Olavinlinna Castle
Colourful history, a thousand stories
The construction of Olavinlinna Castle began in 1475. The Danish-born founder of the castle, knight Erik Axelsson Tott, decided that a powerful fortification should be built to protect the strategically important Savonia region. The castle was to repel Russian attacks from the east and to guarantee the control of the Savonia region for the Swedish Crown. The history of Olavinlinna Castle is a mixture of power struggles between the east and the west, medieval arms clashing, cannons roaring and everyday chores inside the castle’s thick walls.
There is a lot happening all year round in Olavinlinna Castle. On interesting guided and themed tours, the visitor will learn about the history of Savonlinna and hear stories of knights and castle maidens, of the black ram and the secret tunnels.
Various events and concerts are also organized in the castle, the most famous being the Savonlinna Opera Festival that takes place every July for four weeks. It is also possible to rent Olavinlinna Castle for your own occasion.
Around Finland’s Indepence Day on December 6th, the castle is enveloped in a magnificent light curtain. This goes on until the atmospheric St. Thomas Day Fair that is organized every year in mid-December.
Tip from a local! Olavinlinna Castle is a wonderful photography destination all year round, but especially in winter; On a cold winter day, the open stream creates a beautiful mist in front of the castle. Great shooting locations can be found on the railway bridge, which can be seen on the left side of Olavinlinna Castle.
