Hotel Uusikuu

Horse racing is going strong

by Soili

For those who want to folow a horse race, MIkkeli is one of the places to head to. The race track is situated within the town itself.
A very colourful spectacle, and the town is humming with excitement on the racing day.

The jewel in the crown of Finnish Lakeland

by minner02

"A lovely laid-back town in the heart of Finland"

If you want to experience the peace of Finnish lakeland coupled with lively nightlife - Mikkeli is your place! The locals might be a bit shy but once they pluck up enough courage to speak English - you will make friends for life! The lakeside setting of beautiful Saimaa - Finland's biggest lake which streches all the way to Russia - is just the place to experience "real Finland".

Headquarter town

by Jarra

Mikkeli is the capital of the new super province of East Finland and lies in the heart of Europe`s most extensive lake district. Quite apart from the natural beauty its surroundings in both winter and summer, it also has an exceptionally lively cultural scene for a town only 33 000 people. For tourists and holidaymakers, Mikkeli offer an exceptionally broad range of opportunities for memorable trips in unique natural surroundings. Some of the most dramatic stages in Finnish history are closely associated with Mikkeli. During the WW II, the Finnish Army was led from Mikkeli., where Field-Marshall Mannerheim set up his headquarter. Czar Nicholas I in 1838 founded the town, but there had been settled population in the area since the beginning of the last millennium. Mikkeli derives its name from its patron St. Mikael, who lived in the 16th century.

The Town of Cottages

by Soili

Mikkeli is situated at the lakeside of the lake Saimaa. It's a huge area of water, and still in use to take the logs from the woods to the sawmills.
Being a lumberjack meant an annal extra income to many farmers and their sons in the past.
Now those farms may be used as summer time cottages for the children and grandchildren. In Finnish the term "a granny's cottage" means a small wooden house with a small garden and definitely a sauna building.
Being in the countryside means having a second home where some people escape at any available free time. As a result, bigger towns, such as Helsinki, may seem empty and quiet in summer. (Just check the local parking areass during a summer weekend...!)
A summer cottage nowadays has it all: electricity, television, maybe even a computer, heating system so that the owner can return to the cottage during winter breaks.
The funny thing is: you have your own piece of land, and next to you is a neighbour. Somehow, it's not that very common for Finns to socialise with their neighbour. Just imagine: a strip of beach, one cottage, another one at 100 metres away, a third one, a fourth one... In most cases people also engage themselves with the same activities, like swimming in the lake, heating the sauna and fishing.
The rowing boats colliding with eah other on a small lake...

"Sauna and Cottage"

The traditional colour of houses in Finland is red walls and white window panes. Alternatively, the ochra colour could also be used.
When you take a closer look at the sauna building by the lake, you will notice it has been built of logs. The sauna belongs to my family and it's a great experience to bathe in it.
There's a room next to the actual sauna that accomodates one person - a perfect palce to relax after a busy week at work...so, please, join me for the weekend in the country!