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War History www.scandinavianislands.com/warhistory

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Scandinavian Islands have been in the centre of war for centuries. The control of the Baltic Sea has consistently been a crucial strategic goal for nations since the Middle Ages. Many locations in the Scandinavian Islands bear witness to the fact. You can visit many of the places and still experience the war history of the Swedish/ Finnish Archipelago.

War History www.scandinavianislands.com/warhistory

1.

Top 10 battle histories of Scandinavian Islands On the island Stockskärsholmen, south of Dalarö, the first redoubt was build in 1623 in order to protect ships at Dalarö. Today this National Culture Heritage also hosts a Restaurant.

2.

Visit Siarö Fortress. The construction of the fortress started at the beginning of the World War I in 1916 but was finally ready long after the end of the war, in 1924.

3.

Experience Arholma Battery that was constructed 1968 – in the middle of the Cold War. Today there are guided tours where you can experience the atmosphere of the Cold War.

4.

Kastelholm Castle is a Swedish-built medieval Castle located in Sund, Åland.

The Castle was built in the 13th century by Bo Jonsson Grip. It is an important tourist attraction in Åland.

5.

See one of Ålands´s most remarkable historical monuments. The battle of Bomarsund was fought by an Anglo-French force against Russian defences at Bomarsund during the Crimean war.

6.

According to the Soviet-Finnish peace treaty in 1940, the peninsula of Hanko was rented by the Soviet Union for 30 years in order to construct a Soviet naval base. However, the Russian Forces left Hanko already at 1941.

7.

8.

On the banks of the Aura River, Turku Castle stands as a national monument.

The strategic importance of the Lighthouse on the island Bengtskär quickly became apparent in 1941 as Finnish troops on the island could easily monitor Soviet troop activities at Hanko from the 52m lighthouse tower.

9.

The lighthouse and the bare, rocky islands of Finnish Utö are the main gateway to the Archipelago Sea. Since the 17th century, it has been an important military base. At the end of 2005 the military withdrew from the island.

10.

Visit Herrön and see military ruins dating back to the Crimean War in the 1800’s and World War I. The Russian forces stayed there in order to stop the enemies to go further east.

7 Kastelholm Castle

4

Herrön

Turku Castle

5 Bomarsund

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3 Arholma Battery

6 9 Finnish Utö

2 Siarö fortress

1 Dalarö redoubt

Bengtskär

8

Hanko