultural treasure.  Its construction began in the 18th century, when Finland was still part of the Kingdom of Sweden."


A cruise ship passing by.


"Suomenlinna is an irregular bastion fortress constructed on uneven terrain and on separate islands."



Here are two maps in the visitor center that give you a scale of the fortress.








Tomb of Augustin Ehrensvard, who led construction.












"Suomenlinna was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1991, to be preserved for future generations as a unique example of the military architecture of its era."

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12 comments:

Tanya Breese said...

what an amazing place...beautiful photos and how neat for your sister in law to see the place she used to live in!

Fun60 said...

This looks like a really interesting trip you are doing.

Photo Cache said...

What a beautiful place.

carol l mckenna said...

Wow! What a place ~ What an adventure and gorgeous photography!

Wishing you a happy weekend ~ ^_^

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Suomenlinna looks very impressive! Amazing construction and I can see why the developer had such a special tomb to honor him.

Andrea said...

That is certainly an awesome island to visit. It is amazing that these structures and developments are maintained for a very long time, maybe there are not storms in those areas!

Unknown said...

Wonderful photos! Suomenlinna is one of my favorite places in Helsinki.

Tom said...

Marcia, you certainly saw some delightful treasures on your trip. The architecture and the roughed coast line are would captures my eye. I'm glad that there are so many treasures in your life. Thanks for sharing and please hurry back.

Anne (cornucopia) said...

Fantastic photos of this great looking historic place. Your sister in law was lucky to get to spend part of her life growing up there. How cool is that?!

VioletSky said...

That is quite the tomb!
I've never heard of a church dome doubling as a lighthouse, but that is an ingenious pairing of vital services.

Ruth said...

This place looks so great! The aerial pictures really help to comprehend the magnitude of the site. If I get to Helsinki, I need to visit.

Cranberry Morning said...

FlipKey must be like AirBnB. What a great experience!! How wonderful to visit another culture and immerse yourself in that culture through interaction with the people and with local foods. Makes me want to go somewhere!! :-)