点评:Sea Fortress Suomenlinna is, quite frankly, a jaw-dropping place to visit even if you have no interest in Finland's military history. Like a great many things, Finns know exactly how to treat their tourists, so the whole thing starts off with one of the easiest ticketing experiences in the world. No merciless price-gouging, no nastiness with tour boat operators, just a simple ferry that goes back and forth on a regular schedule, and automated ticket machines (in multiple languages, I might add!) that make the whole experience smooth from the get-go. So purchase your tickets at the machines (using any debit / credit card) and you're set to board the ferry.
The ferry ride takes you out of Helsinki's bustling harbour and out into the waters, and you'll see many little islands dotted around - and sometimes you'll be lucky enough to spot wildlife (though it is a very busy harbour with a lot of huge liners etc sharing space with the smaller boats). I can't remember what the cost of the ferry was, but it was public transport prices, not hundreds of Euros, which was great!
The trip to Suomenlinna only takes about 30-45 mins, and you're soon dropped off at the island. We went fairly early in the morning which was a good time to go before things get really busy around midday. We set about exploring the island, and even though there are marked routes to follow, you'll soon find your own preference for walking around the island to take in the main sights.
As Suomenlinna was a fortress in both world wars and a lot earlier, there are lots of old buildings (some of which are occupied full time by the island's permanent inhabitants so watch out for signs telling you when things are private residences, don't trespass!) and lots of gun emplacements, shipyards etc. You get quite an eerie feeling in certain less-well-trodden parts of the island (if you've ever watched the movie Spirited Away, you'll definitely find lots of places that will remind you of that film!)
The island itself has quite a few cafes and eateries, but watch out for seasonal opening times - not everywhere is open all year round (when we went in early September, most Finns were closing up for the season but we still managed to find a K-Mart for a quick picnic lunch, right there on the island).
As you'd expect, the coastline views are stunning, looking right out into the archipelago, and it feels like the sky stretches on forever. There are SO MANY photo opportunities (in fact we saw quite a few Instagram influencers doing their usual "Look how wonderful my life is" photoshoots, and even a wedding taking place on the island!). There is a museum central to the island but it was fairly expensive (a lot of museums in Finland are, sadly) so we skipped it. There is also a cafe there selling sandwiches and coffee for quick snacks.
The best thing about Suomenlinna is just that feeling of peace and tranquility that you just don't get anywhere else in Helsinki, even when the island is fairly busy. If you're going to Finland and Helsinki, you absolutely do not want to miss going to this place, it's fantastic.
翻译:说实在的,即便你对芬兰的军事历史毫无兴趣,海上要塞苏奥门林纳也绝对是一个令人叹为观止的游览胜地。和很多其他方面一样,芬兰人深知该如何招待游客:购票流程堪称世界上最简便的之一。没有漫天要价,也没有对游船运营商的刁难,只有定期往返的渡轮,以及多语种自动售票机(这一点值得特别一提!)。这些举措让整个流程从一开始便顺畅无阻。只需在售票机上购买船票(可使用任何借记卡或信用卡),便可顺利登上渡轮。
乘渡轮离开赫尔辛基热闹的港口后,你会看到四周散布着许多小岛;运气好的话还能看到野生动物(不过这里是个极为繁忙的港口,众多大型邮轮等船只与小型船只共享这片水域)。我记不清渡轮的价格了,但应该是公共交通的收费标准,并非几百欧元,这真不错!
前往苏奥门林纳岛的航程只需30到45分钟左右,很快就能抵达岛上。我们一大早就出发了,这个时间点很合适,因为到了中午人就会变得很多。我们开始环岛游玩,虽然岛上设有指示路线可供遵循,很快你就会发现自己偏爱的游览方式——在岛上漫步以欣赏主要景点。
由于苏奥门林纳在两次世界大战乃至更早时期都是一座要塞,因此岛上遍布着许多古老建筑(其中一些现由岛上的常住居民居住,所以请注意标识,确认哪些区域为私人住宅,切勿擅自闯入!),此外还有许多炮台、船坞等遗迹。在岛上那些较少有人涉足的区域,你会产生一种相当诡异的感觉(如果你看过电影《千与千寻》,肯定能发现很多让人联想到那部电影的场景!)
岛上本身有不少咖啡馆和餐馆,但要注意它们的营业时间会因季节而异——并非所有店铺都全年营业(我们在九月初去的时候,大多数商家都开始季节性停业了,不过我们还是找到了一家K-Mart,在那里简单野餐了一番。)就在那座岛上)。
不出所料,这里的海岸线景色美得令人窒息,视野直接通向群岛,仿佛天空无边无际般延伸开来。这里有超多拍照的好地方(事实上,我们还看到了不少Instagram网红在拍摄他们惯常的“看看我的生活多美好”系列照片,甚至还有一场婚礼正在岛上举行呢!)。岛的中心处有一座博物馆,不过门票价格相当昂贵(遗憾的是,芬兰的很多博物馆都如此),所以我们决定不去了。那里还有一家咖啡馆,出售三明治和咖啡,适合快速充饥。
苏奥门林纳最棒的地方就在于那种宁静祥和的氛围——即便岛上游客不少,这种感觉在赫尔辛基的其他任何地方都体验不到。如果你要去芬兰和赫尔辛基,绝对不能错过这个地方,它真是太棒了。