Savonlinna (Swedish: Nyslott) is a Finnish city located in the
province of Southern Savonia. The city is home to 32,913 people and
covers an area of 3,597.69 km², of which 1,359.60 km² are water
bodies (1 January 2020). The population density is 14.7 inhabitants
/ km². Savonlinna is especially known for Olavinlinna and the
Savonlinna Opera Festival held there.
Savonlinna's
neighboring municipalities are Enonkoski, Heinävesi, Kitee, Liperi,
Parikkala, Rantasalmi, Ruokolahti, Rääkkylä, Sulkava and Varkaus. Of
these, Enonkoski is completely surrounded by Savonlinna.
The center of Savonlinna is partly built on islands that separate the backs of Lake Saimaa, Haapavesi and Pihlajavesi. More than a third of the city's area consists of waterways and several islands. The three straits connecting Haapa and Pihlajavesi, listed from west to east, are Laitaatsalmi, Haapasalmi and Kyrönsalmi. Talvisalo lies between Laitaatsalmi and Haapasalmi, and Vääräsaari between Haapasalmi and Kyrönsalmi. Linnansaari National Park and Kolovesi National Park are partly located in the Savonlinna area.
Savonlinna was famous for its spa activities in the early 20th
century, but today it is known for its opera festivals, which originated
with the Olavinlinna Opera Festival led by Aino Ackté in 1912. However,
the Opera Festival only established itself as an annual cultural event
decades later, in 1967. The event, held in Olavinlinna Castle, brings
performers and tourists from all over the world to Savonlinna for a
month. Some of the concerts and family operas are performed in the
Savonlinna Hall, which serves as a concert and conference center in the
city all year round. Regular concerts in the city are provided by, among
others, the Savonlinna Quartet and the Savonlinna Orchestra.
Every year, at the beginning of the Opera Festival, on the first weekend
of July, the three-day Savonlinna OperaGames show jumping competition is
also held in Savonlinna.
The official birthday of Savonlinna is
St. Olav's Day, July 29.
Several large Christian summer events
have been held in Savonlinna. The Revival Festival has been held in
Savonlinna twice: in 1918 and 1956. The Evangelical Gospel Festival was
held in Savonlinna in 1974.
Olavinlinna – a castle founded in 1475
Putkinotko – author Joel
Lehtonen’s villa and open-air museum area (open by appointment).
Rauhalinna – currently privately owned
Savonlinna Provincial Museum
and surroundings
Cathedral
Little Church
Kerimäki Church – the
world’s largest wooden church
Savonranta Church (in the Vuokala
settlement, 55 km from the city centre)
Punkaharju
Lusto – Finnish
Forest Museum
Historical inland waterway vessels
Laitaatsilla
Battle Monument
Savonlinna Market Square
Linnankatu
Huvipuu
Kesämaa Amusement Park
Linnansaari National Park
Kolovesi National
Park
Pihlajavesi Archipelago
Lettukahvila Kalliolinna
The city of Savonlinna originated from the settlement
of Olyrinlinna, founded in 1475, on the west bank of Kyrönsalmi. The
Savonlinna ore (Nyslotts malm), located next to Olavinlinna, which
belonged to Sääminki, was raised in 1639 to the city on the
initiative of Peter Brahe. Savonlinna Malmi was inhabited by
artisans working in the fort and other people who could not live in
the castle.
The founding document of the city of Savonlinna
has disappeared over time, but many other sources have revealed the
year of founding in 1639. The town was not given a name at the time
of its founding and was variously called Savolax Nystad and Nyslotts
ore. Savonlinna's first city period ended in 1683, when city rights
were revoked. The city's land passed into the ownership of the
Heikinpohja equestrian farm and the city's residents were deported
from their apartments. After the abolition of city rights, the
population fell to 100-150 people. During the Great War, from 1714
to 1721, Olavinlinna and Savonlinna were under Russian rule. After
the Great Wrath, Savonlinna returned to Swedish rule after the
Russians left in the autumn of 1721. In 1723, Savonlinna became a
trading post under the hammer town of Hamina. Swedish rule in
Savonlinna ended in hatred in 1742, when the Russians occupied
Finland. Savonlinna again became an independent city in 1784.
In the 19th century, Savonlinna grew and became industrialized,
the settlement spread from Vääräsaari to Talvisaari. The completion
of the Saimaa Canal in 1856 and the completion of the railway
connection in 1907 grew the city. The Saimaa canal brought tourists
to the Olavi spa, which was completed in 1896. The biggest changes
in the cityscape began after World War II, when wooden houses were
demolished and apartment buildings were built in its place.
In 1656, during the War of the Rupees, all the
houses in the town were burned down - including the town hall,
school, rectory and possibly the unfinished new church.
In 1714,
during the Great War, when the Russians arrived, the head of
Olavinlinna ordered the buildings of Savonlinna to be burned.
In
1742, at the beginning of the little hatred, the Swedes burned
Savonlinna before the arrival of the Russians.
In July 1812, 19
houses were destroyed in the Savonlinna fire.
During the Winter
and Continuation Wars, the city suffered from intermittent bombing.
The worst damage was to Savonlinna Cathedral, which caught fire in
January 1940 and suffered great destruction. The church was rebuilt
in 1948.
In the 1973 municipal merger, most of the surrounding municipality of
Säämingi was merged with Savonlinna. Savonlinna Airport was also
completed in the same year. Savonranta municipality merged with
Savonlinna in early 2009. The municipalities lacked a common municipal
border, which was a prerequisite for the merger under the Municipal
Division Act. However, the Government confirmed the merger of the
northern part of Enonkoski municipality on 19 June 2008, which annexed a
31.24 km² strip to the city of Savonlinna to create a common land border
between Savonlinna and Savonranta.
Before this, an attempt had
been made to resolve the issue at a joint meeting on the corridor held
in Enonkoski on 27 February 2008, which ended with very poor results.
Despite this, the Savonranta municipal council decided on 28 March 2008
by a vote of 12–4 that the gateway between Savonranta and Savonlinna
would be formed along the so-called northern route by splitting it off
from the municipality of Enonkoski alone, a decision approved by the
Government. The area gained from Enonkoski has an area of 31.24 square
kilometres and is home to one inhabitant. In March 2012, the councils of
Savonlinna, Kerimäki and Punkaharju decided to merge the municipalities.
The merger took place in 2013. Enonkoski joined only as a parish, not as
a municipality. As a result of the merger, Enonkoski remained an enclave
completely surrounded by Savonlinna.
In the 1980s, the local dishes of Savonlinna were butter-fried vendace, mashed potato-like potato tuuvinki, oven-roast, potato pies and Karelian roast. Lörtsy are an essential part of Savonlinna's cuisine.
Savonlinna is a diverse sports city. Based on the number of amateurs,
the city's number one sport is football. The Savonlinna Workers'
Football Association (STPS) men's national team plays football in the
3rd division. In basketball, Basket Savonlinna has produced national
team players throughout its history. Saimaa Volley previously played in
the men's volleyball main league. In 2008, the Power Cup volleyball
tournament was played in Savonlinna. Savonlinna Towers plays American
football in the 4th division, and ZZ Top Team plays floorball in the
city.
Savonlinna Football Club (SaPKo) plays in the Mesti, where
it returned from the Suomi league in the spring of 2006. The club
celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2004 and celebrated it with a
friendly match against Helsinki IFK at the Talvisalo Ice Arena. SaPKo
has played a total of four seasons in the Finnish premier league.
Currently, SaPKo focuses mainly on junior activities through
Juniori-SaPKo. The most notable graduates of the junior work are
probably goaltender Jarmo Myllys, Stanley Cup winner Tuukka Rask and
Ville Leino. Laitaatsillan Pallo (LaiPa) has been SaPKo's local
opponent. Talvisalo Traitors play ice hockey in the 2nd division.
Aholahti Ski Resort is a ski resort in Savonlinna, which has hosted
the 1967 Finnish Skiing Championships. The local ski club is Savonlinna
Ski Club. The center also has an A1 level frisbee golf course. In
addition, the town also has ten other courses, the most challenging of
which is the Harjumaja disc golf course located in the Harjumaja ski
resort, Kerimäki, which has been rated AA1. The local disc golf club is
Linnan Mando.
Local riding clubs are Savonlinnan Ratsastajat,
Itä-Savo Urheilratsastajat and Riding Club Motive.