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Family summer holidays

Lappeenranta offers plenty of activities, sights and events for families with children. There is plenty to experience by the beautiful Lake Saimaa both in the city centre and the vicinity – all within walking distance.
We have put together traditional favourites of families that offer plenty to do for children and young people of all ages. Enjoyable pastimes for adults are also guaranteed! The historic Fortress and the longest beach boulevard in Finland are unique places to visit with the whole family.

The positive feedback says that just one day is nowhere near enough: Lappeenranta, one of Europe’s greenest cities, invites you to experience and see its attractions!


Summer begins at the Sandcastle

Summer starts at the Sandcastle, for families with children, and with a new castle theme every year, it is sure to grab the attention of the whole family. We are not short of sand! More than 3 million kilos of sand are used for the Sandcastle and it has a new design every time: the same sand is reused for construction, every year. This is our one, small way of contributing to the City’s strategy of a Green Lappeenranta.

The Sandcastle is a part of the Harbour and Fortress area that is everybody’s favourite. The Harbour area is like a second living room for people in the City, in the summer.

Read more about Sandcastle

Cruises

What would a summer trip to Lappeenranta without a canal or dinner cruise in the Saimaa archipelago?

This summer’s offering includes old familiar favourites: Saimaa canal and archipelago cruises, as well as trips to Puumala, Savonlinna and Ilkonsaari.


More about cruises

Myllysaari recreational area

There are free-of-charge summer keep-fit classes combined with children’s sports sessions in the area. In addition, the LainaX van, which loans out sports equipment for young people, stops in Myllysaari every Tuesday between 6 June and 5 August at 15:30–17:30. You can borrow sports equipment and active games from the van free of charge. Read more here.

Read more about Myllysaari.

Hop on the street train and enjoy the city

Lappeenranta can also be explored by touring the city on the street train. The street train tour, which takes less than an hour, lets you see the best parts of Lappeenranta in summer, including the historic Rakuunanmäki (“Dragoon Hill”) district, the Fortress and beautiful Lake Saimaa scenery.
The street train departs from and returns to Sandcastle. You can hop off at any stop along the route and hop on in the same fashion without any limits during the same day.

Read more

Traffic City

Next to the Water Tower on Valtakatu Street, you will find Traffic City, a children’s traffic park. Free parking is available in the area. Traffic City is open 6 June -27 August Mon-Fri at 9 am - 6 pm, in July also on Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm.
An instructor is on site to provide instructions and guidance about traffic regulations and to supervise the allocation of pedal cars (allowed for children under 12 years) and turn taking. At Traffic City, parents are always responsible for their children. Driving is free of charge.

Do not change the scenery – stay longer on the shores of Lake Saimaa

Lappeenranta has plenty of things to do for every day of the week, so why not stay for longer?
The Lappeenranta region hosts a wide variety of events, and the offering is constantly expanding. The most up-to-date information is available on the Lappeenranta Events website.
Book your accommodation and head to Lappeenranta in the embrace of Lake Saimaa!