Canons, a castle, defense walls, and old houses with windows painted on – there is a place in the Baltic Sea that has all these things. It’s not just a museum, or a remote heritage site for adventurers to explore. No, it’s actually a place where people can live! Sounds like the right kind of place for my witch and me to be, don’t you think?
That’s why we have recently went to Suomenlinna. It consists of 6 Island belonging to Helsinki in Finland, and it is a UNESCO World heritage site. After arriving in Helsinki, we took a public transport ferry that got us onto the main Island in 15 minutes. To be honest, I did not know what to expect. I imagined the place kind of empty, and a bit scary in the evening.
But it was the opposite. The first thing I saw behind the ferry stop was this little café. It was already closed when I arrived, but it still looked so lovely! I want to come back at some point during daytime.
Historically, the main castle was built in the 18th century. Finland was part of Sweden at the time, but Russia had shown interest and attempted to besiege in the territory, so this Island was meant to protect the settlements of the coast. Back then it was called Sveaborg.
In the centuries to come, Finland would become part of Russia, to finally declare independence in 1917, which is when the place is finally called “Suomenlinna”, the castle of the Finns. It only loses its military function after the second world war.
Nowadays, about 800 people live there, with up to 400 people working on that Island. From the visitor center, to caretaking, and many more bars and cafés, this historic sight is haunted but alive!
It also is a reminder of the extremes history can put us through, and gives us an idea of the many stories we have not found out about yet, and maybe never will. Walking cobbled street with these thoughts during a Nordic midnight sunset ignited by urge to write once more!
The military past of the place is constantly visible, but also seems fallen out of time, which provides this wonderfully haunted atmosphere I just could not get enough of. Maybe also, because here you can point a canon on your neighbours. Who has never dreamed of that?!
This was the view towards Helsinki city at 11 pm!
There would be a lot more history to explore, but I want to leave it at that with this post. The atmosphere can speak for itself. My witch could have spent the whole night there, and I was tempted too. I could see myself sitting on a mint green bank within this fortress and writing the witching novel!
It’s one of those wonderfully haunted places to come back to one day!
Mistress witch writes 