Olaf's Tower
Tall and white.
Александровы АГ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sergey A. Demidov — CC BY 4.0 · Александровы АГ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sergey A. Demidov — CC BY 4.0 · GAlexandrova — CC BY-SA 4.0
Vyborg Castle is a medieval stone fortress on a small islet in a narrow strait of the Gulf of Finland. Grey walls and buildings of stone and brick are topped by the tall white Tower of Saint Olaf with its green roof, visible from all over the town. The Swedes began building it in 1293 as the easternmost outpost of the medieval Kingdom of Sweden, and the town of Vyborg grew up around it. It was one of the three great castles of medieval Finland, with those of Turku and Hämeenlinna. Excavations in the 1980s showed that an older Karelian fort stood on the site before it. Today the castle houses the Vyborg Regional Museum. You cross the bridge to the islet, walk through the courtyards, then circle the island along the water to see the castle and tower from every side. It is about 1.6 km in a straight line from central Vyborg. Many visitors come on a trip from Saint Petersburg. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.
Tall and white.
In the strait.
Inside the castle.
Castle Island, Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast
Yes, as a day trip.
Yes, the Vyborg Regional Museum.