Lappeenranta

The City of Lappeenranta (population 70,000) is the economic and cultural center of southeast Finland near the border of Russia and at the southern edge of the Saimaa, the largest lake (system) of Finland. Its culture and dialects are strongly part of Eastern Finland, although it administratively belongs to the Province of Southern Finland. Also known as Villmanstrand (its Swedish name and previous English name), Lappeenranta has a colourful, 360-year history influenced by its location in the border dividing western and eastern cultures.

Get in

Lappeenranta harbour, facing downtown.

By car

Two highways, 6 and 13 pass through Lappeenranta. Bus companies operate frequently to Helsinki and other cities, even Saint Petersburg in Russia. Highway 13 extends to the Russian border, some 25 km from the city centre, where the Nuijamaa/Brusnichnoye (Нуйямаа-Брусничное) border station is the second busiest border crossing in Finland. Russian tourists usually use this pathway to come to the city either by bus or a car.

By train

The 1 main railway station of Lappeenranta connects the city to the rest of Finland with fairly modern trains, operated by VR. The travel time to Helsinki is 2–2½ hr. Prices start at €14.30.

Trains to Saint Petersburg and Moscow stop at a smaller station in Vainikkala, near the Russian border, about 30 km from the city centre. There is a shuttle taxi connection (€10/5 per person, book at latest 1½ hr in advance from +358 20-060-400, €1.08/call+€1.01/min) between Lappeenranta and the station.

By bus

The bus station is located next to the railway station.

There are direct connections by bus to Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kouvola, Joensuu, Kotka, Mikkeli, Porvoo and Imatra. More information about these bus connections see Matkahuolto.

Foreign lines extend to Saint Petersburg and Vyborg. See Sovavto.

By plane

• 1 Lappeenranta Airport (LPP  ^IATA). Ryanair flies year-round to Lappeenranta from Bergamo, Berlin and Budapest. There are also seasonal flights from Athens, Thessaloniki and Vienna. (updated Nov 2019)

The nearest international flight hubs are in Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

By water

Lappeenranta is a popular destination for boaters within the Saimaa lake area. Some cruise boats operate from Lappeenranta to other destinations within the lake area. Lappeenranta is connected to the Gulf of Finland through the Saimaa canal. Visa free (remember to always check the current situation) cruise boats operate from Lappeenranta to Vyborg, Russia through the canal. The canal is also popular among boaters, and private boats occasionally come from as far as Southern Europe. Check Boating on the Baltic Sea#Saimaa Canal for instructions on how.

Get around

By foot

Everything is within walking distance at the center. Even the airport is within walking range if you do not have much luggage, but taxi or local bus is probably preferable.

By bus

Getting further to the suburbs is easy by bus. City of Lappeenranta has bus schedules. There is a graphical route planner to find timetables.

By taxi

Taxi can be booked using 02 Taksi smartphone app.

See

The walls of the Lappeenranta fortress

• Visit the 1 historical fortress, the original city center which was established in mid-17th century. The old buildings include artist workshops, the 2 oldest orthodox church in Finland, completed in 1785, as well as 3 the Museum of South Carelia and 4 the Art Museum of South Carelia.

• 5 Sandcastle. The biggest one in Scandinavia. Each summer an ever larger sandcastle is built by artists on the northern end of the harbour area. Each year they have a different theme and make sculptures on the walls of the castle accordingly. There is a small theatre inside the castle playing acts intended mainly to children and families. 

Do

• 1 Harbour area. The harbour, the parks nearby, the fortress and Myllysaari beach are a perfect place to chill out in summertime, sitting on the terraces, drinking, eating and watching the boats and things that happen. Live music played on many summer days. Early in August there is a popular festival called "Linnoituksen yö" (Engl. The Night of the Fortress) in the harbour and fortress area. 

Saimaa Canal and Lauritsala railway bridge

• 2 Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa Canal. Take a cruise from Lappeenranta to the Saimaa, Saimaa canal or Vyborg, Russia through the canal! This canal was build to connect the Saimaa to the Baltic Sea at the dawn of industrialisation. The canal was modernized in the 1960s. The canal connects to the Bay of Finland, on Russian territory, close to Vyborg (Finn. Viipuri). The canal is mostly used by cargo ships, but there are also passenger boats operating from Lappeenranta to Vyborg. It is also used by private boats from Finland and abroad. 
• In winter, the city seems to quiet down a little. The main attractions during winter are the city theatre and major league ice hockey and basketball games. Also many possibilities exist for practising winter sports. There are tens of kilometres worth of cross-country skiing tracks (a popular stage circles around the airport), and also a small downhill skiing slope. Many outdoor and indoor ice-rinks are available for skating. The city bay becomes a skating track during winter.

Festivals

• LPRHC Fest: 19–20 July 2019. Hardcore, punk and rap festival in Lappeenranta. After party and more. (date needs updating)

Buy

Situated close to the border, Lappeenranta is one of the most popular destinations for Russian shopping travellers. The two major shopping mall chains Prisma and Citymarket are located at the outskirts of the city.

• 1 Citymarket, Toikansuontie 4 (at the crossing of highway 6 and regional road 390). 
• 2 Prisma, Puhakankatu 9 (at the eastern end of the airport). 
• 3 Iso Kristiina, Brahenkatu 3–7. The largest mall in the city centre, Iso-Kristiina hosts an Anttila department store and a variety of smaller shops, mostly selling clothing. 

Eat

Budget

• Small coffee booths at the harbour and the 1 market square (Kauppatori) offer traditional meat pies called vety (Eng. "hydrogen") and atomi (Eng. "atom"). Vety consists of a meat pie, ham, boiled egg and condiments. Atomi has either ham or egg, but not both. Also other snack food is offered by the booths. Just ask for 'vetyatomi' and you'll be understood in nearly all the grillikioskis in Finland.

Mid-range

• 2 Wolkoff, Kauppakatu 26, ☏ +358 5 4150320. M-F 11:00-24:00, Sa 16:30-23:00. A nice, cozy 50-seat restaurant in a historical 150-year-old house. Non-smoking. In the summertime, seats also available on the courtyard. Main dishes €14-28.. 

Splurge

• 3 Lappeenrannan Kasino, Ainonkatu 10. An old, classy restaurant. Has also a separate terrace docked on the water at the harbour. 

Drink

Cafés

• 1 Majurska, Kristiinankatu 1, ☏ +358 5 4530 554. Open M-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00, an hour longer in summer. A romantic café in the historical old Fortress. Delicious homebaked cakes and tarts. Not necessarily for small children because of limited space and fragile décor. 
• 2 Coffee House, Kauppiaskatu 29-31 (In the shopping mall Amanda), ☏ +358 5 678 6667. M-Th 08:00-22:09, F 08:00-00:00, Sa 09:00-00:00, Su 13:00-20:00. A nice, modern cafe. 
• 3 Café Galleria, Koulukatu 15 (In the Galleria shopping mall), ☏ +358 5 453 1644. M-F 07:30-17:09, Sa 09:00-15:00. A small cafe. 

Bars

Most of the popular bars are located in the city centre.

• 4 Prinsessa Armaada, ☏ +358 5 4513376. Harbour. 10:00–02:00 daily in summer (subject to weather). A popular hangout place in the summer, this restaurant is built on an old parked steamboat. Most people come here for drinks, although they also serve food. Another similar boat restaurant, S/S Suvi-Saimaa, is located next to Prinsessa Armaada. main dishes €9–17. 

Sleep

Some mid-range and budget hotels are present.

Budget

• Local student housing foundation, LOAS, offers affordable accommodation during the summer months for tourists.
• 1 Pitotalo Miekkala, Partalantie 136, ☏ +358 5 458 1882. A typical Bed and Breakfast hotel, 10 km from Lappeenranta towards Joensuu. B&B €25/person. 
• 2 Matkustajakoti Turisti-Lappee, Kauppakatu 52, ☏ +358 5 415 0800. Centrally located. The shower facilities are shared, the double rooms have private toilets but the single rooms do not. Prices include breakfast and the use of the sauna facilities. double €51, single €31. 
• 3 Finnhostel Lappeenranta (Huhtiniemen matkailukeskus), Kuusimäenkatu 18, ☏ +358 451 5555, info@huhtiniemi.com. About 2 km west of the city center. The prices include breakfast and the use of the swimming pool. triple room €102, double €82, single €68. 
• 4 Lahtelan maatilamatkailu, Lahtelantie 120, ☏ +358 5-4578034. Bed and Breakfast in Ylämaa, south of Lappeenranta. 

Mid-range

• 5 Sokos Hotel Lappee, Brahenkatu 1 (next to Galleria shopping mall), ☏ +358 10 762 1000. A comfortable chain hotel in the middle of the city overlooking a desolate square with the town hall's blocky architecture and a fountain. 
• 6 Hotel Cumulus Lappeenranta, Valtakatu 31, ☏ +358 5 677 811, lappeenranta.cumulus@restel.fi. 95 rooms with TV, radio, pay-channel, hair dryer and free broadband connection." 

Stay safe

Lappeenranta is a safe city very accustomed to foreigners. Lappeenranta is the second most popular destination in Finland, mainly due to Russian shopping tourists, but also many other nationalities visit during summer months.

Go next

• Imatra - 40 km northeast. See the Imatrankoski and other attractions that the Russian czars used to visit in the 19th century.
• Punkaharju - drive through Finland's national landscape on a road on the top of a ridge that partially divides Lake Saimaa.
• Savonlinna - 120 km north, home to a well preserved medieval castle where an opera festival is held each summer.
• Vyborg - take a one, two or three day visa free cruise to Russia through the Saimaa canal. These cruises run in the summer only.