Top 25 Vyborg Attractions, Russia

In Vyborg, the feeling that you are somewhere in the expanses of Northern Europe does not leave. This is not surprising, because the city belonged to the Swedes for many centuries, and until the middle of the 20th century it was part of Finland. The facades of stone buildings, fortresses, medieval towers, paving stones - all this is not at all typical for typical Russian architecture, only the usual domes of Orthodox churches remind that this is not Scandinavia.

In Vyborg, a large number of architectural monuments of the XIV-XVII centuries have been preserved. Unfortunately, some are in a deplorable state, since in the Soviet and early Russian periods, the city authorities apparently had no time for sights. The main place of attraction for travelers is the Vyborg Castle - the best platform for historical reconstructions and knightly tournaments.

What to see and where to go in Vyborg?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Vyborg Castle

A medieval Swedish fortress founded under the regent Thorgils Knutsson after a military campaign against Karelian and Finnish lands. In the 18th century, it was taken by the troops of Peter I and since then belonged to Russia, excluding the period of 1917-40. The central building of the fortification is the watchtower of St. Olaf, named after the baptist of Scandinavia. This powerful tower with walls 4 meters thick has long been considered the highest donjon in Northern Europe.

Alvar Aalto Library

The city's central library, built in the 1930s by architect A. Aalto. At that time, Vyborg still belonged to Finland. In architectural terms, the building is a transition from neoclassicism to regional modernism. In 2014, the building was restored in accordance with the original drawings, after which it became a masterpiece of modern urban planning.

Esplanade Park

The central city park, laid out in 1862 on the site of former defensive structures. Several dozen species of trees grow on its territory. The alleys are decorated with the statues "Moose", "Forest Boy", "Holy Family", a monument to Agricola. The Elk figure was created by the Finnish sculptor J. Mäntynen in 1928; there are also copies of it in Helsinki, Lahti and Turku.

Round Tower

The combat tower of the Vyborg fortress, built in the 16th-17th centuries, is the only one that has survived to this day. After the capture of Vyborg by Russian troops, the structure lost its military significance and began to be used as an arsenal. In the 20th century, before the transfer of Vyborg to the Soviet Union, there were meeting rooms for city societies, a library and a restaurant. The Renaissance hall of the tower was painted with scenes on historical themes. This mural was restored in the 1970s.

Town Hall Tower

A 15th-century building that was part of the fortifications of Vyborg. After the loss of military significance in the 17th century, it served as the bell tower of the Dominican monastery, later - the belfry of the church of the Vyborg rural parish, now in ruins. In Soviet times, until 1993, it collapsed and fell into decay. Since 1997, a church museum has been located on its territory.

Clock tower

The tallest tower in the old city, dominating the rest of the buildings. In the 15th century, it was erected as the bell tower of the cathedral, which was destroyed during the Soviet-Finnish War. The last restoration was carried out in the 1980s, but it was rather superficial, therefore, today the building is in disrepair.

Vyborg market

Covered pavilion designed by the Swedish architect K. H. af Segerstadt at the beginning of the 20th century. The architectural style of the building is a strict and restrained northern modernist style. At that time, the Vyborg market was considered the largest in Scandinavia, and therefore the building for it was built not small - with a central facade 20 meters wide and side walls more than 130 meters long. After restoration in the 1970s, many elements of the building lost their historical appearance.

Monument to Thorgils Knutsson

The monument in honor of the founder of the Vyborg Castle, Torgils Knutsson, is the work of the sculptor V. Wallgren. It was installed on the Old Town Hall Square in 1908 and became the city's first monument. In 1948, the sculpture was dismantled, while severely damaging, but not completely destroyed. The monument was restored in 1993 on the 700th anniversary of the construction of the Vyborg fortress.

Monument to Fyodor Apraksin

Monument of 2010, erected in honor of Admiral General F. M. Apraksin, who commanded the Russian fleet during the Northern War and the Persian campaign. The monument was designed by a group of sculptors. It is a bust of the commander, mounted on a granite pedestal in the form of a column. The admiral purposefully peers into the distance, holding a telescope in his hand.

Monument to Peter I

The statue of the first Russian emperor is located on the territory of Petrovsky Park. It was installed in 1910 by decree of Nicholas II in honor of the 200th anniversary of the capture of the city by the Russian army. After the Finnish troops occupied the city in 1918, the monument was removed and was going to be scrapped, but instead it was placed in a museum storage. Finally, the monument returned to its place only in 1954.

Exhibition Center "Hermitage-Vyborg"

A branch of the State Hermitage, opened in 2010 on the site of the medieval fortress Panzerlax. Since the 1930s, a cultural center and a museum of fine arts have been located here, closed after the end of the Soviet-Finnish war. Today, collections from the main branch of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg are brought to the gallery, thematic lectures are held here and educational programs are being developed.

Military Museum of the Karelian Isthmus

Private exhibition dedicated to the Soviet-Finnish (Winter) War and its continuation in 1941–44. The exposition consists of archival documents, photographs, objects found on the battlefields, samples of military uniforms and weapons that you can hold in your hands. The collection is located on the territory of the Central Barracks. The museum was created on the initiative of B. K. Irincheev, a military writer and entrepreneur.

Historical and cultural center "Varangian yard"

In the Vyborg district there is a tourist complex "Svargas" - a historical reconstruction of the princely estate of the XI century, created in 2005-2008 by a group of volunteers. Today this place is a platform for all kinds of reconstructions. Most of all, it is suitable for the Viking Age and the Early Middle Ages, but attention is also paid to other stages from antiquity to modern times.

Transfiguration Cathedral

Orthodox church located on Cathedral Square. At the moment it is the cathedral of the city. The building began to be erected in the 18th century by decree of Catherine II. The architect N.A. Lvov worked on the first project. Later, the building repeatedly changed its appearance as a result of reconstructions. The temple was not touched during the wars and during the period of Soviet power, so it is quite well preserved.

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul

Lutheran Church of Vyborg, the only one that has survived to this day. It was erected in 1799, in 1839 an organ was brought here from Hannover, Germany, which was replaced 60 years later. At the end of the 19th century, under the leadership of J. Arenberg, restoration work was carried out. Throughout the entire time of its existence, the temple operated. Now the parish is visited by about 300 people. Services are held in Russian and Finnish.

St. Elijah's Church

The Orthodox Church on Ilinskaya Gora, built at the end of the 18th century according to the project of I. Brockman with donations from parishioners. During the Soviet-Finnish war, the building was damaged, later it was adapted for a club and a hostel. However, after 1945 the church was dismantled. The restoration took place in 1999 at the initiative of believers. Today the temple is active, services are regularly held in it.

Dominican monastery cathedral

Once in Vyborg there was a Dominican monastery, which was founded in the XIV century. Two centuries after the Reformation, the main cathedral of the monastery became Lutheran, the rest of the buildings were dismantled. The temple was destroyed during the Northern War, but later it was restored and maintained at the expense of the German community. In the 20th century, during the hostilities, the building was damaged, and in the late 1980s, as a result of a fire, it turned into ruins.

Viking Drakkars

Wooden boats are installed on the city embankment. They are replicas of Viking boats made in 1984 for the historical film Flowers Grow on the Stones. Until 2009, the ships used for the filming were here, but they turned black from time to time and were replaced. The prototype of the ships was the real ships of the northern conquerors, and more specifically, the Gokstad ship, located in one of the museums in Norway.

Church of Hyacinth

A small building in the Gothic style, the oldest part of which was built in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the Knight's House was located here. In 1799, by decree of Paul I, the building was transferred to the Order of Malta and adapted for a church. The temple existed until the end of the Soviet-Finnish war. In 1970, the building was restored and an art school was placed in it. An art gallery is currently operating here.

Estate of a burgher

A monument of stone construction of the Swedish period, which is the house of a wealthy citizen. The estate changed owners many times - they have always been rich merchants and wealthy artisans. The house acquired its modern look after the restoration in 1979. Nowadays, there is an exhibition hall on its territory, where guests are treated to Vyborg pretzel and a mug of ale.

House of the Merchants' Guild of the Holy Spirit

Town house in Gothic style, probably built in the 14th century. It is the oldest civil building in the city. The construction is one of the four burgher houses - private buildings of the XIV-XVII centuries. Architectural forms of this type in Russia can only be seen in Vyborg. Initially, the estate was two-story - living rooms were located on the first floor, the second was used for negotiations.

Bastion Panzerlax

Medieval fortress of the 16th century, located on the coast of the Vyborg Bay. It had strategic military importance until the beginning of the 19th century, then it began to interfere with the further growth of the city, but it was still not demolished, like other defensive structures. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bastion was handed over to the civil authorities. In the 1930s, a building for a museum and an art school was built on its foundation, which in 2010 was transformed into a branch of the Hermitage.

Annen fortifications

Defensive structures of the 18th century on the island of Tverdysh, which stretch along the Vyborg Bay. They were erected to protect the city from the attack of the Swedish army from the north. The fortifications have survived to this day in good condition. Today, knight tournaments, a dance festival, historical reenactments and other cultural events are held on their territory.

battery mountain

In the 19th century, Batareynaya Gora was part of the East Vyborg fortifications; today, the city's Central Park is located on its territory. The need to build another line of defense arose due to the fact that after the demolition of the old fortress walls, Vyborg was not protected from the east, and the time was turbulent. The remains of stone walls, gates and tunnels have survived to this day.

Mon Repos Park

A landscape park in the northern part of Vyborg, created in the 18th–19th centuries on the site of private estates. This picturesque place harmoniously combines the beauty of nature and elements of spatial design. Among the trees and huge boulders, you can see pretty gazebos and benches, bridges and other architectural structures. The main building is the manor of the classicism era.