FAQ

How do you move around on the island?

You can move around Suomenlinna on foot. Some of the roads are cobblestoned, which is why wearing comfortable shoes is recommended. During the winter, the roads are snow-ploughed, gritted and lit.

How are cars and goods transported to Suomenlinna?

Suomenlinna is a car-free zone where only service vehicles are allowed. Event organisers may bring a car to the island for maintenance use. Car spaces on the ferries are booked from the office of Suomenlinnan Liikenne. Car transport should be booked as early as possible, as the night-time ferries in particular tend to be crowded. Cars can be transported to the island either on the maintenance ferry, operating from Katajanokka during weekdays, or on the Helsinki City Transport ferry, operating from Kauppatori seven days a week. You should ensure that you are at the ferry terminal at least 10 minutes before departure. Transporting cars via the Suomenlinna service tunnel is not possible, as the tunnel is reserved for emergency vehicles only.

How do the guests get to the island?

During the summer season, Suomenlinna attracts as many as 12,000 visitors every day, making the Helsinki City Transport ferry somewhat crowded. Show the guests several possible ferries from the timetable so they can reach the island in good time before the event. During the summer season, the privately owned JT-Line water bus operates to Tykistönlahti bay in Suomenlinna from the Kauppatori square. Organisers may also hire private transportation for guests.

Are the facilities heated? Are they rented during the winter? What’s the weather like in Suomenlinna in the winter?

Facilities are rented throughout the year. During the winter, Suomenlinna may be cold and windy. The facilities are heated with district heating, but in windy and wintry weather they may be slightly draughty.

Can customers use the catering service of their choice?

Customers may choose any catering service they wish. Several catering service providers operate in Suomenlinna, offering catering services for our facilities. Their contact information can be found here. Also many caterers operating on the mainland are familiar with our facilities.

How do I get to see the facilities beforehand?

We organise open evening showings once a month in the evening. We inform about the showings on our event calendar. We can show you round the facilities on weekdays between 8 am and 4 pm, if there are no reservations for other customers in the facilities at the time. Please book a time well in advance by either calling or e-mailing our sales service.

How is the facility furnished?

Various types of events, parties and conferences are organised in our facilities. The renter of the facility may arrange the furniture in the locality as they wish. Different table arrangement models for the banquet facilities can be found in each venue’s front page. Ready-made models can give you ideas and tips on how to arrange the tables in the facility, easing the planning of your event. You can also book the arrangement of tables from us for an additional charge. You can find the prices on the price lists.

May I put up signs leading to the location?

The lessee must guide their guests to the banquet/conference facilities primarily by using maps. Maps are available in the For visitors section of the website. If guidance cannot be arranged by means of just a map, a few small signs may be placed on the signposts along the entry route. The signs and their attachments must be removed from the posts by the lessee immediately after the end of the event. Attaching signs to facades or to objects other than the signposts is strictly forbidden.

Where do I pick up the keys? Where do return the keys? What are the keys for?

Some of the locks in the leased facilities are mechanical and some electrical. The lessee shall agree on the retrieval of the keys/key code with the sales service for the conference and banquet facilities of the Governing Body of Suomenlinna approximately one week before the event. The key shall be returned either to the grey key box in the facility or the tourist information at the Jetty Barracks during its opening hours. The lessee is obligated to lock the doors of the facility they have leased and close the windows when they leave. We will charge any costs incurred by lost keys (such as changing locks, rekeying) from the organiser of the event.

How long may the party continue?

The facility is reserved for the use of the customer 10 am-1 am. Doors and windows must be closed by 10 pm and loud music must stop at midnight so as not to disturb the peace of nearby residents. The facility must be empty of the customer’s belongings by 2 am, when the last ferry departs for the mainland. Please allow time for the emptying of the facility and ensure that you also inform the caterers of the time limits.

Which way should goods be taken into the facility?

Goods are taken into the facility through the main door. In the Tenaille von Fersen, goods may be carried in via the kitchen stairs, but the lift for people with disabilities should never be used for transporting goods. Goods for the Pirunkirkko banquet hall may be taken through the kitchen door until 10 pm, after which the main staircase should be used for transporting goods. This ensures that the residents in the apartments on the kitchen door side are not disturbed.

Are there dishes, kitchenware, candlesticks or tablecloths in the facilities?

The banquet facilities do not have dishes, kitchenware, candlesticks, tablecloths or decorations. The conference facilities are equipped with coffee sets.

Are there markers, paper or notebooks in the facilities?

There are markers, pens and notebooks in the conference facilities. We recommend bringing your own conference equipment for the meeting. There are no laptop computers in the facilities. For more information on facility-specific equipment, please see the equipment list for each facility.

Why am I not allowed to attach anything to the walls?

The walls in the banquet facilities have been renovated as faithfully to the original look as possible. Old lime paints and tile surfaces are delicate and cannot take tape, Blue-Tack or other fixatives.

Is smoking allowed in the facilities?

No. Smoking is only allowed outdoors in all of our facilities. The platform of the lift for disabled persons in the Tenaille von Fersen should under no circumstances be used for smoking.

Is the customer responsible for the cleaning of the facility?

The customer must remove their belongings and decorations from the facility and take the waste bags outside to the waste containers. The customer will be charged for any goods and waste left in the facility, vomit, stearine stains or damaged or missing furniture after the event.

Is there any cleaning equipment in the facility? What about soap and toilet paper?

There is cleaning equipment available for the use of the customer in the kitchen or cleaning cupboard. The toilets have toilet paper, soap and a hand dryer.

Where are lost and found goods taken?

Lost property found in the facilities is taken to the Tourist Information and can be requested from the sales service during office hours.

Where do I book the Suomenlinna Church?

Reservations for the church are made from the Helsinki Cathedral Parish.

Where does the bride change into her wedding dress? How do the bride and groom get from the church to the banquet facility?

Sometimes brides get dressed in advance at home and sometimes they dress at the banquet facility, from where they walk to the church. You can also use the crypt of the church for dressing. For more information, please contact the Suomenlinna Church. From the church, the bride and groom usually walk to the banquet facility. Often the organisers of the party bring a car to Suomenlinna for the trip. There are no longer any horse stables at the fortress.

Is there a photographic studio or similar in Suomenlinna for the weddings photographs?

Local photographer Dorit Salutskij. More information from here.

Is there accomodation in Suomenlinna?

Hostel Suomenlinna offers accommodation in Suomenlinna throughout the year. The hostel is located just twenty steps from the main pier. The hostel can accommodate 41 guests in both smaller private rooms and larger dorms.