Örö Fortress Island

Red wooden house, open yard in the foreground and grass and rock with trees in the background.
The Örö fortress island has been a closed military area for a hundred years. It showcases the history of Finland's coastal defence, from the days of Tsarist Russia until the present day. The island's main sights include the well preserved barracks, heavy Obuhov guns, defence posts and fortifications from various eras. Thanks to its history as a closed fortress island, Örö has evolved into one of Southern Finland's key concentrations of threatened species and habitat types.

Location: Western Finland, Southwestern Finland, municipality of Kemiönsaari/Kimitoön, Archipelago National Park

Visit: Landing was prohibited on the Örö island from 1915 until the end of 2014, and the island was opened for boaters and tourists in June 2015. Entrance is free but a quay rate will be charged for boats. Landing is only allowed via the guestharbour. There is a special landing place for canoes.

Sights and Activities: The island features 6-13 km of marked hiking trails and an exhibition introducing the history and nature of Örö. The island's remote location, by the open sea in the outer archipelago, gives the conditions and landscapes on the island a genuine maritime feel. Islanders used to allow cattle to graze on the island; this culture will be reintroduced in order to restore the heritage landscape. Excellent possibilities for birdwatching. Read more

Services: Örö has a chargeable camping site. Read more about services on the island. Entrepreneur on the island (visitoro.fi) provives a guest harbour, a café,a guide service, restaurant and accommodation services. Partners organise transport to the Örö fortress island and provide a guide service. 

Suitability: Örö is an ideal destination for the entire family. Please note: The old defence structures are protected with wire fencing. There are no accessible services in Örö.

The area is managed by Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland.

This is the web page nationalparks.fi/oro

Customer service

VisitSeili (visitseili.fi)

Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, tel. +358 40 163 6200, info(at)haltia.com

 

A hand holding a mobile phone showing Excursionmap.fi. Open the map of Örö Fortress Island in Excursionmap.fi.