Lappeenranta facts for kids

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Lappeenranta

Villmanstrand

City

Lappeenrannan kaupunki
Villmanstrands stad
City of Lappeenranta

The city landscape

Coat of arms

Location of Lappeenranta in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

South Karelia

Sub-region

Lappeenranta sub-region

Charter

1649

Area

(2018-01-01)

• Total

1,723.56 km² (665.47 sq mi)

• Land

1,433.99 km² (553.67 sq mi)

• Water

290.14 km² (112.02 sq mi)

Area rank

47th largest in Finland

Population

(2023-12-31)

• Total

72,988

• Rank

13th largest in Finland

• Density

50.9/km² (132/sq mi)

Population by native language

• Finnish

89.9% (official)

• Swedish

0.2%

• Others

9.9%

Population by age

• 0 to 14

13.6%

• 15 to 64

62.1%

• 65 or older

24.2%

• Summer (DST)

Lappeenranta is a lively city in Finland. It is the main city of the South Karelia region. You can find it in the southeastern part of the country, right in the middle of the beautiful Finnish Lakeland.

Lappeenranta is home to about 73,000 people. It is the 13th largest municipality in Finland by population. The city sits on the shore of Lake Saimaa, which is a huge lake. It's also quite close to the Finnish–Russian border, only 30 kilometres (19 miles) away.

This city is a big hub for tourism in the Saimaa area. Many visitors, especially from Russia, come here. Lappeenranta is also known for being a leader in using renewable energy and keeping its environment clean. It was even recognized by WWF for its efforts in sustainability. The Lappeenranta Airport, which opened in 1918, is Finland's oldest airport that is still in use!

History of Lappeenranta

Historical affiliations

Sweden 1649–1741
Russian Empire 1741–1812
Grand Duchy of Finland 1812–1917
Finland 1917–1918
Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic 1918
Finland 1918–present

A map of Lappeenranta from the 1890s

The area around Lappeenranta has been lived in for a very long time. For example, the village of Kauskila, south of the city, has been continuously inhabited for about 2,000 years! It was an important center for the Karelians during the Middle Ages.

The original settlement of Lappeenranta was called Lapvesi, later Lappee. It grew around a piece of land sticking into Lake Saimaa, where the fortress is today. This spot became a very important trading place.

In 1649, Queen Christina of Sweden officially made Lapvesi a town. At that time, it was a key port for shipping tar.

Battles and Changes

Between 1721 and 1743, Lappeenranta was the capital of a region called Kymmenegård and Nyslott County. During this time, the Swedes built up the city's fortress.

In 1741, a big battle happened here between the Swedish and Russian armies. The Russians won, and the town was badly damaged. Many wooden buildings were burned. After this, Lappeenranta became part of Russia.

Later, in 1812, Lappeenranta became part of the Grand Duchy of Finland, which was connected to Russia. This was a friendly gesture from the Russian Emperor Alexander I of Russia.

Over the years, Lappeenranta has grown by joining with nearby towns. It merged with Lappee and Lauritsala in 1967, Nuijamaa in 1989, Joutseno in 2009, and Ylämaa in 2010.

What's in a Name?

The name Lappeenranta comes from two Finnish words. Lappee was the name of the original town, and ranta means "shore". So, it means "Lappee's shore".

The Swedish name for the city is Villmanstrand. This name means "wild man's shore". You can even see a wild man on Lappeenranta's official coat of arms.

Geography and Climate

Lappeenranta is located on the southern shore of Lake Saimaa. Its neighbors in Finland include Imatra, Lemi, Luumäki, Miehikkälä, Ruokolahti, and Taipalsaari. On the Russian side, it's close to Svetogorsk and Kamennogorsk.

Weather in Lappeenranta

Lappeenranta has a climate with warm summers. The summers are usually long and pleasant, though not often extremely hot. Because of its location in southern Finland but inland, it can have some of the warmest summers in the country.

Winters in Lappeenranta are often cold, but they are still milder than places further east.

How the Climate is Changing

The climate in Lappeenranta has been changing quite a bit. Between 2000 and 2017, the temperature increased more than it did in the entire previous century. The number of warm days (above 24 °C) has become more common. In the early 1900s, there were only about two such days every ten years. Now, there are about two per year!

The city is working hard to reduce its impact on the climate. Lappeenranta was recognized by the WWF for its efforts in 2016. One of its goals is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30% by 2020 and reach zero emissions by 2050.

People and Languages

Lappeenranta has a population of about 72,988 people. It is the 13th largest municipality in Finland.

Languages Spoken

Lappeenranta is mainly a Finnish-speaking city. However, many different languages are spoken here. At least 50 different languages can be heard in Lappeenranta!

The most common languages other than Finnish are Russian, English, Chinese, and Estonian. Since English and Swedish are taught in schools, many people can speak more than one language.

People from Other Countries

As of 2023^[update], about 10.1% of the people living in Lappeenranta have a background from another country. This is similar to the average for all of Finland. Many foreign-born residents come from the former Soviet Union, Russia, China, and India. The city expects more people from other countries to move there in the future.

Religions in Lappeenranta

In 2023, the largest religious group in Lappeenranta was the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. About 66.8% of the population belonged to this church. Other religious groups made up 2.6% of the population. About 30.5% of the people in Lappeenranta did not have a religious affiliation.

Economy and Jobs

Lappeenranta has many different types of jobs. Some of the main employers in the city include:

The City of Lappeenranta itself
Fazer, a well-known food company
Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT University)
Nordkalk, a company that produces limestone products
Paroc, which makes insulation materials
Metso Outotec, an industrial company
The local health and social care district
The Armed Forces
UPM-Kymmene, a large forest industry company
VR Group, Finland's national railway company

Fun Things to Do in Lappeenranta

Autumn colors near the harbor in Lappeenranta

A Pedestrian street in the city center

A huge sand castle in Lappeenranta

Lappeenranta is a popular place to visit, especially in the summer. This is because it's so close to Lake Saimaa, which is the fourth largest lake in Europe! The city's inland location also means it has warmer summers and colder winters compared to places right on the coast.

Even in winter, there's lots to do. People enjoy staying in cabins around Lake Saimaa. You can also try snowmobiling, Nordic skating, or even floating in the river! There are also reindeer rides, paragliding, skiing, and sledding tracks.

Because Lappeenranta is close to the Russian border, many Russian tourists visit. It's actually closer to Saint Petersburg (195 km or 121 miles) than it is to Helsinki, Finland's capital (220 km or 140 miles). You might even see signs in Cyrillic letters in some shops!

Places to Visit and Events

The Old Fortress: This historic area has museums, cafes, and the oldest Russian Orthodox church in Finland.
St. Mary's Church of Lappee: An old wooden church from the 1700s, right in the city center.
The Harbor Area: From here, you can take boat trips to Vyborg in Russia or explore the nearby Saimaa Canal.
The Central Market Place: A great spot to try local foods like "Atomi" (atom) or "Vety" (hydrogen) meat pies.
The Night of The Fortress: A two-day cultural festival held every August.
Lappeenranta Ballet Gala: A ballet event in late August.
Lappeenranta National Singing Contest: An annual singing competition.
The Biggest Sand Castle: Every summer, a giant sand castle is built near the Port of Lappeenranta.
Cinemas: Lappeenranta has three private movie theaters: Kino-Aula, Nuijamies, and Finnkino.
Sports Games: You can watch major league ice hockey games (SaiPa) and basketball games (Namika Lappeenranta).

Sports in Lappeenranta

The Finnish women's bandy team playing against Norway in 2004

Lappeenranta is home to several sports teams that play at the highest levels in Finland.

SaiPa is an ice hockey team that plays in the top Finnish league, SM-liiga. They were fourth in the league in the 2013–2014 season. Lappeenranta also hosted the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in 2014.
Lappeenrannan NMKY is a basketball team. They have won two championships in 2005 and 2006.
NST plays floorball in the Salibandyliiga.
Rajaritarit is an American football team in the Vaahteraliiga.
Lappeenrannan Veiterä (or just Veiterä) plays Bandy in the Bandyliiga. They have won the Finnish championship five times, including in 2017. The city has also hosted the Women's Bandy World Championship twice, in 2004 and 2014.
In women's sports, Catz Lappeenranta plays basketball and Pesä Ysit plays Finnish baseball. Both teams compete in their nation's top leagues. Catz has won the Finnish national basketball championship four times in a row!

Getting Around Lappeenranta

The Lappeenranta Airport terminal building

Jouko buses in Lappeenranta city center

The Jouko route guide app on a mobile phone

Lappeenranta is well-connected by roads to nearby cities. It's about 215 kilometres (134 mi) from Helsinki and 195 kilometres (121 mi) from St. Petersburg.

Trains

You can take trains from Lappeenranta to many places in Finland. There are also trains to Russia from Vainikkala station. The Allegro train, which travels between Helsinki and St. Petersburg, stops in Vainikkala. A train ride to Helsinki takes about 2 hours, and to St. Petersburg about 1.5 hours.

Boats

During the summer, when Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa Canal are open, you can take a ship from Lappeenranta to Vyborg, Russia, without needing a visa.

Airport

The Lappeenranta Airport is located west of the city center. It mainly handles charter flights to places in southern Europe, like the Canary Islands and Madeira. There are also regular flights on the airline Ryanair to Italy.

Local Buses (Jouko)

The public transportation in Lappeenranta is by bus, and it's called Jouko. The Jouko buses are pink and serve many routes within the city and to nearby areas.

You can buy tickets using a Waltti-travel card, which works in other Finnish cities too. You can also pay with cash or credit card for single tickets, use mobile tickets, or buy a 24-hour ticket. Jouko also has its own route guide app where you can plan your journey and see buses on a map.

Education and Learning

Lappeenranta is known as an international university city. It has two main universities: LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences. Together, they have about 13,000 students from 68 different countries!

Both universities share a campus called Skinnarila. Lappeenranta also has the Army Academy (part of the Finnish Defence Forces), the South Karelia Vocational College, and the South Karelia Adult Education Centre.

Famous People from Lappeenranta

Many interesting people come from Lappeenranta, including:

Anna-Kaarina Aalto, a doctor and politician
Koop Arponen, a singer who won the Finnish Idols competition in 2008
Laila Hirvisaari, a novelist who wrote a series of books about Lappeenranta
Horna, a Finnish black metal band
Kotiteollisuus, a hard rock band
Pave Maijanen, a musician
Jaska Raatikainen, the drummer for the band Children of Bodom
Hanna Pakarinen, the very first winner of Idols in Finland
Petri Skriko, a retired ice hockey player who played in the NHL
Juha Tiainen, an Olympic gold medalist in hammer throw
Mokoma, a thrash metal band
Christian Ruuttu, a former ice hockey player in the NHL

Sister Cities

Lappeenranta has "sister city" relationships with several cities around the world. This means they share cultural and educational ties. Some of its sister cities include: