Situated 215km equidistant from Helsinki to the west and St. Petersburg to the southeast on the southern shores of Lake Saimaa, Lappeenranta is the second most visited town in Finland. It is a town rich in cultural history, with numerous museums and Finland’s oldest orthodox church located within the Fortress of Lappeenranta, and possesses ten different choirs or orchestras, as well as the largest sandcastle in Scandinavia, and excellent skiing on the slopes at Myllymäki and Konka.
Today, Lappeenranta is a vibrant international university city, situated in the midst of a stunning landscape at the southern end of Europe’s fourth-largest lake, Saimaa. Its historical fortress and streets lined with linden trees, combined with a wealth of cultural and natural attractions, make it both a summer paradise and a winter wonderland, for both locals and the many visitors and travelers who arrive here from around the world. At 215 km away from both Helsinki and St. Petersburg and close to the Finnish border with Russia, Lappeenranta is the second most popular tourist site for foreign visitors.
