Suomenlinna Sveaborg

In Suomenlinna near Helsinki, the five members of the Nordic Council (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) have established an Art Center at which artists are given the opportunity, with the help of an allowance, to pursue their work in peace.

The fortifications themselves are still impressive (Royal Gate, casemates). There are also some buildings designed by C. L. Engel. In the old naval dockyard are numbers of wooden ships awaiting restoration. All over the area visitors will find interesting nooks and corners, as well as museums of both traditional and modern art.

The fortress of Sveaborg (Swedish Castle) near Helsinki was built in the mid 18th century to bar Russian access to the Baltic. During the Swedish-Russian war of 1808-09 it fell to the Russians, who thereafter enlarged and strengthened it. In 1918 it passed into Finnish hands and was given the Finnish name of Suomenlinna (Finnish Castle). During the 1950s and 1960s it was handed over by the military to the civilian authorities, and since then has been restored and converted to cultural and recreational uses. It is now included in UNESCO's list of world heritage monuments.