Breath­tak­ing Archipelago

Kaunissaari Island is the most popular tourist attraction at sea in Southeastern Finland – and has been that ever since the 1950s. In Finnish, ‘kaunis’ means ‘beautiful’ and ‘saari’ translates as ‘island’, and this island sure is beautiful.

Here, the old harbor bay is lined with red beach storehouses and boathouses.  Idyllic fishermen’s huts with their gardens and narrow alleyways invite you to breathe in the atmosphere of the 1930s fishing community, a time this rustic archipelago village reminds you of. The island is covered with fine maritime pine forests shaped by the winds. The long sandy beaches on the northern and eastern shores invite you for leisurely relaxation and water games.

Hiking is a great way of seeing the island. On the shore of the harbor bay there is an archipelago museum displaying an interesting collection of items that tell a story about life, and the people, on the island. A shop, a café, sales outlets for smoked fish and handicrafts and the legendary restaurant Kaunissaaren Maja offer opportunities for enjoying delicious food and purchasing souvenirs.

At Tammio Island the scenery is like a fairy tale book – an old fishing village with beautiful wooden houses scattered around the harbor. Here you can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful landscape, listen to the birds and admire the hundreds and thousands of gorgeous lilacs against the blue sky.

At summertime Tammio’s houses are temporarily filled with summer residents, but there is only one resident on the island all year round. The houses have belonged to the same families for a long time, and there is a strong community among the islanders.

Rankki Island in Kotka probably reminds most people of the legendary marine weather forecasts. The fortress island of Rankki outside Kotka was originally part of the defensive line of Peter The Great’s sea fortress that was built by the Russians on the Gulf of Finland to protect St. Petersburg. Heavy coastal cannons and a Russian barracks were located there in 1916.

Rankki has been used by the military and the island was closed from civilians for over a hundred years. On Rankki, you can still see the massive coastal cannons and the old Russian barracks whose building remains in a nearly original state. The Rankki cannons played a crucial part in Finnish defensive battles in the spring of 1940. Also on display on Rankki is the historical exhibition ‘Coastal Artillery Rules’. This is the easternmost archipelago in Finland; the southern shore of Rankki has a view of Suursaari, which was lost to the Soviet Union in the Winter War.

Kukouri is the second of the two fortress islands outside Kotka. The round red-brick fortress on Kukouri, Fort Slava, was completed in 1794. Fort Slava is one of the outermost fortresses of the Ruotsinsalmi sea fortifications. A special feature of the fortress is its perfectly round shape which makes it unique in Finland. The fortress has a diameter of 75 metres and used to have 44 cannon posts. During the Crimean War, a fleet of 14 ships blew up the fortress on 27 July 1855.

Kukouri can be visited using chartered transportation.