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Island in the Archipelago Sea, Finland
Photo: LPfi, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Örö is a large island in the Archipelago Sea National Park in Finland. It is quite easily reachable – a one-hour ferry trip from Kasnäs in Kimitoön through the inner archipelago – but still more or less by the open sea, and its sandy shores and meadows provide biotopes seldom found in the rest of Finland. The landscapes are nice and there are smooth cliffs and beaches with fine sand. Many of the visitors also come for the military history.
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The heavy 12-inch (30-cm) Obuhov cannons had a range of 45 km. The impressive pieces have barrels weighting 50 tonnes, which would be replaced after a certain amount of firing. Two cannons out of the original four remain here, the other two were transferred to the archipelago outside Vyborg in the 1930s (which was back then part of Finland) and as such they were effectively returned to Russia when WWII was over. If climbing up the cannon which is further east (halfway on the road between the harbour and hotel), you can see the Bengtskär lighthouse in clear weather.
The restaurant is the former garrison's canteen, built in the Russian pre-World War I times.
The other restaurant is right in the harbour, housed in a building from 1912 but with a large outdoor seating.
Two classes of twin rooms (15 and 23 m² respectively; the more spacious with optional extra bed), one of each can be combined. Breakfast in the 12" restaurant included.
Bunk bed in shared room. Shared kitchen.
Twin beds plus bunk bed. Shared living room.
Cottages for 2–8 persons, different kinds. One ("ideal for couples") has its own sauna.
Camping is allowed at the primitive campsite in sparse forest (there is a separate area for groups). Water, outhouse toilets. Access to the shared showers and saunas (at a distance). No campfires. No reservations.
The shop in the info point has some Örö-themed souvenirs (think caps, shirts, mugs…), Moomin themed ones, and some snacks and supplies. As of May 2025 not all prices were displayed, and for instance two packaged ice cream cones costed €9.50 (but remember, the price includes transporting them out here, keeping them cold all the time).
The only way in is by boat, unless you are permitted to use the former military helicopter field – or use a seaplane.
Read in the guideThere are old cobbled roads providing easy access across the island, and some trails showing batteries, barracks and nature. Deviating from roads and trails is allowed, but should be avoided.
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Turku · International · TKU
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