The charming, almost hundred-year-old, renovated old school building of Suomenlinna is a cosy, well-lit and safe base for excursions to Suomenlinna and Helsinki – all year round! The fortress island is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List and it is a treasure of the whole Finnish history and the early history of Helsinki. Furthermore, the Suomenlinna fortress is the most popular tourist attraction in Finland and the unique nature of the islands will charm every visitor.
It is easy to come to Suomenlinna. The ferry leaves at the Helsinki Market Square, the trip takes only 15 minutes and the Helsinki City Transport (HKL) tickets are valid on the ferry: straight to Suomenlinna with a tram ticket!
Viaporin Visiitti is situated close by the ferry harbor in a central but quiet location, a stone’s throw away from the Suomenlinna church. The centre is run by Suomen leirikouluyhdistys (the Finnish Camp School Organization), the winner of the 2004 Cygnaeus prize– it is the thirty-year-old camp school pioneer in Finland.
Viaporin Visiitti has 40 beds, of which 30 downstairs (rooms for 6-10 persons) and 10 upstairs (rooms for 2 – 3 persons). Downstairs we have a dining room/well-lit classroom and showers/toilets for boys and girls. Upstairs we have toilets, showers and a common room and a kitchenette. Our rate is 28€/day, including linen, breakfast and a guided two-hour nature or history oriented trail.(More tips on the services and enterpreneurs of the islands (museums, cafes, restaurants): www.suomenlinna.fi . The same rates apply to children and adults. One teacher free of charge. If your schedule allows you to have your meals in the camp school centre, the prices are: lunch 6 €, dinner 7 € and cold supper 3 €.
Viaporin Visiitti serves camp school groups visiting Helsinki as the only service centre focusing on camp schools in the Helsinki area. Its location is excellent in the heart of marine Helsinki, and it offers reliable service of good quality. Because the Suomenlinna islands fall within the authority of the Ministry of Education, even our location binds us to offer teaching that is of good quality and conforms to the educational ethics and values. Not to forget the joy of learning and acting in concert!
Suomenlinna and the capital city Helsinki offer plenty of opportunities to plan and carry out a rewarding and instructive camp school. We can offer various activities in Suomenlinna: cultural history, adventures in historical surroundings, coastal nature, island tours and a variety of museums in accordance with your interest.
Viaporin Visiitti is an excellent and ”suitably calming” base when you aim at visiting other attractions in Helsinki, such as Linnanmäki amusement park and Korkeasaari zoo, with its nature school Luontokoulu Arkki. The Science Centre Heureka in Tikkurila, Vantaa is an excellent, surprisingly easy place to see.
There is plenty to do in Suomenlinna in all weathers. In summer, the sports grounds and lawns invite you to take exercise and play or to draw and paint. In winter sledding and skating in Suomenlinna are certainly memorable and happy moments together and unforgettable experiences. You can also make excursions and see the wonders of nature in autumn and spring. Every now and then you can drop into a museum or the camp school building for hot chocolate and cakes. We Finns can really be happy about and proud of all our seasons!
You can also rent our classrooms and/or assembly room only for your group for daytime use, without purchasing other services.
ITINERARY FOR CAMP SCHOOLS IN SUOMENLINNA
The Suomenlinna camp school centre offers various programme choices for camp school groups visiting the island for a day or longer. Some of the programmes are produced by the camp school centre and are included in the accommodation price, some are provided by purchase service producers and are liable to a charge. You will find below an itinerary for three days. If the group stays for a shorter period, you can choose the parts that interest you. Most of the activities have an instructor or guide.
DAY 1
Arrival to Suomenlinna by ferry at 9 a.m. and accommodation in Viaporin Visiitti, the Suomenlinna camp school centre. We start with an introduction to the old school building and programme. The programme proper begins with a visit to the Suomenlinna museum, where Suomenlinna’s in many ways significant history is introduced by multivision and exercises. After the visit, lunch at noon. In the afternoon a guided tour of the island and an introduction to the buildings and cultural history of Suomenlinna of different eras. Dinner at 5 p.m. Writing diaries and free time until dusk. Snacks in the camp school centre before going to sleep. The day’s programme with meals costs 18,50 € (with Helsinki-card 17 €). Accommodation with breakfast is 28 €.
DAY 2
Breakfast at 8 am. During the morning we get to know the unique nature of Suomenlinna with the help of WWF’s Naturewatch questionnaires and maps. Lunch at noon. In the afternoon, we visit museums of your choice: the Ehrensvärd museum which is dedicated to the founder of Suomenlinna, submarine Vesikko, the Coast Artillery Museum, Manege Military Museum, Toy Museum, Customs Museum and Jetty Barracks Gallery. You have time to visit three museums during the afternoon. Note! Some of the museums are not open round the year. Further information may be obtained from www.suomenlinna.fi Dinner at 5 p.m. and snacks e.g. at 9 p.m. The day’s programme with meals is 18,50 € (with Helsinki-card 17 €). Accommodation with breakfast is 28 €.
DAY 3
Breakfast at 8 a.m. and departure to a guided water-bus tour to the western or eastern archipelago. The captain tells us about the nature and history of the archipelago off Helsinki. Lunch at noon at the camp school centre. As an alternative to the water-bus tour, we offer the Suomenlinna nature trail, produced by the camp school centre. After lunch, free time in Suomenlinna, souvenir shopping, museum visits, swimming, games or activities according to your wishes. The camp school ends at 3 p.m. with snacks. The day’s programme with meals is 35 €/person (water-bus; minimum group size 25 persons) or 10 €/person (nature trail). Accommodation rates include breakfast and linen. The same rates apply to accompanying parents and students. Ferry fares are not included in the prices. The Helsinki City Transport (HKL) ferry fees are not included in he prices. The HKL Suomenlinna ticket is valid for 12 hours. Further information may be obtained from HKL.
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