Video of Lappeenranta & Imatra region
The City of Lappeenranta is an international university city on the border between the EU and Russia in south-eastern Finland. Located on the southern shore of Lake Saimaa, Lappeenranta is the region’s centre for commerce and tourism.
History and Tourist Info
The City of Lappeenranta was founded in 1649 by Queen Christina of Sweden, but the tale of the town had begun far earlier: already in the Middle Ages, the present Fortress area became a bustling marketplace. Located between the East and the West, Lappeenranta has grown into a vibrant international university city, surrounded by stunning nature and Lake Saimaa.
Today, Lappeenranta is the commercial centre of South-East Finland and the meeting point of the EU and Russia 215 km from both Helsinki and St. Petersburg. It competes with Helsinki for the title of the largest city in Finland based on tax-free sales. Lappeenranta, a home for approximately 72,000 residents, has a sociable atmosphere and plenty of versatile opportunities for work and education especially owing to Lappeenranta University of Technology’s (LUT) active role in distributed and renewable energy solutions.
Lappeenranta provides opportunities for various leisure activities for lovers of sport, exercise and cultural activities.
Attractions
The blue and white waves on Lake Saimaa, the world’s largest sandcastle and the 364-year-old city of Lappeenranta provide various experiences, peace and alternative events. Let the wind blow in your hair and enjoy the silence and spectacular scenery of Lake Saimaa, sail or cruise on the lake or take a city tour and visit our nostalgic Fortress with its museums, craftsmen’s shops and cafés; collect the best tips on what to do from our tourism site www.gosaimaa.com and www.visitlappeenranta.fi .
The Old Town
Lappeenranta is an old spa and tar town, founded by Queen Christina of Sweden in 1649.
Take your time to see the historical old town of Lappeenranta. At the Fortress you can find museums, the oldest Orthodox Church in Finland, Finnish handicrafts and a lovely old-fashioned café Majurska. Following the Battle of Lappeenranta in 1741, Sweden had to surrender the Fortress of Lappeenranta to Russia. A monument was erected in front of the ramparts of the Fortress in memory of the thousands of soldiers who perished in the battle.
The fortification work started by the Swedes was subsequently continued by the Russians. The oldest surviving building in the Fortress dates back to the Russian period in the 1770s. Among those directing the fortification works was Count Aleksandr Suvorov, who had been assigned to the task and sent to the south-eastern Finland by the Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great. The Fortress thus became an important link in the three-stage-fortification system designed to protect St. Petersburg.
The Harbour
In addition to giving pleasure to the eye, the picturesque harbour by Lake Saimaa provides you with unforgettable experiences. From the lively harbour, you can take a cruise to the Lake Saimaa archipelago, the historic Saimaa Canal, the city of Savonlinna or towards Helsinki. There is a wide selection of cruises to suit any holiday schedule. You can also charter a boat for a group of visitors, or try sailing with an experienced skipper. Further, there are a couple of cosy boat restaurants in the harbour to relax at.
The Upper Town
The upper town can be reached by walking up from the harbour. The town centre is a combination of old wooden architecture from the 19th century and modern office and shopping complexes. You can find fresh flowers, local strawberries and vegetables from the town market or enjoy a coffee and a Finnish cinnamon roll at a market stall.
Culture
Lappeenranta, an old spa and tar town founded by Queen Christina of Sweden in 1649, has always been a trading place. You can visit the history of the city at the South Karelia Museum located at the Fortress. The museum is housed in the grey stone buildings of the former artillery depot, which were completed at the beginning of the 19th century. One of the main attractions of the permanent exhibition is the scale model of the town of Vyborg, a former Finnish town, featuring the town as it was at midday on 2 September 1939: here we see the inhabitants, cars, trams, ships and trains, all going about their everyday business.
Lappeenranta is also an old cavalry town. The representatives of the former Finnish cavalry dressed in the uniforms of the 1920s can be seen riding horseback within the Fortress and the Lappeenranta harbour area.
- To see more about the Fortress.
- The Story of Lappeenranta Coat of Arms Wild Man.
- To see more about the South Karelia Museum.
- For other attractions available in Lappeenranta.
- English Blogs about Lappeenranta.
Nature & Parks
The whole Lappeenranta region is like a large park; the city is located in the picturesque lake region surrounded by green forests and clean nature. The greatest natural wonders in South Karelia are the two parallel Salpauselkä ridges, dividing the whole province. Because of their enormous size, the shapes of the ridges may be difficult to discern in the landscape; however, a tourist, a hiker or an outdoorsman can learn to detect signs of these ice age wonders in the scenery.
There are multiple hiking or biking trails all around the city, and the right of public access gives the freedom to roam the countryside. The varying landscapes invite to all sorts of activities, such as kayaking, horseback riding, all-terrain vehicle driving, climbing or hiking.
Beaches
Lappeenranta has 1000 kilometres of shoreline. There is a lovely sand beach right in the town centre where you can play beach volleyball, slide down on a wooden slide, try out a climbing park or just lay around or swim in Lake Saimaa.
Gastronomy
The local cooking is characterised as Karelian, which is a blend of Finnish and Russian kitchens, prepared from traditional products from the local markets (new season potatoes and vegetables, fresh fish from the lake, strawberries, mushrooms). Restaurants serve local delicacies such as fresh fish or ‘Lemin Särä’ – a mutton roast cooked in a wooden trough.
Local breads are our specialty, and you must try Karelian pies and barley bread ‘rieska’ as well as ‘Vety’ or ‘Atomi’ meat pies served at the market stalls. July is the time for fresh strawberries that are the sweetest in the world. The vendace is a popular local fish in addition to salmon; it is a small white fish straight from Lake Saimaa, and delicious when smoked, puréed or fried.
Lappeenranta has the famous Carl Fazer factory in town, and you must buy some Fazer Blue Chocolate to take home with you. There are also other flavours such as nuts, mint or plain dark chocolate to name but a few. Fazer has also launched Angry Birds candies, made in Lappeenranta, for us to enjoy.
Weather
Summer in Finland lasts roughly from June to August. The summer is the season of the Midnight Sun, and the nights are bright. In June the sun only disappears below the horizon for a few hours.
Summers in Finland are clement; temperatures tend to stay around +15 and +25 degrees Celsius, but also temperatures of +30 °C are not unheard of.
The warm days and bright evenings are ideal for swimming in the freshwater lakes, enjoying the beaches and having late-night barbeques by the lakeshore. Cabin holidays in summer are hugely popular in Finland, and many Finns escape to the country whenever they can to relax with their loved ones by the shore of a cool blue lake.
Tourist info
More tourist information available at:
Tourist Information, Valtakatu 37, 53100 Lappeenranta, Tel +358 5 667 788, lappeenranta@gosaimaa.com, www.gosaimaa.com
Read more from the goSaimaa.com tourism sites.
Tourism in Finland
Official travel site of Finland
Photos: City of Lappeenranta