Lappeenranta bucket list

Lappeenranta´s harbour is basically the hub of the city during the summer – less so in the winter - with varying events throughout the year. In the summer, there are concerts, different festivals such as the international food festival, and summer terraces. You can even catch a visa-free cruise to Russia (Corona-permitting of course) or alternatively cruise around the islands of Lake Saimaa. During the winter, on the other hand, you can rent skates or skiis and explore the lake on ice.

Another local favourite for getting together with friends is the Myllysaari beach. In addition to the beach, there are fields for playing volleyball and basketball. You can even try a very Finnish thing - the public sauna. If that´s not exotic enough - try ice swimming.

Iso-Kristiina is Lappeenranta´s biggest shopping mall located near the center. There you can find various retail shops, cafes, restaurants, a cinema as well as the main theatre of the city. You can also find the tourist information point there. Come and say hi!

The Sandcastle is our beloved summer landmark, built during the past 17 summers. 2 million kilograms of sand goes into the building of the sculptures, displaying new themes each year. Last summer, the Sandcastle had to downsize due to the pandemic. Hopefully, you’ll be able to visit the Sandcastle again next summer in a perhaps larger scale, depending on the pandemic situation.

Public transportation here is easy. Bus lines 1, 1z and 5 travel between the university campuses and the city center almost every 15 minutes. You can buy 24-hour unlimited travel tickets or a bus card that you can top up. Travel products are sold in Winkki in the City Hall. For more information on local travel feel free to ask us after the presentation or pop by the tourism information point in Iso-Kristiina.

Why do we call the Fortress the gate between the East & the West? Just as we mentioned a moment ago, Swedes and Russians fought here against each other and Lappeenranta was located in turns in both sides of the border.

Lappeenranta is also sometimes called Bordertown. We will add to that later on. The main street passing through the fortress has been named Kristiina Street after the Queen Christina of Sweden. Along the street you can find cafes, ateliers and museums. Beautiful nature paths go around the old fortress from which you can enjoy the best views of the city.

Moreover, one of the gems of the Lappeenranta Fortress is the oldest Orthodox church in Finland, the Protector of the Theotokos Church (Pokrova), dating back to 1785.

In Lappeenranta, you can visit three museums in the fortress area; the South Karelia, Cavalry and Lappeenranta Art Museums. In addition to those three, the Wolkoff House Museum in the centre and the Saimaa Canal Museum approximately 20 kms from downtown area. Our newest addition is the Saimaarium, opposite of the Sandcastle, where you can find out more about the treasures and secrets of Saimaa and the Cultural Space of Nuijamies, located inside a vintage cinema.

We’re not going to lie, the two memes pictured above say it all. Indeed, your best approach to actually getting to know to a Finn is by getting drunk and naked in the sauna with them..

A Finn will avoid small talk at all cost. In Finnish terms, a bus is considered full when the only options left are either sitting next to a stranger or travel standing. If a Finn seems to be annoyed by you sitting next to them when there are other seats available, please do not take it personally. We’ve been experts at social distancing before it was cool. Luckily for you, the Karelian people are actually considered amongst the more talkative of the Finnish population.

Here´s an example of how confusing Finnish can be. The phrase "Kuusi palaa" can have nine different translations despite being spelled and pronounced exactly the same manner.

As you can see Finnish is not really as simple, or as we say "yksinkertainen“, compared to other languages

Another fun fact, we have 40 words for snow but no word for please. The closest expression for please is "ole kiltti" which literally means be nice. Perhaps this is why you will hear us say kiitos or kiitti a lot to compensate. There’s an abundance of Finnish dialects, which are often very different from each other. Our local dialect is called the Karelian dialect.

The best way to learn the local dialect is by checking out the Finnish crime series called Bordertown. As a matter of fact the series’ plot takes place right here, in Lappeenranta. Bordertown has been distributed to more than 180 countries and is available on Netflix. Here are a few examples of the dialect.

If you don´t feel like taking a swim there are drier ways to experience the lake for example by taking a Cruise to the canal and archipelago.

Another way to enjoy lake Saimaa is by kayaking, canoeing or rowing. Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) has become increasingly popular in recent years. So why not take some time for yourself and go enjoy the beautiful nature and silence that Saimaa has to offer. You can find out more about equipment rental either by paying the tourism information point a visit.

Something a bit more extreme, ice swimming. In the winter some brave Finns like to make a hole into the frozen lake and then dip in quickly or even swim. This activity is usually accompanied by going to the sauna but some daredevils do it without it. It might sound crazy but it´s definitely something you should try if you’re brave enough, the feeling you get afterwards is euphoric.

This is what Saimaa looks like during winter. The frozen surface makes it possible to go on ice-skating ventures. And why not try ice fishing and prepare your own traditional Finnish dish while you’re at it.

Don´t worry summers don´t actually look like this. They´re actually very nice and the long lasting daylight is a big plus.

Our city is cycling-friendly and the streets are very safe to ride. There are plenty of trekking and bicycle trails, which typically include small camping places perfect for roasting marshmallows or grilling sausages.

A perfect way to connect with mother nature is by excersing the every-man’s-rights and maybe refine your survival skills. The ”every-man-right’s” also known as ”joka miehen oikeudet” include; the rights to camp anywhere in the forest (as long as you’re not tresspassing private property), freely pick berries and mushrooms and light fire on designated areas.

If you’re keen to develop your nature-photography skills or just wanting to enjoy some fresh air, the totally instagrammable Rantaraitti boulevard and Hämmäauteensuo swamp are among the most beautiful nature paths located just a stone’s throw away from the centre.

Here you can see Lappeenranta´s pride and glory, our ice hockey team SaiPa. Unlike other countries where the most popular sport is football in Finland its ice hockey. SaiPa plays in the top division and this city is crazy about the sport so watching a game the following season which starts this month is definitely a must.

On a nice winter day, the slopes of the fortress are filled with people enjoying the snow with their sledges known as “pulkka”. As we mentioned, ice hockey is popular but so is ice skating so you´ll see plenty of outdoor rinks in the winter providing an alternative to ice skating on the lake. If you´re interested in downhill skiing, Lappeenranta has the place for you – the Myllymäki skiing center includes six slopes of various levels, from beginner to advanced.

Apart from traditional golf, which you can play in Kahilaniemi, the increasingly popular Frisbee-golf has found its place in Lappeenranta’s sport options. Lappeenranta has 3 bigger and 4 smaller disc-golf courses.

For those interested in rock-climbing or perhaps are in just trying out something new, Boulder Saimaa is the perfect place to test out your bouldering skills. Boulder Saimaa is located near the university, roughly a 15-minute bike ride from the campuses.

As you might have figured, Lappeenranta is a rather student friendly city – for example students can enjoy a swim at the Swimming Halls of Lappeenranta and Lauritsala at a discount price.

You cannot leave the city without tasting our specialty Vety & Atomi - translated as hydrogen and atom. They are local meat pies filled with either egg or ham or both. Luckily, vegetarians and vegans can also enjoy delicious plant-based versions. You can try them at Lappeenranta Market Square (Kauppatori) or the harbour. Another specialty of ours is Karelian pies with egg and butter paste.

Other local favourites include smoked salmon, Marianne candies, salted liquorice and berries. A lot of the Finnish superfoods can be found right at your nearest forest path, season-depending of course!

We’ve got an ample variety of restaurants including The Kitchen, Lalo, Domino Sushi and a veggie favourite, Avot Sie. Our restaurants mostly use organic ingredients supplied from local producers. The fish, for example, is typically caught in Lake Saimaa. (So these are perhaps the “fancier” options to take your parents to if they´re visiting).

Don´t worry we know you guys are on a student budget. You can find pretty much every bigger fast food chain such as McDonalds, Burger King and Subway or the Finnish chains of Fafa’s and Hesburger. In addition, you can find plenty of kebab-pizza restaurants around the city.

As you can see Finns are Europe´s top coffee consumers. When you hear someone asking you to come over for a coffee, they are literally inviting you for a coffee (and nothing else). In general, Finnish people tend to take pretty much EVERYTHING quite literally.

Some really passionate coffee-lovers have made their dreams come true here in Lappeenranta. Voted as the best café and roastery in Finland, Satamatie 6 and third best Makea Coffee, these local favourites will roast and serve some of the best, high quality coffee you’ll ever taste.

And some more options for your caffeine fix…

We said earlier how Finns are perceived as shy and reserved. Well, this changes after a few drinks and when Finns plan to drink they normally drink a lot. There is even a word for drinking at home without the intention of going out, in your own underpants called "Kalsarikännit". One of the words for cheers is also quite amusing "Hölökynkölökyn" there is however, an easier alternative "kippis". (pyydä toistamaan perässä “hölökynkölökyn!”)

Summer terraces are a big thing during the Summer as people like to go outside and enjoy a drink or two. Here for example is Princess Armada’s boat terrace, Don Papa’s roof and Kasino terraces in the harbor and the popular all-year-round bar and brewery Teerenpeli.

On to partying. You´ll probably have a lot of different parties near campus but it’s worth mentioning the city’s night clubs quickly. The nightclub scene of Lappeenranta is undergoing some changes: Popular amongst younger adults, Giggling Marlin has opened finally brand new doors on the ground floor of Armada Mall. The floor will offer a variety of nightlife experiences, from clubbing to black light bowling. Las Palmas is a karaoke bar which is perhaps favored by older people located inside the restaurant of Amarillo. Finally, Old Cock is a three floor bar-club which is also a hub for live gigs.

Moving on to the main events you should experience during your time here, chronologically. On the 6th December we celebrate our Independence. Festivities are organized around the city to pay respect to the veterans and the people who died in the Independence war.

During December there is a Christmas fair in the city center. Consisting of a Christmas market, decorations, ice sculptures and even a visit from Santa Claus and Russia´s grandfather Frost.

New Years eve is the time for big celebrations just like anywhere else. Usually that means music and a big firework display at the harbour. Almost the whole city gathers together in the harbor square and the fortress’ ramparts to welcome the New Year.

Bench press day is an event in February where high school seniors celebrate the end of school By dressing up and throwing Candy to people from trucks. Sounds kind of weird but it´s a fun event to watch. It´s called bench press day because it´s their last “push” as high school students.

Labour day is a pretty beloved and awaited holiday especially among students. So awaited in fact, that the festivities start taking a couple weeks before the main day here in Lappeenranta. People gather to the Fortress slopes for a picnic and some drinks –naturally-.

Midsummer festivities take place on the 2nd last weekend of June. They celebrate the longest day of the year. Celebrations go on the whole weekend as the sun barely sets at all, depending on the year and geographic location of course. Every year the bonfire, a typical tradition of Midsummer, is set near the Myllysaari beach or the harbor. Don’t worry, the real thing is nothing like the thriller movie Midsommar.

Lappeenranta becomes particularly lively during the summer. From the beautiful sounds of live orchestra gigs and extravagant dance shows to the mouth-watering smells and flavours brought by the International food festival. For exact dates and more information visit lappeenrantaevents.com

The Saimaa ringed seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. They can only be spotted in Lake Saimaa and there are only roughly 400 of them left. Only a lucky few have ever encountered our city mascot in the wild however, you can spy them during nesting season in spring from this link. Find out more about their conservation efforts by paying Saimaarium a visit!

If you´re lucky, you may encounter an elk during your time in Finland, which is one of our biggest wild animals. You probably have already noticed some warning signs along the highways.