Vallisaari Island

Vallisaari lies in the archipelago off Helsinki beside Suomenlinna, and it was closed to the public for most of the twentieth century as a military island holding fortifications, magazines and a small garrison village. It opened to visitors in 2016. Because it was left alone for so long, the island carries a range of habitats and an unusually long species list for its size, particularly of butterflies, moths, bats and plants, and much of it is left uncut. Trails run past nineteenth-century gunpowder cellars, barrack ruins and overgrown ramparts to viewpoints over the sea. The Helsinki Biennial has used the island as its main venue.

What you actually see

• Overgrown fortifications - powder magazines and ramparts in the trees.
• An exceptional species list - butterflies, moths and bats on a small island.
• The abandoned garrison village - the buildings left when the army went.
• Sea viewpoints - the archipelago from the island paths.

When to go

May to September, when the ferry runs; the island is closed the rest of the year. Half a day. Some areas remain fenced off. Bring food and water; supplies are minimal.

Honest expectations

Ferries run only in the summer season and stop entirely in winter. Parts of the island are closed for safety, with unexploded ordnance a stated reason for staying on marked paths. Facilities are minimal. Ticks are present.

Nearby

Suomenlinna is adjacent; Helsinki market square is the ferry terminal.