Stories / Cultural tourism / Finland
"Saimaa region". This chapter of the journey is dedicated to two
towns of Eastern Finland, i.e. Lappeenranta and Imatra. The two towns are
located pretty close to the border of Finland and Russia. The distance between
Lappeenranta and Imatra is just 40 kilometers, so there are neighbors. This
region around the Lake Saimaa is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful
regions in Finland. Breathtaking views of the lake, amazing nature, a feeling
of peaceful silence, and, at the same time, a crowded place full of tourists
and citizens.
Where: Lappeenranta & Imatra,
Finland
What: “Travel Smart”
series
Travelers from Saint Petersburg, Russia, are
usually passing by the Laplandia market, right next to the border. Once you get on a highway, you can choose your
destination, i.e. turning right to the north-east to Imatra or to the
south-west to Kouvola, Mikkeli, and so on. The highway is really wide and comfortable for traveling.
 |
| Laplandia
market |
 |
| Matkakeskus |
The town of Lappeenranta (Villmanstrand
in Swedish) has its own international airport, which serves various destinations. But we start this journey from the
railroad and bus station, which are in the same place and quite near to the
airport. This is usually called “matkakeskus”
(travel center) when the bus and
railroad station are located in the same place. This travel center is on Ratakatu, from which you can easily get
to the city center. To do that, you need to turn on Kauppakatu (or choose some small streets in between) and go
straight to the center. There, you will see an open market on your left, if you
keep going straight ahead crossing a big road under you. There, you will also
see Original Sokos Hotel Lappee, which is a good option for accommodation. Once you see the hotel on your
right, you see a small park as well; there is a small church and an old
cemetery in it. This is the city center, the heart of today’s Lappeenranta.
 |
| City center |
Being there, you can see lots of shops, cafés,
restaurants, or anything else you might need. Valtakatu will be crossing your street, so you can notice some
shops with good clothes, for instance, Halonen,
Dressmann, and so on. They are
especially popular among Russian tourists. If you keep walking straight to Koulukatu (the next crossing street),
you will see Armada Kauppakeskus
(shopping mall). A little ahead you will see a street with lots of cafés and restaurants, all
nice and cozy. One of such nice restaurants on your way will be Ravintola/Restaurant Wolkoff (on your right if you
keep walking straight).
 |
| Shopping
area (Valtakatu) |
 |
| Shopping
area, Armada shopping mall |
 |
| Shopping area |
Once you enjoyed food and drinks at one of
those places, you have strength to continue your journey and basically keep
walking straight on Kauppakatu. On your left side you will see one more quite
good option for accommodation, i.e. Scandic Patria hotel. A little bit ahead Kauppakatu becomes Kristiinankatu and you get to the old
town, located on the peninsula. There is a big and nice park on your left and
the old town ahead. Enjoy a walk there, visit the museum, take pictures, and
breathe the air from a very beautiful, big, and clean lake! Meanwhile, if you
feel a little tired and hungry, there is a nice restaurant right there, Wanha Makasiini Bistro. A great end of the day will be at the
harbor on Satamatie, where you can
see lots of different boats, cafés, people walking by, and some festivals.
 |
| Museum |
 |
| The Old Town Hall |
In my opinion, Lappeenranta is one of those
Finnish towns which do seem quite big and quite alive, meaning there is always
something going on, for instance, some festivals, celebrations, lots of
tourists, lots of young people and students, and it seems quite European.
Another reason for this is that Lappeenranta is spread widely and it is quite
hard to walk it all through on your feet; for that you might need a bicycle or
a car. And there is much more to explore beside what has been presented above.
And speaking of the town of Lappeenranta, I should say that the Lake Saimaa
adds a typically Finnish spirit to this overall experience, which makes it so
enjoyable and unforgettable!
 |
| Hemingway’s
café and bar |
Undoubtedly, you can discover more of your own
in Lappeenranta; here, I just tried to show some of the most interesting places
only. Once you are ready to move on, you can get back to Kauppakatu and go back
straight till you get to the highway, road
13. Turn to Imatra and enjoy the ride. The road is wide and comfortable; it
will take you just 35-40 minutes to get there. If you feel like staying at a
bigger hotel by the lake, you can choose Holiday Club Saimaa. Its address is Rauhanrinne 1, Rauha.
Tourists quite often miss the turn to the hotel. It is closer to Imatra, so if
you drive from Lappeenranta, it might take you about 20-25 minutes till you see
the turn. It is quite a nice place, popular among tourists from Russia,
Finland, and other countries. And the landscape is fantastic!
 |
| Holiday
Club Saimaa |
Moving on to the town of Imatra, you need to leave the
highway and turn to Imatranväylä (turn
right). Keep going straight and you will find yourself in a small town, though
it has everything essential to offer. One of the places to eat could be Restaurant Buttenhoff (really close to the waterfall and Helsingintie). Just like Lappeenranta,
Imatra has lots of beautiful beaches, fantastic nature, and something of its
own. Of course, you can find your own places of interest around Saimaa; some
tips on things to do in this region can be found here.
 |
| Imatra city center |
Perhaps, the second main attraction in Imatra
is its small waterfall; it is basically a dam, though it looks beautiful enough
to enjoy the scenery around. Usually, there is a concert taking place on the
day of the opening of the waterfall, i.e. in spring. Lots of tourists and
citizens of the town gather around the waterfall to view the celebration.
 |
| Imatra
dam |
 |
| Imatra. Vortorninlahti |
If you follow the main road of Imatranväylä,
which later becomes Helsingintie, you
will get directly to the waterfall, the city center, and the main attraction of
Imatra, the hotel which looks more like a castle, i.e. Spa Hotel Rantasipi Imatran Valtionhotelli. Since it is located next to the waterfall, they both are considered as the
symbol of Imatra and the main tourist attraction of the town. Tourists enjoy
visiting the hotel to see it from the inside.
 |
| Spa
Hotel Rantasipi Imatran Valtionhotelli
|
There is a beautiful park road for people
behind the hotel, take a walk there, breathe fresh air, and enjoy a spectacular
view! You can walk to the other side and explore more.
 |
| Park
behind the hotel |
If you decide to continue your journey and move
to Mikkeli, you can cross the bridge and turn left on the road 62, which will get you back to the highway and then you will
need to get off the highway again in order to continue moving on the road 62.
If you look at the map, you will notice that this road goes through the highway
but being split. Once you get to the road 62, which is also called Puumalantie, you just have to drive
straight ahead till you get to Mikkeli. Here, I should say that no matter which
way you choose to Mikkeli, either from Lappeenranta or from Imatra, you will
enjoy a fantastic view to the Lake Saimaa. However, the road 62, going from
Imatra, is considered the most beautiful road in Finland, and especially places near the town Puumala. Take a stop there and experience
the best what Finland can offer! The Travel Smart journey continues exploring
new destinations!
Kirill “Traveler” Malyutin
About Travel Smart series:
“Travel Smart” is a section,
narrating about different countries and good travel tips, advised by the
author, Kirill Malyutin. The series contains recommendations, including selected
places to visit, character accommodation, and reasonable
shopping. Simply get inspiration!
All stories of the series →
О серии «Travel Smart»:
«Travel Smart»
– раздел, в котором автор Кирилл Малютин рассказывает о разных странах и дает
необходимые в путешествии советы. Серия включает в себя рекомендации по
посещенным автором местам, характерным средствам размещения, а также разумному шопингу.
Вдохновитесь приключением!
Все выпуски серии →
Read also / Читайте также:
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