Savonlinna Opera Festival
by brazwhazz
Every year in July since 1912, Savonlinna plays host to what has become the world-renowned Savonlinna Opera Festival. The festival, which lasts a month, attracts huge crowds, and tickets can be quite expensive. I don't like opera, but to give you an idea of the festival's popularity, the 2006 show featuring former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen was sold out over 7 months in advance.
What makes the festival so special is its location: medieval Olavinlinna Castle (see my Things to Do section for more details) provides a dramatic backdrop to the opera shows.
Even if you are not interested in opera, it is wise to know about the Opera Festival because you will have to book your accommodations well in advance if you plan on going to Savonlinna in July.
The Savonlinna Opera Festival office is located at Olavinkatu 27. Tickets can be purchased through Lippupalvelu at +358 600 10 800 or +358 600 10 020.
Note to self: Go back to Savonlinna
by brazwhazz
"Just whizzing through"
Because we had stayed longer than expected in Tallinn, Estonia, we ended up staying only one night in Savonlinna. This is where we spent our first night in Finland: in the morning, we left Tallinn by ferry and then took a bus from Helsinki.
We arrived in Savonlinna early in the evening with the knowledge that we had to be in Kuopio (some 2½ hours away) the following day. We tried to take in as much of the town as we could, but we could have stayed much longer, not so much because there is much to do in Savonlinna itseld, but because it is a great starting point for cruises and other forms of exploration in Finland's beautiful Lakelands area.
These tips are what we managed to squeeze in only one day (fortunately, in June, the sun only sets around 10-11 p.m., so we were able to walk around for a while). We will definitely be back to visit the rest of the region.
Savonlinna ... the cultural capital of Lake Saimaa
by ravigateway
"Medival castle of Olavinlinna"
Situated on two islands between Lake Haapavesi and Lake Pihlajavesi, Savonlinna is an attractive town with an imposing medieval castle. Olavinlinna - St. Olaf's Castle - was founded in 1475 by Erik Axelsson Tott. The castle served to repel attacks from the east and to guarantee control of the Savo region for the Swedish Crown. The medieval castle consists of a main castle with three towers and a bailey with an encircling wall reinforced by towers. The castle went through numerous phases of construction, first as a Swedish and from 1743 as a Russian border fortification.
"Savonlinna Cathedral"
"Flamed salmon restaurant"
Photos courtesy of Ravindran THANIKAIMONI. All copyrights reserved 2003.
they were attacking me...
you also can choose and try the cannon you like
Bridge to Castle
Inside the Olavinlinna castle
