On the recently opened islands in Helsinki, you can feel like Robinson Crusoe – just seven minutes from the center of the Finnish capital
According to Finland.fi, Vallisaari Island long belonged to the Finnish Defence Forces and remained virtually untouched, preserving the pristine nature and special world of animals, birds, and butterflies living on the island. After the lease ended, city authorities decided to open this gem of wild nature to visitors.
The other island, Lonna, was also previously a military facility that had seen a lot in its time. This small island, a seven-minute boat ride from the pier at Market Square, was formerly called 'Negotiation Island' because it is famous as the site of the final stage of negotiations ending the Russo-Swedish War of 1808–1809. In 2014, the island was opened to the public.
Over the past two decades, Vallisaari's nature remained virtually untouched, with the island overgrown with wild forest and grass. Thanks to excellent conditions and silence, more than a thousand species of butterflies have made the island their home, some of which are very rare. The island is open to visitors thanks to the work of volunteers.
Vallisaari has two tourist routes – the 'Alexander Trail' stretching 3 kilometers and the 'Tsar Island' trail stretching 2.5 kilometers. Visitors will see military fortifications, cannons, and barracks. The routes pass by small freshwater lakes where you can have a picnic. Both routes are equipped with signs, convenient rest stops, and observation decks.
Making fires, digging soil, and overnight stays on the island are prohibited. It is recommended not to deviate from the route to avoid getting lost. Part of the island is still closed to visitors because remnants of ammunition and explosives may be in the ground.
According to information from the Finnish Forest Administration, infrastructure development is just at the very beginning. Plans are to open new areas.
One of Vallisaari's main attractions is a battery built in the 1860s, named after Alexander II and symbolizing the military power of the Russian Empire. Directly above it is now a huge observation deck, allowing visitors to view the beauty of the island and surrounding areas.
When you walk along the seemingly endless trails of the island, along the shores, over the hills, it sometimes feels as if you are completely alone on the entire island, and everything inside you becomes still.
Vallisaari also has a cafe in an old ammunition storage. A restaurant is planned to open.
And on Lonna Island, a restaurant and cafe are already open, and in the old sea mine storages there is an unusual banquet hall. Small concerts and festivals are held there, for example.
In the Middle Ages, Vallisaari was called 'Lake Island' because sailors came here for fresh water from the ponds. The first mention of the island's fortifications dates back to the 1600s, when it officially received its current name. In the 1700s, when Finland was part of Sweden, Vallisaari served as an auxiliary territory for the development of the neighboring island of Sveaborg. Livestock was grazed on Vallisaari, and trees were felled for heating.
During the war in 1808, Russian troops besieged the Sveaborg fortress, placing cannons on the heights of Vallisaari, and were able to shell the neighboring island. The fortress soon surrendered, and Finland became an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. After Finland gained independence in 1917, the island was used for the needs of the Finnish army, and military personnel with families lived there.
In the 1950s, about 300 people lived on the island, with a school, a shop, and a youth club. People tended gardens and grazed livestock — despite the proximity to Helsinki, they led a rural lifestyle. The last residents left the island in 1996.
A water bus runs daily between Market Square and the islands.