Olavinlinna Castle

Location: Savonlinna, Finland

Olavinlinna Castle was founded in 1475 to secure the eastern border of the Kingdom of Sweden-Finland. During its history the castle has experienced both Swedish and Russian rule. Nowadays it is the best preserved medieval castle in Nordic countries and therefore a popular tourist attraction. It also serves as a venue for the world famous Savonlinna Opera Festival.


The entrance to the castle is across a floating bridge, which can be seen to the far left in the pictures of the exterior. The castle served to repel attacks from the east, although none happen, and to guarantee control of the Savo region of Finland for the Swedish Crown.

In 1475, Erik Axelsson Tott founded a fortress on a rocky island in the swiftly flowing strait of Kyrönsalmi between Lake Haukivesi and Lake Pihlajavesi to secure the volatile eastern border of Sweden and to protect the settlement of Savonlinna. The castle was named after St Olav, a Nordic patron saint. In 1742, the Russians captured Olavinlinna and converted it into a node in the defences of the country’s western border. When Finland was completely annexed by Russia in 1809, the castle lost its strategic role, and it was subsequently used for a number of purposes, for instance as a prison. The castle was thoroughly renovated twenty years ago.

Looking northeast towards Olavinlinna Castle. Olavinlinna, or Saint Olaf's fortress, was established by the commandant of Vyborg fortress in 1475. The medieval castle consists of a main castle, three towers seen in this picture, and a bailey with an encircling wall reinforced by towers. The castle is located in the swiftly flowing strait of Kyrönsalmi between Lake Haukivesi and Lake Pihlajavesi, near the city of Savonlinna in southeastern Finland.

The town of Savonlinna grew around Olavinlinna Castle and its garrison. Today, the castle hosts the internationally celebrated Savonlinna Opera Festival.

The castle served to repel attacks from the east and to guarantee control of the Savo region for the Swedish Crown. The medieval castle consists of a main castle with three towers and a bailey with an encircling wall reinforced by towers. The castle went through numerous phases of construction, first as a Swedish and from 1743 as a Russian border fortification. It has been among Finland's best-known tourist attractions since the latter 19th century. It houses a restaurant and festival halls.