The sea fortress of Suomenlinna, also known by the names of Viapori, Sveaborg and Fortress of Svea, is an impressive site, having been built on no less than six individual islands. You’ll find this incredible fortress in Finland’s capital city of Helsinki, where it is incredibly popular with tourists, as well as the locals, who often cruise here to spend an afternoon or hold a picnic. The fortress was originally known only by the name of Sveaborg, but was eventually given the moniker of Suomenlinna, which means Castle of Finland, for the sake of patriotic and national pride, in 1918. The name was meant to replace the original, but many still call it by Sveaborg.
The construction of the fortress began in 1748 as a means of protection against the Russian expansionism that was occurring at that time. The responsibility for this work was given to Augustin Ehrensvard, who had originally planned to build a bastion fortress, and would eventually be influenced by the precepts of Vauban, who was, at the time, the most important military engineer.