Rising stoutly from an islet in Vyborg Bay, this castle was built by the Swedes in 1293 when they first captured Karelia from Novgorod. Most of it now consists of 16th-century alterations. The castle contains a couple of exhibition halls, including a mildly diverting small museum on local history, but the main attraction is climbing the many steps of whitewashed St Olaf’s Tower for commanding views over the town.
An interesting website with history of the castle and other fortifications across northern Russia is www.nortfort.ru.
