Wonderful old City Savonlinna is spread over the islands of the Saimaa water system. The main peninsula and the islands that make up the city are connected by many ferries and bridges, thanks to which the city got its second name - "Finnish Venice". The unique location and many interesting sights attract tourists from all over the world to Savonlinna.

Olavinlinna Fortress in Savonlinna. Photo: castlesworld.ru

Olavinlinna Fortress in Savonlinna

The fortress of Olavinlinna was built by the Swedes to protect the borders in the distant 15th century. Not one battle took place under its walls. It was in the possession of both Sweden, which included Finland, and in the possession of Russia. Each of the parties contributed its own elements to the architecture of Olavinlinna, thanks to which the building received its own unique look. The famous Russian commander Alexander Suvorov, who led the fortification work in Olavinlinna in the 18th century, also had a hand in this.

However, Olavinlinna served not only military purposes, but also became an important trading point between West and East. In the 17th century, a small trading settlement grew up around the fortress, later called Savonlinna.

Among all the military fortifications in Northern Europe, Olavinlinna has best preserved its architectural appearance. The fortress building houses the Museum of the History of the Fortress and the Orthodox Museum.

Monument to Saint Olaf

In the Olavinlinna fortress since 1912 there is a shrine for many Finns - a monument to St. Olaf, made from a 1500 kg steatite slab by the skillful Finnish sculptor Ville Wallgren. In his masterpiece, Wallgren depicted Olaf Haraldsson as a majestic ruler, in armor and with a traditional crown on his head. After his canonization, Saint Olaf was considered the patron saint of sailors and merchants.

Walking around Savonlinna, be sure to walk along Linnankatu Street - the oldest street in the city, once founded by the craftsmen of the Olavinlinna fortress. Already in the 19th century, Linnankatu ceased to be a place of residence for artisans and merchants and turned into the most prestigious area of ​​Savonlinna. And the Eerikinkatu street crossing it in those days was even called the street of Paris.

Not far from the famous Olavinlinna Fortress, on an island called Riihisaari, is the Savonlinna Museum of Local Lore. The building that houses the museum was built in 1852 and served as a pavilion for the locals for the grain trade. Today, here you can see interesting exhibits that tell about the history of Savonlinna and the region. Most of the expositions are dedicated to the history of crafts, in particular, navigation on the Saimaa. Next to the museum are the largest exhibits - the steamships "Savonlinna", "Mikko", "Salama" and "Akhkera", which can be visited in the warm season.

Connoisseurs of cultural and architectural monuments will certainly appreciate the Dome Cathedral, built by the architect Dahlström in 1874-1878. A beautiful old building with a huge dome of 51 meters gathers not only believing parishioners, but also inquisitive tourists. The capacity of the cathedral is a thousand people.

Unfortunately, the cathedral has not fully preserved its original appearance. It was significantly damaged during the Winter War, after which it underwent two restorations - in 1947 and in 1990-1991. During the last restoration, a 45-voice organ was installed in the cathedral.

A traveler can get to know the Finnish culture and life of the 19th century closer in the village of the same name, located not far from Kuhmo.

The village itself is arranged in the ethnographic style of that time. Here the tourist can learn about the main occupations that fed the Finns two centuries ago - hunting, fishing and, of course, resin extraction.

Resin at that time was the main export commodity of the Finns - all of Europe used Finnish resin for shipbuilding. It was mined in the following way: large pits were covered with turf and logs were burned in them. Through special chutes, the resin flowed from there into the barrels. When the sides were filled, it was clogged and sent for sale.

Theatrical performances based on the epic of the same name are regularly held in the village of Kalevala. However, the village of Kalevala is famous not only for its ethnographic value - it also houses the summer residence of the legendary Yolopukka - the Finnish Santa Claus. In the warm season, Yolopukki, with all his retinue of good gnomes, moves from Lapland to Kalevala, where he pleases tourists with theatrical performances.

Punkaharju

30 kilometers from Savonlinna there is an amazing art center "Retretti". In addition to the fact that Retretti is the largest exhibition center in Scandinavia, it also has an unusual location - most of it is underground.

In a huge underground cave, decorated with artificial waterfalls and lakes, all kinds of light, shadow and sound effects, masterpieces of Finnish and foreign artists are presented. Exhibitions are held here contemporary art under the slogan "From Matisse to Kandinsky". There is also an underground concert hall with a capacity of 1000 people, which regularly hosts performances of the Savonlinna Opera Festival.

The most beautiful church in the area, Kerimäki, is located between Punkaharju and Savonlinna. The building of the church, with a capacity of 3 thousand people, was built in 1847 by the local community of Christians.

This is a truly amazing architectural monument, surrounded on all sides by the lakes of the Samai water system. Today, the Kerimäki church, together with its surroundings, is considered one of the most picturesque corners our planet.

In Punkaharju, a tourist will be interested in the unusual Lusto Museum, which is entirely dedicated to the interactions between man and the forest. The museum is located in an old building railway station, which now houses exhibitions dedicated to forestry, conservation area and scientific research in Punkaharju. Having become acquainted with all the exhibits, visitors are invited to consolidate their impressions by visiting a small but cozy cafe "Finland", located in a wooden villa behind the museum building.

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In the heart of Lake Haukivesi, which belongs to the Saimaa Lake System, is the Linnansaari National Park, dedicated to the conservation of natural conditions lacustrine Finland. The pristine beauty of Finnish nature, rare animals that are on the verge of extinction and endless expanses of water will surprise and delight any tourist.

A rare endangered species of mammals lives here - the Saimaa seal. Today, these animals number no more than 300 individuals throughout the globe. The main population of these animals lives in the lakes Jotenvesi, Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi near Savonlinna. Also here you can meet rare birds - white-backed woodpecker and corncrake.

In 1990, near Savonlinna, the Kolovesi National Nature Park was opened, which has become one of the attractions of Finland. The territory of the park includes the islands of Mäntusalo and Vaayasalo, covered with pine and birch forests, as well as rocky islets and reservoirs adjoining them.

Most interesting route The 400-kilometer road "Green Gold" represents the territory of the park, on both sides of which the picturesque forest massif of South Savo extends. The route involves not only the picturesque landscapes of the Finnish forest, but also acquaintance with the culture and history of the region, sightseeing of various sights.

On the territory that is now part of the Kolovesi National Park, see the ancient cave drawings performed on sheer cliffs Havukka, Vieruvuri and Ukonvuri more than five thousand years ago.

The Kesämaa Open Water Park in Punkaharju, also known as the “Summer Land”, offers recreation for the whole family. Here you can ride seven different water slides, jump on a trampoline, try your hand at climbing obstacles or rowing, play mini golf or relax in the heated pool. There are also cozy cafes, children's rooms and shops.

City of Savonlinna in Finland - Photos, Attractions

Savonlinna (Savonlinna listen)) is a city located in Eastern Finland. It was founded as a settlement that received the status of a city near the Olavinlinna fortress in 1639 on the island of Kyrönsalmi, built as a fortification between Sweden and Russia. The development of the city gave construction railway and the Saimaa Canal, which connected Lake Saimaa and the Gulf of Finland.

The history of the city is closely connected with the ancient fortress of Olavinlinna. Olavinlinna is the best preserved fortress in northern Europe. Savonnlin also has many nature reserves and national parks: Hyterma Nature Reserve, national park Linnansaari, Punkaharju moraine ridge - a creation of the Ice Age, Kolovesi National Park, where you can enjoy the beauty of nature. There are also many museums in Savonnlin: the Forest Museum (Lusto), the Asema-Atelier Art Workshop, the Museum of Warfare. Therefore, Savonnlina is considered a resort and tourist town.

Kolovesi National Park

Olavinlinna Fortress (Olafsborg)

The city of Savonlinna and especially its medieval fortress Olavinlinna and the landscape around it made the strongest and most indelible impression on us in our entire short term. We were lucky with the weather, the sun was shining, only sometimes it was hidden behind rare clouds. Olavinlinna Fortress, granite islands, newly blossomed greenery and flowers - all this looked so magically beautiful that it still stands before my eyes. So there will be many photos.

Until now, I believe that this fortress is the most impressive sightseeing attraction in all of Finland. Savonlinna is, of course, further than the border Imatra and Lappeenranta, but for the sake of this fortress it is worth making this journey, you definitely will not regret it.

Olavinlinna - view from the parking lot

Since Savonnlina is not located near the border, it would be highly desirable to spend the night in the city. Visiting Savonlina in one day will be a very tiring undertaking, especially for the driver.

It is popular (Casino SPA Hotel) for its excellent SPA area, convenient location and breakfasts that are not bad for Finland.

If you want to be cheaper, you can opt for a very nice house, breakfast and a rowing boat are provided for free, you can order a sauna for an additional fee.

We stopped, as always, although the campsite was located far from Savonnlina.

Olavinlinna Fortress is the most impressive sight in Finland

Flowers next to the fortress

The fortress of Olavinlinna (Olafsborg in Swedish) is actually the most, the most, the most ... First of all, this northernmost medieval fortress, it was built by the Swedes in 1475 (the beginning of construction) to protect against the growing strength of the Moscow principality. Second in the Middle Ages she was impregnable, there is a strong current around the fortress and the lake does not freeze around. The Russians managed to take it only in 1741, having severely destroyed it with the help of artillery. Third, she's just very beautiful against the backdrop of lakes and flowers.

Erik Axelsson Tott - Danish knight the first builder of the fortress

The most careless seagulls live near the fortress; they build their nests right at the foot of the monuments. This gull was not alone, we saw several more gulls nestling on the stones under the very walls of the fortress.

Seagull nesting at the foot of the monument

Parking next to Olavinlinna Fortress

There is free parking right in front of the fortress, there were no empty places, but as usual, after driving 2 laps, we noticed a car that was leaving and took its place. In general, there are many parking lots in the vicinity, obviously there will be no problems.

Ships next to the bridge leading to the fortress

Ticket price

We were lucky not only with the weather, right at the box office we were offered a Russian tour of the fortress, the tour is free, you just need to buy entrance tickets. Excursions in Russian are held in the fortress every hour during the high season, more details can be specified in the Russian group " in contact with". If someone is not lucky with the tour, you can not be upset, there are Russian explanations in all the halls.

Tickets can be taken both, only to the fortress itself, and to the local history museum + fortress, together it will be cheaper. The cost of complex tickets for adults is 9 euros, for children 7-17 years old - 4 euros.

And here live happy people who can see the fortress through the window every day
On such retro boats, tourists ride around the fortress

At the box office, we were served by a Finnish young man who spoke Russian very well. The eastern regions of Finland even offered to study Russian in their schools instead of Swedish, but the parliament did not allow them. The tour was conducted by a Finnish girl in Russian, she also spoke very well.

Monument next to the fortress

About black sheep and Saint Olaf

Olavinlinna is the Finnish name for the fortress, it means "Saint Olaf's Castle", Olaf was King of Norway from 1015 to 1023 and brought Christianity to Scandinavia. St. Olaf is also known for the fact that he is the last saint of both churches, both Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and churches dedicated to St. Olaf were erected in and, but have not survived to this day.

Our prince Yaroslav the Wise stole Olaf's bride, the daughter of the Swedish king Ingigerda (Irina), and he had to marry her sister, but there is evidence that they still had an affair later, and the Russian prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich is his son, these hypotheses are being built by geneticists studying the remains of the princes.

Monument to the black sheep

In honor of St. Olaf's Day in Olavinlinna, it was supposed to eat a black lamb and for many years every July 29, living in the fortress followed this tradition, only the last black ram of the fortress managed to escape the fate of being eaten, he simply fell off the wall and drowned, this happened back in 1728 year. Therefore, at the entrance there is a monument to a ram.

Saint Olaf, Modern Vision (1912)

Another curious legend is associated with the black ram. They say that when the fortress of Olavinlinna was suddenly besieged by Russian troops, the garrison was going to slaughter a lamb in order to arrange St. Olaf with this sacrifice to help in the defense of the fortress. The ram was so frightened that he climbed onto the wall and made such strange and terrifying sounds that the besiegers thought that evil spirits lived in the castle and retreated.

Entrance to the fortress

The order of excursions in the fortress

In front of these cannons, groups gather for excursions. 3 excursions began immediately in Finnish, English and Russian, on the occasion of Saturday there were a lot of people, but everything is organized so that the groups do not interfere with each other.

Ancient cannons in the fortress

The tour guide immediately warned that we climb up 99 stairs along the narrow medieval stairs, so that those who do not feel able to accomplish this feat stay below and just walk around the fortress.

Stairs

You will have to climb with respite, first 24 steps, then another and another, so physically it is not difficult, you just have to wait all the time until the whole group lines up in single file and climbs onto the next floor. The steps are all higher than standard and they are all uneven.

bell tower

The bell tower was built on the highest point of the island, the best place in terms of defense. The first floor of the tower in the Middle Ages was used as a warehouse for food and clothing. It was of great importance, especially during the siege. The room was protected by a stone wall, the thickness of which was almost 3 meters, and had a massive slate vault, the work of Estonian masters. It could only be entered through a hole in the center of the ceiling, leading to a guarded armory.

The vault of the Bell Tower and the hole through which wealth was let down

Food and things were collected in the form of a tax from the surrounding villages or produced in the cattle breeding farms belonging to the fortress. Grain was stored in dry form, and fish and meat were also salted and smoked. In addition to food, the warehouse contained valuable fabrics, furs, leather and metal utensils. And all this descended into the tower through a hole in the ceiling to avoid the theft of supplies.

church hall

The church in the fortress is still operating, as the guide told us, tomorrow there will be a wedding here. The church hall is quite small, decorated around the perimeter with 12 small crosses in honor of each of the apostles. On the ceiling, the old painting, which adorned the hall before the arrival of Lutheranism in Finland, faintly shows through. The stern followers of Luther whitewashed the painting, now the painting has been cleared again.

The smallest organ

Next to the church hall there was also a room for those who were not worthy to attend the service. Criminals, left-handers and redheads were considered unworthy, so our son violated ancient traditions, he is left-handed.

Life of the besieged in the fortress

In the Middle Ages, the upper floors of the towers were mainly used for defense, where they climbed up a spiral staircase. Large loopholes provided a wide angle of fire.

The defenders of the fortress sat and slept on such benches.

In the event of a siege, the defenders of the fortress were also forced to live in cold and damp tower rooms. The amenities in the living quarters were a fireplace, niches for things, a toilet and stone benches in the recesses of the loopholes.

vintage toilet

There is an abyss below, rocks and seagulls, so there was no need for sewerage.

We climb up

In addition to its centuries-old history, which tells about the confrontation between the Russians and the Swedes, the fortress also has a present. Every summer, an opera festival is held within the walls of the fortress, for a whole month the best voices of Finland and other countries perform historical operas here in historical scenery.

Inside the tallest tower

Opera singers are ready to put up with the lack of normal dressing and dressing rooms for the pleasure of singing in this place, they say the acoustics in the fortress are very good.

royal hall

AT Royal Hall the most important guests were received, and now the tired participants of the excursion around the fortress are relaxing.

royal hall

The daylight coming from the windows was reflected from the whitewashed walls and vaults of the hall. Hypocaust was used for heating: heat from the furnace room located below the floor was conducted through an air duct to the hall. In addition, light and heat came from the fireplace located in the northern part of the hall.

Delegations of guests could spend quite a lot of time in the fortress, while they did not save on refreshments. On the table at the governor there were also salmon and other valuable types of fish, eggs, game, and even wheat bread with wine.

Fortress layout

From the walls of the fortress, marvelous views of the lakes that are part of the Saimaa Lakes system open up.

Views of the lake from the walls

They tell another interesting legend about Russian-Swedish love. They say that the daughter of the commandant of the fortress fell in love with a Russian soldier during the siege and repeatedly ran to meet him, but once her father caught her at the gate. He was merciless and immured his daughter in the wall, suspecting her of treason.

In fact, the legend breathes fantasy, because it is not clear how you can quietly leave the besieged fortress, there is only one gate and they go directly to the bridge, the fortress occupies the entire island, the walls rise directly from the water.

That's what's left when the gun explodes
Cafe in the fortress
The knightly coat of arms of the Pistohlkors family, translated from Swedish, means "crossed pistols

The fortress is very good, I recommend everyone to visit on occasion. Service in Russian is excellent. I would like to come back here in autumn during leaf fall or in winter to see all these marvelous landscapes in a different setting. After visiting the fortress, we visited, located opposite the fortress, and then walked a little around the city along the lake to the Savonlinna Cathedral.

Savonlinna Cathedral

Spire of Savonlinna Cathedral

The embankment, like everything else among the Finns, is decorated in the best way, everything is clean and very beautiful. The buildings are mostly modern, during the Winter War and the Second World War the city was pretty much destroyed, little of the pre-war architecture has been preserved.

Near the Cathedral there is a small memorial to the victims of the Finnish Civil War in 1918. Before the revolution, the Finns participated in all the unrest and demonstrations Russian Empire and together with it smoothly entered the revolution and the civil war, but under the leadership of Mannerheim, the white Finns managed to defeat the red Finns, but not a few people died in this massacre, we saw similar memorials not only in Savonlinna, they are in other cities of Finland.

Memorial dedicated to the fallen civil war 1918

Next to the cathedral there is such an intricate birdhouse made in the form of the cathedral itself, at least in this photo you will be able to imagine the architecture of the cathedral itself much easier, since the cathedral itself is almost completely closed from view by tall and sprawling trees.

Artistic birdhouse next to the cathedral

Inside the cathedral is decorated in the traditions of the Lutheran church, i.e. very, very modest - whitewashed walls with minimal decoration. There was a rehearsal for tomorrow's wedding in the cathedral, so we did not take pictures there.

Savonlinna Cathedral behind the trees

Even modern houses are tastefully decorated.

Artistic decoration of the house
Interesting strawberry stand

In general, there are not many attractions in Savonlinna - a fortress, a local history museum and a cathedral, but the fortress is very good. You can also take a lake boat trip to the Punkoharju ridge, but we were embarrassed by its cost of 15 €. All 60 would fit our family. Only 15 km from the center of Savonlinna is the largest wooden church in the world, I'm talking about the church in Kerrimäki, she had enough strength in a dream after a day filled with impressions.

A four-hour drive from the capital of Finland - Helsinki is located amazing city Savonlinna. Among other resorts of the northern country, it stands out for its unusual location, amazing nature and long history. Almost half of the city's territory is occupied by rivers and lakes. And the urban areas of land located on the peninsula and islands are interconnected by bizarre bridges. In addition to everything inside Savonlinna, there is an active movement of ferries. Thanks to this architectural "misunderstanding" the city got its second name - "Finnish Venice". All these features annually attract thousands of tourists from all over the world to Savonlinna. Some travelers come here to enjoy nature and relax on fresh air, others visit the city because of the opera festival held in the local medieval castle Every year. It remains unequivocal that the guests of this interesting resort there is never a problem with what you can see here and how to spend time in an exciting and informative way.

Olavinlinna Fortress - one of the main attractions of the city. This is protective structure was erected in the fifteenth century to repel the attacks of Russian troops from the east. Since then, more than one battle has taken place under the walls of the fortress, and the fortress itself has repeatedly undergone architectural changes by temporary owners. Initially, the fortress had five high towers, but only three of them have survived to this day. Despite this, the military fortification of Olavinlinna turned out to be one of the few that managed to preserve its original architectural appearance as much as possible.

Plus, the fortress played an important role in the formation of the city itself. In the 17th century, a small trading settlement arose around this defensive structure, which from time to time grew to the size of a city, which received the name Savonlinna. As for the name of the attraction itself, it has changed several times. At the time of its construction, the fortress was called Neishlott, later it was renamed in honor of the patron saint of knights - St. Olaf. The church tower, located in the middle part of the fortress, still bears the name of St. Olaf. By the way, on one of its floors there is a small chapel, which visitors can look into if they wish.

The central building of the Olavinlinna Fortress serves as a stage for opera performances and functions as a museum. In one part of the defensive complex, tourists can get acquainted with the exposition of the museum of the history of the fortress, and the other half is occupied by an Orthodox museum with a collection of religious artifacts. In addition, the castle has three courtyards and the bastion of the New Gate, on the lower tier of which real cannons are installed. You can explore all this splendor on your own or with a guide. The second option is more exciting. The fact is that during a walk through the fortress, an experienced guide introduces visitors to several legends at once, each of which is interesting and sad in its own way. After exploring all corners of Olavinlinna, tourists can look into a small shop selling a variety of souvenirs here.

• You can visit the fortress on any day. From Monday to Friday it is open from 10:00 to 16:00, on weekends the working day starts one hour later. As for organized excursion at this place, the last entry starts at 15:00. The duration of a guided walk around the fortress is about an hour. Most of the tour is conducted in Finnish and English. AT summer period Introductory walks in Russian are organized twice a day. The entrance ticket for adults is 8 euros, the price of a children's ticket is half that. Moreover, tourists under 7 years old visit the fortress for free. Tourists can find this attraction on a rocky island at the end of Linnankatu Street.

Museum of Local Lore - a place where tourists can get acquainted not only with the history of the town, but of the entire region. The museum was originally located on the territory of the fortress, but due to circumstances was moved to neighboring island Riihisaari, where he occupied a pavilion for the grain trade.

Most of the museum's exposition is related to the history of local crafts and shipping. On the second floor, tourists are invited to explore many black and white photographs and see documentary about life on the banks of the Saimaa. However, the largest and most impressive exhibits of this institution are not located inside the building, but outside. They are the steamships "Akhkera", "Salama", "Mikko" and "Savonlinna". Tourists can view this part of the collection in the summer separately from the museum. To do this, it is enough to purchase an adult ticket for 2 euros and a child ticket for 1 euro, and you can safely climb on the deck of a tugboat, a steam schooner, a passenger steamer and, in the end, the only tar barge in the world.

• For a comprehensive visit to the local history museum and large exhibits, adult tourists will have to pay 6 euros, the cost of a children's ticket will be 3 euros. During the summer, the museum is open daily from 11:00 to 18:00. With the onset of cold weather, Monday turns into a day off and the marina with steamers is closed.

In order to fully experience the extraordinary local atmosphere, tourists should take a walking promenade along the oldest street in Savonlinna − Linnankatu . Previously, this street served as a home and at the same time a workplace for the bulk of the townspeople - artisans. Now this area of ​​the city is considered the most prestigious. Linnankatu is home to boutiques, showrooms and cafes, coexisting peacefully with the city's oldest architectural buildings. So, walking along the paved street, travelers can admire the wooden house at number 27, built back in 1820.

Puppet Museum - a kind of landmark of the city and a place that will arouse interest among young and adult tourists. The museum's collection consists of more than three thousand exhibits, including hand-made porcelain dolls, German models of cars and even Soviet toys. The first floor of the building is given over to antique dolls and toys, and the second floor is entirely reserved for an exhibition of all kinds of baby dolls. Travelers can see the outlandish collection of children's treasures in the very center of Savonlinna.

• The museum is located at the intersection of Linnankatu and Erikankatu streets at number 11. During the warm season (from May to September), it is open every day from 11:00 to 17:00. For adult visitors, getting acquainted with the dolls will cost 6 euros, for children the ticket price is 2.5 euros.

A resort town located on islands among lakes, also known as "Finnish Venice".

There are not many attractions in the city itself. But there are so many of them in its vicinity that it will be impossible to tell about all of them in this text; here you will read only a few that are especially popular with travelers. Medieval castle, ancient temples, museums, attractions, the beauties of northern nature... Whatever you are interested in, in the city and its environs there will certainly be something that you just need to see!

So, where to go after arriving at the local airport? What exactly to look at?

Top 10 attractions in Savonlinna

medieval fortress. Its foundation was laid in the 70s of the XV century, construction work continued until the end of the century. At that time, the country was under the rule of .

The Swedish knight, who initiated the construction of this fortress, conceived it as especially powerful for its time, since it had to withstand volleys of firearms. It was the first Swedish fortress built in such a way. It was intended to protect the country's border from Russian troops.

Centuries passed, during the Russian-Swedish wars, the fortress repeatedly passed from hand to hand, completed and rebuilt. Today, two museums are located within its walls (historical and Orthodox). Once a year, an opera music festival is held here, this tradition has been going on for more than a hundred years. During this event, especially many tourists come to the city, and at the local airport, guests northern resort an unusual reception awaits: they are met by musicians and singers, opera singing sounds.

Built in the 70s of the XIX century. The decision to build it was made much earlier - in the middle of the 19th century, but financial difficulties did not allow the construction of the temple to begin immediately. During the Soviet-Finnish war, the building was badly damaged. In the 40s of the XX century it was restored, but it was not possible to return it to its original appearance. After the repeated restoration, carried out in the 90s of the XX century, the temple was finally restored.

The red brick building can accommodate about 1000 people, it is built in neo-gothic style. The bell tower, whose height exceeds 50 m, has long been the most tall building in this area. The interior of the temple is quite modest, it is dominated by light colors. The paintings were made only in the altar part. They depict flying angels and Christ on his last night before the crucifixion.

small church

An architectural monument of the 19th century. The temple, consecrated in the name of Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth, was originally Orthodox. In the 30s of the XX century, it was bought by the Lutheran Church.

Once upon a time, the city authorities planned the demolition of the temple - this was before the Soviet-Finnish war. But after the city cathedral was damaged during hostilities, the small church remained the only Christian church in the city. The cathedral was later restored, but the small church is no longer in danger of demolition: locals proud of it as one of the main city attractions, it is of constant interest to tourists.

It tells about the history of this area, about the life and traditions of those who inhabited these lands in the past centuries. The museum has a special hall where you can feel like an architect for a while (if you are not a representative of this profession): here you can design an entire city, guided only by your imagination!

The museum owns several steamboats (this is the largest flotilla of such ships in the country!). Here you can see a steam ferry from the 19th century and passenger steamer built over a century ago. A wooden self-propelled barge is exhibited here - the only one in the world. The museum also owns a steam schooner with unusual story: at the end of the 19th century, she sank and lay at the bottom of the lake for about 70 years, and then was raised to the surface. Today, restored, it is included in the museum exposition of steam ships.

Retretti

Huge unique art center. Some of his exhibits are located in underground caves. Works of art in such an unusual setting make a special impression. It is enhanced by computer special effects, light and sound installations.

Here you can see the work of Finnish painters, as well as artists from many other countries. But painting is not the only art form presented in the art center. A huge underground concert hall is part of this amazing art gallery.

You can safely come here with children and not be afraid that they will get bored. A special instructor conducts classes for kids, helping them to reveal their creative abilities.

The oldest street in the city. Once upon a time, artisans lived on it, but already in the 19th century it gradually became the most prestigious urban area, the wealthiest citizens began to settle here.

On this street, many buildings of the 19th century have been preserved, and the pavement here is lined, as in the old days, with raw stones. Walking along this pavement past colorful old houses, you can take many interesting, beautiful photographs. Previously, the street was called the "horse road", and its current name is translated as "castle".

Village Kalevala

Located near the city. It is a museum of history and culture, located under open sky and very unusual. Here you can learn everything about the main occupations of the inhabitants of these places in the past centuries. These are hunting, fishing and extraction of resin. Finnish resin was once used for shipbuilding in many European countries. It was mined like this: the wood was burned in huge pits lined with sod, where special gutters were arranged; along them the resin flowed into the barrels. The museum staff also tells about some of the secrets of wood carving, which the inhabitants of this area were engaged in in the old days.

Theatrical performances based on the world-famous Finnish epic, after which the village is named, take place here. Here is one of the residences of the Finnish Santa Claus. He periodically comes here from the north of the country, but not alone, but with his entourage. All of them are kind and cheerful gnomes. If you have children, if you yourself, having grown up, have not stopped loving fairy tales, be sure to visit this amazing village!

Summer country Punkaharju

Amusement park. Located near the city. There are dozens of attractions for adults and children, a race track and a mini-fortress, and kids can play a game or two of mini-golf.

But that's not all there is to do here. Ride in a boat on the lake, admiring it picturesque shores, visit the water park, sauna or massage room - the choice is really wide!

Time will fly by unnoticed, you will surely get hungry; We advise you to look into the local cafe, where the food is very tasty. And in memory of visiting the amusement park, you can buy souvenirs that are sold in a special store.

Kolovesi National Park was founded at the end of the 20th century. Its area is about 50 sq. km. Pine, birch and spruce trees grow here. Saimaa ringed seal, otter, and many species of fish are found in the waters of Lake Saimaa. Crows and eagle owls circling over the local rocks, nesting in this area, and on the rocky plains national park you can see lynxes, badgers and foxes.

One of the most interesting sights here is rock paintings made many millennia ago. You will see them on the slopes of the mountains rising above the lake surface.

The best way to see the national park is by sailing past its shores in a boat or kayak. It should be immediately warned that movement in a motor boat through the territory of the national park is prohibited.

For those who prefer land travel to water travel, there are two long trails with special places for setting up scarves and making fires. In the park you can rent a wooden hut. There are several of them, capacity - from 4 to 6 people.

Tourists are prohibited from harming the flora and fauna of the national park. Do not leave garbage behind (it can be burned or thrown into a special container).

Mount Linnavuori

Its height is about fifty meters. To get to the foot, and then to the top of the mountain, the car must be left in a special parking lot and set off on foot along a forest path. A staircase leads up the mountain slope, but close to the top it disappears. However, the rise from this does not become more difficult, because you can climb the roots of trees, as if on real steps.

Not far from the high point mountains there is a specially equipped place for making a fire. There you can hide from the weather (under a canopy), relax on a bench.

Some online sources report that the remains of an ancient fortification can be seen at the top. Others claim that these ruins are no longer visible, as they have long been overgrown with thick moss. But both of them claim that mountain top simply stunning, unforgettable views. The photographs taken here are always beautiful: taking a good camera with you, you are simply doomed to create a masterpiece of photographic art. And for sure, these photographs, depicting the strict and majestic beauty of the local nature, will not leave indifferent friends and acquaintances to whom you will tell about your trip.

At the foot of the mountain from the side of Lake Saimaa there is a pier where pleasure boats are moored. You can rent one of them if you want to see the mountain from the water.