Continuing our stroll through the beautiful ancient town of Vyborg. Last time, we took a brief tour of the Old Town together. Today, let's focus on the city's most popular attraction among tourists – Vyborg Castle and St. Olaf's Tower.
The "Vyborg Combined Museum-Reserve" offers several diverse guided tour programs: you can wander through the historical museum located within the castle grounds, attend a pottery workshop, or ascend to the viewing platform of St. Olaf's Tower. Since our time was limited, we opted for the latter.
Visits to the tower are scheduled every half hour. The cost of an adult ticket was 200 rubles (as of October 2020), payable in cash or by card. The duration of the tower tour and time spent on the viewing platform is approximately 30 minutes. We arrived in Vyborg by train, and the weather was pleasant that day, so we decided to walk from the station to the castle, which took about 20 minutes.
A Bit of History
Vyborg Castle was founded by the Swedish ruler Torkel Knutsson in 1293 as the residence of the royal governor. The settlement around the castle quickly grew, and in 1403 Vyborg was granted town status.
The oldest part of the castle is the square base of the donjon tower, named after the Norwegian King Olaf II Haraldsson. It's worth noting that buildings bearing the name of this ruler can also be found in other countries; for instance, in Tallinn, Estonia, there is St. Olaf's Church.
The upper octagonal part of Vyborg Castle's tower was built between 1561 and 1564. Today, the tower's height, excluding the roof, is 38 meters. Over its centuries-long history, the castle walls have undergone significant destruction multiple times, either due to severe fires or sieges by enemies.
Since 1964, the castle premises have housed the exhibition of the Vyborg Local History Museum. After acquainting themselves with the exhibits detailing the history of these lands, visitors can ascend to the top of the castle tower to view the Old Town. The viewing platform encircles the dome of the tower, offering views of both historic buildings and sparsely populated areas in the northwest part of the city.
One piece of advice – gauge your strength and be prepared to climb a small staircase that winds around the hollow part of the tower. The visitor following me experienced a real panic halfway through due to fear. If you feel that such a view might frighten you, consider opting for quieter ways to relax, as there are plenty of tourist routes available here.
We take a final look at Vyborg and move on. Next time, we will explore the eco-route in the beautiful "Monrepos Park."
In summary:
- A unique historical site;
- Opportunity to combine a historical tour with an ascent to the viewing platform;
- Excellent views of the city center.
