Savonlinna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Savonlinna
Nyslott
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| Savonlinnan kaupunki Nyslotts stad |
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| Nickname(s):
Capital of Saimaa
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Location of Savonlinna in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | Southern Savonia | |
| Sub-region | Savonlinna sub-region | |
| Charter | 1639 | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 3,597.70 km2 (1,389.08 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 2,237.87 km2 (864.05 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 762.62 km2 (294.45 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 27th largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 31,843 | |
| • Rank | 36th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 14.23/km2 (36.9/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 95% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 0.1% | |
| • Others | 4.8% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 11.6% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 55.6% | |
| • 65 or older | 32.8% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Savonlinna is a town in Finland. It is located in the eastern part of the country. The town is in the Finnish Lakeland area. This means it has many lakes. Savonlinna is part of the South Savo region.
About 32,000 people live in Savonlinna. The larger area around it, called the sub-region, has about 39,000 people. Savonlinna is one of the biggest towns in Finland.
Savonlinna is known as the "Capital of Saimaa." This is because it is in the middle of the Saimaa Lakeland. It is one of the two main towns in the South Savo region. Savonlinna is famous for its old St. Olaf's Castle. It also hosts the yearly Savonlinna Opera Festival.
Contents
History of Savonlinna
The town of Savonlinna was started in 1639. It grew around the Olavinlinna castle. This castle is also called St. Olaf's Castle. A person named Erik Axelsson Tott built the castle in 1475. He wanted to protect the area of Savonia. He also wanted to control the border between Sweden and Russia.
During a war between Russia and Sweden (1741–1743), Russia took the castle. Russia held it until 1812. Then, it was given back to Finland. This part of Finland was called "Old Finland".
Over the years, Savonlinna has grown bigger. In 1973, a nearby area called Sääminki joined Savonlinna. In 2009, Savonranta and a small part of Enonkoski also became part of Savonlinna. In 2013, the towns of Kerimäki and Punkaharju joined Savonlinna too.
Fun Things to See and Do
The most famous place in Savonlinna is Olavinlinna castle. It is a 15th-century castle on an island. You can also visit the Savonlinna regional museum near the castle.
Other cool places include the Lusto forest museum. It is in the village of Punkaharju. The Kerimäki Church is also nearby in Kerimäki. It is the biggest wooden church in the world!
Savonlinna is home to the famous yearly Savonlinna Opera Festival. It started in 1912. The operas are performed right inside the Olavinlinna castle. The city has also hosted the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships since the year 2000.
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Savonlinna Cathedral is an Evangelical Lutheran Church
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Kerimäki Church is the biggest wooden church in the world.
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Savonlinna Provincial Museum
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Lusto is a national forest museum is located in Punkaharju
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Punkaharju Ridge nature reserve
Weather in Savonlinna
| Climate data for Savonlinna Punkaharju Laukansaari (1991–2020, extremes 1959–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
22.5 (72.5) |
28.9 (84.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
32.6 (90.7) |
32.3 (90.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −4.5 (23.9) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
0.9 (33.6) |
7.3 (45.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.0 (71.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
2.6 (36.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
14.5 (58.1) |
17.3 (63.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
4.5 (40.1) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
4.2 (39.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.6 (12.9) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−7.5 (18.5) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
13.3 (55.9) |
12.0 (53.6) |
7.5 (45.5) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
0.7 (33.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −40.2 (−40.4) |
−38.0 (−36.4) |
−33.2 (−27.8) |
−22.6 (−8.7) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−25.9 (−14.6) |
−36.0 (−32.8) |
−40.2 (−40.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 42 (1.7) |
34 (1.3) |
35 (1.4) |
29 (1.1) |
42 (1.7) |
62 (2.4) |
69 (2.7) |
78 (3.1) |
62 (2.4) |
62 (2.4) |
52 (2.0) |
52 (2.0) |
619 (24.4) |
| Average precipitation days | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 121 |
| Source 1: FMI normals 1991-2020 | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Record highs and lows 1959- present | |||||||||||||
Sports Teams
Savonlinna has a few sports teams. The ice hockey team is called SaPKo. Its full name is Savonlinnan Pallokerho. They play in the Mestis league, which is the second-highest level.
The top-level volleyball team, Saimaa Volley, sometimes plays its home games in Savonlinna. The local football (soccer) team is Savonlinnan Työväen Palloseura (STPS). They play in Kolmonen, the fourth level of Finnish football.
Getting Around Savonlinna
Savonlinna is about 104 kilometers (65 miles) east of Mikkeli. It is 133 kilometers (83 miles) west of Joensuu. It is also 159 kilometers (99 miles) south of Kuopio.
The capital city, Helsinki, is about 335 kilometers (208 miles) away by road. You can get there by train in about four hours. Flights from Savonlinna Airport to Helsinki take about 40 to 60 minutes.
Learning and Education
The South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences has a campus in Savonlinna. Here, students can study healthcare and process technologies. There are also labs for wood processing and electronics research.
The University of Eastern Finland used to have a campus in Savonlinna. It focused on training teachers. This campus closed in 2018.
Savonlinna has two high schools. One of them specializes in art subjects. When it opened in 1967, it was the first specialized high school in all of Finland. It was also the first in all the Nordic countries.
Sister Cities
Savonlinna has "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. This means they work together and share cultures.
Savonlinna is twinned with:
There is also friendly cooperation with these cities:
Árborg, Iceland
Arendal, Norway
Silkeborg, Denmark
Famous People from Savonlinna
Many notable people come from Savonlinna. Here are a few:
- Hannu Aravirta – A former professional hockey player and coach.
- Arto Heiskanen – A professional hockey player.
- Kari Hietalahti – An actor.
- Ere Kokkonen – A film director and writer.
- Hanna Kosonen – A politician and ski-orienteer.
- Erik Laxmann – An explorer and natural scientist.
- Ville Leino – A former professional hockey player.
- Petri Matikainen – An ice hockey coach.
- Jarmo Myllys – A former professional hockey goalie. He was on the Finnish Olympic teams in 1988, 1994, and 1998.
- Joonas Rask – A professional hockey player for HIFK.
- Tuukka Rask – A former professional hockey goalie. He was on the 2014 Finnish Olympic team.
- Heikki Silvennoinen – An actor and musician.
- Pekka Tirkkonen – An ice hockey coach.
See also
In Spanish: Savonlinna para niños
