Savonlinna is a town and a municipality of 32,670 inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region.
Culture
Events
Savonlinna was famous for its spa activities at the beginning of the 20th century, but today it is known for its opera festival , which originated from the Olavinlinna Opera Festival conducted by Aino Ackté in 1912. However, the opera festival did not establish itself as an annual cultural event until after decades in 1967. The event in Olavinlinna will bring performers and tourists from all over the world to Savonlinna for a month. Some of the concerts and family operas are performed in the Savonlinnasali , which serves as a concert and conference hall in the city all year round. The Savonlinna Quartet and the Savonlinna Orchestra are responsible for the regular concert offerings in the city .
Every year, at the start of the opera festival, on the first weekend of July, Savonlinna also hosts three-day Savonlinna OperaGames show jumping competitions.
St. Olaf’s Day , July 29, has become Savonlinna’s official birthday .
Attractions
- Olavinlinna – a castle founded in 1475
- Putkinotko – the villa of Joel Lehtonen and the open-air museum area (open by appointment).
- Peace Castle – now privately owned
- Savonlinna Provincial Museum and its surroundings
- Cathedral
- Little church
- Kerimäki Church – the largest wooden church in the world
- Savonranta Church (in Vuokala agglomeration, 55 km from the center)
- Punkaharju
- Lusto – Finnish Forest Museum
- Historic inland waterway vessels
- Put a bridge to the battle monument
- Savonlinna Market Square
- Linnankatu
- Amusement park Kesämaa
- Doll and Toy Museum Unsurprising
- Linnansaari National Park
- Kolovesi National Park
- Pihlajavesi archipelago
Food culture
In the 1980s, Savonlinna’s parishes were butter-fried vendace , mashed potatoes , oven – baked potash, potash pies and Karelian roast . Slush is an integral part of Savonlinna’s food culture.
History
The city was founded in 1639, based on Olavinlinna castle (St. Olaf’s Castle). The castle was founded by Erik Axelsson Tott in 1475 in an effort to protect Savonia and to control the unstable border between the Kingdom of Sweden and its Russian adversary. During the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743), the castle was captured by Field-Marshal Peter Lacy. It was held by Russia between 1743 and 1812, when it was granted back to Finland as a part of the “Old Finland“.
In 1973 the municipality of Sääminki was consolidated with Savonlinna. In the beginning of year 2009 the municipality of Savonranta and a 31.24 km2 (12.06 sq mi) land strip from Enonkoski between Savonlinna and Savonranta were consolidated with Savonlinna. In the beginning of the year 2013, the municipalities of Kerimäki and Punkaharju were consolidated with Savonlinna.
Transport
Savonlinna is located 104 kilometres (65 mi) east of Mikkeli, 133 kilometres (83 mi) west of Joensuu and 159 kilometres (99 mi) south of Kuopio. It is also 335 kilometres (208 mi) from the capital city of Helsinki by road, and some four hours away by train. Flights from Savonlinna Airport to Helsinki take 40–60 minutes.
Education
The University of Eastern Finland had a campus in Savonlinna, primarily for teacher education. The campus was shut down in 2018. There is also a XAMK vocational university campus, teaching healthcare as well as process technologies.
There are two high schools in Savonlinna. One of these high schools is specialized in art subjects, which when it started its operation in 1967 was the first specialized high school in Finland as well as in all of the Nordic countries.
