The town of Lappeenrata is quite small by world standards. Even among Finnish people, it only ranks thirteenth in terms of population. But among tourists, the administrative center of the province of South Karelia is very popular, because there is where to walk and what to see. Several museums with interesting and unusual expositions are open in Lappeenranta, grandiose sand castles are erected on the shores of the local lake every year, and Finnish folk songs are played here from the bell tower of the Orthodox Church.
Summer in South Karelia is rather cool and rainy, but this does not become an obstacle for travelers who decided to enjoy the beauty of these places, wander through picturesque parks, buy useful things from ecological materials created by the hands of folk craftsmen, and take a boat trip along the Saimaa Canal.
TOP 10 attractions in Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta Fortress
The fair on the site where the city fortress stands today has been known since the Middle Ages. In the middle of the 17th century, the Swedes founded the town of Wilmanstrand here, and residential quarters formed around the market square. After the signing of the 1721 peace treaty, Vyborg ceded to Russia, and Vilmanstrand became a Swedish border town. Then it was decided to build fortifications. The fortress became part of the general system of bastion fortifications of the eastern borders of the Kingdom of Sweden.
Reconstruction and reconstruction of the citadel continued until the middle of the twentieth century. Today, on the territory of the Lappeenranta fortress, you can look at the exhibits of the museum dedicated to the history of the city, buy a ticket for a performance in the summer theater or dine in a cafe with national Finnish cuisine.
Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God
The church in the fortress of Lappeenratny is the main Orthodox church in South Karelia. It was built on the site of a previously existing wooden church, where services for the Vladimir Infantry Regiment were conducted. After the signing of the peace treaty of 1743, the city of Wilmanstrand became part of the Russian Empire, and the number of Orthodox inhabitants in it increased significantly. The authorities decided to build a new church. The old temple was dismantled and in 1785 a new one was consecrated - in honor of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The church was built in the classicism style. The brick building on a granite foundation could hold about 150 people. Subsequently, the premises were expanded, naves appeared on the sides, and columns were installed to support the vaulted ceiling.
The main relic of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos is the icon of the same name in a robe, painted in the 18th century. The rest of the images of the large iconostasis belong to the brush of academician Nikanor Tyutryumov, and the small ones were donated to the parish of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Intercession Church is the oldest surviving Orthodox church in the country. It was visited by Russian emperors Alexander I and Alexander III with their families.
South Karelian Museum
Fans of local history should visit the interesting exposition of the museum in the Linnoitus fortress. The collection is housed in stone buildings of the 19th century and tells about the history of South Karelia and the city of Lappeenranta. Visitors can look at the exhibits of the two permanent exhibitions or get acquainted with the exhibitions that are regularly updated.
Among the exhibits are Finnish and Karelian handicrafts, old maps, household items, military weapons, clothes and documents telling about the region's past.
The layout of Vyborg, which occupies 24 square meters, is of great interest. m. It was created in 1939 and carefully preserved. Part of the exposition is dedicated to the city of Priozersk.
Art Museum
While walking in the Linnoitus Fortress, do not forget to stop by the Lappeenranta Art Museum, where you can see the work of local artists. The collection began to be assembled in the first third of the twentieth century. You will see paintings by masters of South Karelia and the eastern part of Finland at the stands.
If you are interested in fine arts, the names of such outstanding contemporary artists as Lehtinen Tula or Vertanen Anna will surely catch your attention.
The museum also exhibits handicrafts typical of the region - hand-woven and knitted clothes, clay dishes and wood carvings.
Aeronautics Museum
p> In the two halls of the Aeronautics Museum, opened in 2000 by the Association of Air Museums of Southeastern Finland, you will find interesting exhibits related to the history of aviation and aeronautics. Popular exhibits include not only aircraft parts and assemblies, but also assembled aircraft. The collection includes SAAB 355 Draken and Mig-21 BIS MG-127.
Saimaa Canal
The idea of building a navigable canal between the Vyborg Bay and Lake Saimaa on the territory of the Finnish province of South Karelia first came to the head of the commandant of the fortresses of Olavinlinna and Vyborg Erik Turesson Bjelke in the 16th century. The moat dug then, 118 meters long, is hidden by a modern channel. A century later, Admiral Juusten, by order of King Charles IX, began work on the creation of another canal, the traces of which can be seen in the city to this day.
The necessary means and technical capabilities appeared only in the 19th century, and in 1845 construction work began. The largest construction site of that time required the involvement of foreign specialists in the work, engineers from Sweden took an active part.
Some interesting facts about the Saimaa Canal and its creation:
- The construction work took more than 10 years in total.
- The canal bed was laid partly in rocks. For the first time gunpowder was used in mining operations in Finland.
- The length of the canal at the time of completion of construction was 59 km.
- To equalize the water level, 15 locks were built.
- More than 12 million silver marks were spent on the work. Oddly enough, but the costs turned out to be less than the planned amount and paid off much faster than expected. The channel began to make a profit after a quarter of a century.
The Saimaa Canal has become the largest structure of its kind in Finland. It remains an important navigable artery of the region even today. A popular Finnish cycling route runs along it, and tourists in Lappeenranta can look at the city from the water on an exciting steamboat cruise.
Canal cruises: 6 pm - 8 pm daily.
Ticket price: 18 euros.
Pontus Canal
In the vicinity of Lappeenranta, there are traces of an old canal, which was built to connect the Vyborg Bay with Lake Saimen in the 17th century. It was called Uzhi-Kaivanto, and it was the second unsuccessful attempt to shorten the waterway from the Saimaa lake system to the Baltic Sea.
Construction work began in 1607 and lasted for several months. Limited technical capabilities did not allow completing what was started. The reason was the difference in the height of the reservoirs above sea level: Lake Saimen is located 76 meters above the Baltic, and the new waterway without a system of locks threatened to turn into an uncontrollable rapid and rapids stream. The ecosystem of Lake Saimaa is also under the threat of a catastrophe, and the work has been curtailed.
At the place where the canal was laid, a half-kilometer earthen excavation 10-meter wide has been preserved today. Its depth is in some places up to 9 meters. A memorial plaque on a stone stele was installed at the construction site.
By the way, the commander Pontus De la Gardie, who gained military fame in the service of the Swedish kings, died long before the start of construction and has nothing to do with the canal. The name of the historical landmark of Lappeenranta was suggested by the locals.
Salpa Line
For fans of military history in Lappeenranta, the fortification barriers, called the Salpa Line, may be of undoubted interest. They were built in 1941 to protect the Finnish border from a possible attack from the USSR. The line stretched from Petsamo in the north to the Gulf of Finland in the south, but there was no fighting in its zone.
The Salpa Line was fortified quite impressively and even surpassed the Mannerheim Line in the number of ditches, trenches and anti-tank obstacles. In just a few months of work, volunteers and mobilized workers erected 728 concrete structures, dug almost 500 km of trenches and anti-tank ditches, built 3,000 bunkers and 250 bunkers. 315 km of fortifications were fenced off with barbed wire.
The Salpa Line Museum is located in the town of Miehikkälä, 56 km from Lappeenranta.
To get there: take the highway to Kuovola 20 km south of Lappeenranta.
Sky light
The name of the church Lauritsalan kirkko, translated from Finnish, means “Heavenly Light”. The idea for the project belongs to the Finnish architects Toivo Korhonen and Jaakko Laapotti, who already in the middle of the last century tried to implement innovative developments in the field of architectural design.
The temple turned out to be large and light. Its foundation is made in the form of an equilateral triangle and symbolizes the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Part of the concrete roof has been replaced with glass and daylight penetrates inside, pushing the space apart. The wall behind the altar also has tall vertical windows, and the temple lives up to its name. Even on a short winter day, Lauritsalan kirkko is full of light.
In the summer, various cultural events are often held in the Heavenly Light: the Finns use the excellent acoustic properties of the room to organize concerts and theatrical performances.
Sand castle
Every summer, a sand castle is erected on the shores of Lake Saimaa, which everyone can see when they come to Lappeenranta. The tradition has existed since 2003, and each time the theme of the next castle is chosen anew by the organizers of the project. In the summer of 2017, the castle was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Finland.
On the territory of the castle, many other sand sculptures are erected, an amusement park is being built, a cafe and bicycle rental are open. The castle is included in the route of a tourist road train, and in the temporary chapel you will be helped to baptize a baby or register a marriage.
