Mikkeli is a very compact city; it will take you no more than 2 hours to get around it entirely. Despite its apparent insignificance, the first mention of it dates back to 1270, when there was a Novgorod churchyard here. Mikkeli received the status of a city from the Russian Emperor Nicholas I in 1838, then the city was called St. Michel in the then Russian fashion, almost St. Petersburg.
During the Second World War, the city was the main headquarters of the Finnish army, so the city was heavily bombed and now it is mainly built up with modern buildings. The main attractions are the military museums; we did not visit them.
The town of Mikkeli was only 20 km away and we visited it on our last day. The weather turned out to be extremely cold, it was only +8 degrees and a strong wind was blowing.
We left the car in the underground parking of the huge Stella shopping complex; parking is based on the principle of driving in, taking a ticket with the entry time marked, and paying upon leaving. Parking costs 1 euro per hour.
On one side of the Stella shopping complex there is a square with a monument to Marshal Mannerheim. He is considered a national hero of Finland and any town where the famous marshal has ever visited organizes a museum of memorable places, and it is natural to erect a monument to the national hero on the main square of the city.
Monument to Marshal Mannerheim
In Mikkeli, two places associated with Mannerheim are the Museum of the Main Headquarters, where Marshal Mannerheim’s office and the headquarters of the ground forces are exhibited. At Mikkeli railway station there is a lounge car that Mannerheim used from 1939 to 1946.
On Mannerheim Square there is a city market, the assortment is the same as at the market in - berries, flowers, fish, products of local artisans. And there was a huge line for the bus; it would probably take 3 buses to accommodate all these people. So they also have queues.
Kirkkopuisto Church Park
This small park on the other side of the Stella shopping complex has a very long history. On this site, back in 1754-1806, there was a church and the Sivolahti church cemetery. After more than a quarter of a millennium, the park was reconstructed and reopened. The park is very small, I would call it a small square.
For some reason, the Finns love to depict naked men, and this archer is also naked. Maybe this is caused by their tradition of visiting saunas together?
Kirkkopuisto Church Park To host national singing and musical events, an indoor stage was built in the park in the fall of 1896 under the direction of architect John Lybeck.
Kirkkopuisto Church Park Observation tower "Naisvuori"
Observation tower "Naisvuori" To see all the surroundings of the city, you can visit the Naisvuori observation tower. The tower itself stands on a natural hill, there is a park around it, flowers are planted, there is a fountain, in short, everything is very beautiful. From the tower you can see the entire city and the surrounding forests and lakes.
Looking at the Naisvuori tower Another sculpture of a naked man.
View from the observation tower 
View from the observation tower 
View from the observation tower - the main Cathedral There is a small cafe on the ground floor of the tower. They sell traditional waffles there at a price of 8 euros per serving. Waffles can be ordered with jam, whipped cream or ice cream, they put a lot of ice cream, we saw it at the next table. The waffles themselves, to our taste, are very reminiscent of pancakes, they are not crispy at all, but soft, like pancakes, we tried similar waffles in.
Waffles in the observation tower cafe Main Cathedral of Mikkeli
Main shopping street and Mikkeli Cathedral In the center of the city, as it should be, there is an impressively sized Lutheran Cathedral; there was a wedding going on there, so we didn’t go inside. The cathedral was built in 1896-1897 by the outstanding Finnish architect Josef Stenbeck. In total, he built 35 churches in Finland and Russia. There is a small park nearby.
Monument at the main Cathedral, again a naked horseman Next to the cathedral, according to Finnish tradition, there is a small monument to those who fell in 1918; there was a revolution on Finnish soil, only in Finland the whites under the command of Marshal Mannerheim won.
Main Cathedral And finally, a few photos of just houses in Mikkeli.
A piece of hot Thailand in a cold Finnish province 
Wooden architecture We didn’t particularly like Mikkeli and we don’t really want to return to this city, unlike
The city of Mikkeli is the center of the Etela-Savo region and the administrative center of the province of Ita-Suomi (eastern Finland). The city is located 120 kilometers northwest of the city of Lappeenranta and about three hundred kilometers from St. Petersburg.
The city is home to the provincial administration, the command of the eastern district of the defense forces, and representative offices of government bodies of Finland. Multifaceted economic activities cover the areas of food industry, forestry, woodworking, metalworking, electronics and of course the tourism business. The city is home to Europe's largest plywood factory, northern Europe's largest gravure printing plant, Quebecor World Helprint, and one of Finland's most popular family holiday centers. More than 25,000 located in the region receive a large number of holidaymakers from Finland and other countries every year. The university located in the city helps the region remain competitive in the "high technology" field.
Statistical data.
Year of foundation - 1838
Total area (with adjacent territories) - 1,622.1 km2
Of these, water surface - 303.6 km2 (18.7%)
Number of residents - 46.5 thousand people.
Women - 52%
Over 65 years old - 15.5%
Population density - 35.4 people/km2
Provision of jobs - 103.2%
Unemployed - 13% (according to 2003 data)
Information from the history of the city.
The first people appeared in this region 6,000 years ago. It is assumed that these were hunters and fur buyers. Around the 14th century, there were already permanent settlements on the territory of present-day Mikkeli. The first mention of a settlement called Mikkeli dates back to the 16th century, and in the 17th century it began to play a prominent role in the region. The future city received its name in honor of St. Michael. In 1809, the territory of Finland passed to the Russian Empire. From this time on, a new period began in the history of Mikkeli. In 1838, by order of Emperor Nicholas I, the city of Mikkeli was founded, at that time the city had 63 inhabitants. In 1842 the city received its own coat of arms. As the city developed, government institutions, church services, and entrepreneurs moved to Mikkeli. In 1843, the provincial administration moved from Heinola to Mikkeli. In 1846, the first printing house and the first store were opened in Mikkeli, a provincial prison was built, and the city continued to develop. After Finland gained independence, the development of the city continued. The city's population had to endure battles during the civil war and bombing during the war with the Soviet Union. In 1960, the city's population exceeded 20,000 people. Mikkeli is trying to take advantage of its close proximity to Russia. Developing trade and interaction with Russian enterprises, Mikkeli Higher Technical School successfully uses student exchange programs with universities in St. Petersburg.
Attractions.
The town of Mikkeli, small by Russian standards, is rich in attractions. Attracting tourists (both domestic, Finnish and foreign) is one of the main goals of any settlement in Finland. Among the attractions we can mention the Naisvuori observation tower, the art museum, the Mannerheim Headquarters Museum, the Infantry Museum and the Visulahti Tourist Center. More information about attractions and museums on the corresponding page of the site.
City Mikkeli, named after the patron saint of those places, St. Michael, is perfect for a family holiday with children. Here and not far from the border, there are many cottages with good fishing on Saimaa, convenient shopping (several shopping centers Stella, Aleksi and Carlson are compactly located in the city center), there are spas, museums and amusement parks for children.
It will be interesting to visit the museum of the main headquarters of Mannerheim himself, whose headquarters was in Mikkeli during the Second World War; Mannerheim’s personal carriage, which was used from 1939 to 1946 for trips on wartime business, is also in eternal rest.
The Loki Museum of Radio Operators, hidden in the rock, will tell (and show) about the underground work of radio operators; the Mikkeli Art Museum will introduce you to modern art.
Children and adults will enjoy visiting the Rantakeidas water park and the Visulahti water amusement park with water slides and pools, dinosaurs ready to really stroll through the tall grass of Mikkeli, and sports climbing frames for kids in the Hyper Dino complex. For extreme sports enthusiasts, there is more serious entertainment - Rally School.
Ancient manors, among which Tertti and Kenkävero, the largest priest's house in Finland, stand out.
A real winery, where you will be received with cordiality and told about which berries can be used to make homemade wine and will arrange a real tasting with Finnish cordiality and friendliness.
The pristine beauty of nature, unusual museums, designer cottages and amusement parks are what you will come to Mikkeli for more than once.
Photos of the city of Mikkeli:
A piece of paradise overlooking Lake Saimaa, a place where many have wished to spend more than one day of their lives Art&Design Villas Anttolanhovi in the town of Anttola next to Mikkeli. Actually Anttolanhovi presents
Mikkeli is a small but quite cozy Finnish town, which is located on the shores of the large Lake Saimaa. It is the center of the province of Southern Savonia and is located 320 km from St. Petersburg. The name was given in honor of its patron - St. Michael. If we talk about historical roots, it was founded by decree of the Russian Tsar Nicholas I and this happened back in 1838, after Finland became part of Russia. During the Civil War, the headquarters of the White Army was located here, and during World War II - the main headquarters of the Finnish armed forces, commanded by Field Marshal Karl Mannerheim.
Despite frequent bombings and due to the absence of high-rise buildings, the city was able to be quickly restored and many attractions and historical sites have survived to this day. It must be said that this region attracts many lovers of fishing, active sports and various water activities. Connoisseurs of a relaxing family and cultural holiday will find a lot of interesting things to discover. The convenient location of the city of Mikkeli greatly simplifies the task for those who want to get here from Russia and then go to other regions of Finland.
Residents of St. Petersburg can take a bus or minibus; such flights are operated by numerous travel companies. But most often, tourists from the northwestern region prefer to come to Mikkeli by car. Residents of other Russian cities can fly to the airport in Helsinki-Vantaa. It is a suburb of the Finnish capital and then take the high speed train or bus. You can also travel from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Helsinki by train and then transfer to public transport.
Photo: Tommi Nummelin / Wikimedia Commons
The Lake District is a true fisherman's paradise. You will have an excellent opportunity to catch trout, pike perch, pike, large perch and other types of fish. And for those who prefer to purchase it ready-made, local shops offer fresh, salted and smoked fish, as well as various delicacies at quite attractive prices. River walks are no less popular among tourists. From May to September you can rent a boat or take advantage of local cruise programs and enjoy the amazing beauty of Lake Saimaa.
The Ski Tornimäki ski resort is located 6 kilometers from Mikkeli. On the territory of this entertainment complex there are 4 tracks with different levels of difficulty, three ski lifts, and for those who are hungry there is a cafe. It must be said that the city of Mikkeli has already fallen in love with many Russian tourists and is chosen as a pleasant place for a family holiday. They are attracted by the numerous comfortable cottages and hotels that offer good service and entertainment. Therefore, both children and adults will always find something to their liking here.
Photo: booking.com You can have fun on a variety of attractions and slides, visit a wax museum or go to a vintage car exhibition. There is also a pedal boat rental here, and you can also play tennis and mini golf. If you are traveling with children, we recommend visiting the Xon extreme amusement park. There, not only children, but also adults will have an excellent opportunity to raise their adrenaline levels high. Guests are offered many different options for recreation, for example, you can go karting, ATVs, snowmobiles, play paintball, practice Japanese wrestling, and also test your strength on a variety of extreme attractions.
Monuments and museums
While walking around the city, you should definitely visit the central square. Note that this is a great place for walking, where you can see the monument to Marshal Mannerheim, the local Cathedral, visit the indoor market and buy food, various delicacies and souvenirs. The Naisvuori observation tower immediately attracts attention; it is an unusual and popular architectural object among guests. Taking the elevator to the top, you can sit at a cafe table at the very top and enjoy the beautiful views and landscapes.
Photo: Hietaparta / pixabay.com It is definitely worth mentioning the Cathedral; this church, built at the end of the 19th century, looks like a real castle. The spacious building can accommodate up to 1200 people at a time. Next to the cathedral there is a small pond where, according to legend, you need to throw a coin and make a wish, and it will definitely come true. For those who want to get to know Finnish art better, it is worth visiting the Salamela center. Note that it is open only in the summer - from June to August and offers to see various exhibitions, attend lectures or poetry meetings.
Photo: MKFI/Wikimedia Commons At the Mikkeli Art Museum, tourists can see the works of famous Finnish artists, as well as visit thematic exhibitions. If you are interested in military topics, then go to the main headquarters museum, where various exhibits from the reign of the famous Field Marshal Mannerheim are collected. And the infantry museum, which is located in the building of an old barracks, is entirely dedicated to military affairs. There is another interesting place called the Loki communications center. It is located in the site of a former military headquarters, carved right into the rock. The center functioned throughout the war and today uniforms, various military equipment, and weapons exhibits are stored here.
Parks and natural sites
"Urpola" is a place where everything is dedicated to the plants and animals living along the Urpolanjoki River. Here you can see stuffed animals, get acquainted with fish through aquarium glass, and also watch interesting films about local nature. Nearby there is a very unusual object - a glacial basin, which reaches a depth of almost 8 meters and is more than 9,000 years old. Worth mentioning is “Anjan puisto” - a forest park with exotic trees, winding walking paths, dense greenery and rich flora and fauna. In the forest park you can feed the local inhabitants, take pictures with them, or just take a walk.
Shopping
Large and popular shopping centers can be found in the central square Hallitustori. They are called "Akseli", "Stella" and "Carlson". A variety of products from many Finnish and well-known European brands are presented here. It is worth looking into the Marimekko store and it must be said that this is a popular brand in Finland, offering a variety of quality products for women.
In the nearby Carlson shopping center, it is worth visiting the K-Supermarket, a popular tourist supermarket with a wide range of products. Note that tourists from Russia have a special weakness for German. I must say that this is one of the most inexpensive grocery stores, which is very popular.
Photo: Zid Moisey / Wikimedia Commons For those who love good food, we can recommend the Ravintola Talli restaurant - here guests are offered dishes made from environmentally friendly products. It is worth trying the salmon with cream sauce, as well as their signature pies. If you love pizza, we recommend going to Restaurant Angela Kebab-Pizzeria. This is a pizzeria with a wide range of pizzas and at very affordable prices. The Amarillo restaurant is located in the central square.
They serve Texan and Mexican cuisine for those who want to try something new. When looking for interesting places for a relaxing or active holiday, you can choose the city of Mikkeli. This Finnish center welcomes guests all year round and offers all the opportunities for quality time, both for young and active people, as well as for married couples with small children.
Quite affordable prices, polite locals, comfortable hotels and cottages, as well as convenient transport accessibility, all this helps Russians and residents of other countries make a choice in favor of Mikkeli. In our next article we will tell you, which is located in the eastern part of Finland and is popular with many Russian tourists.
Mikkeli is one of the oldest cities in Finland, which is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa. Today, Mikkeli is a major tourist center, visited by thousands of tourists every year. Guests of the city are offered many must-see attractions.
Attractions in Mikkeli
Museums and exhibitions
Salmela
Salamela is a traditional center for Finnish art, open from the beginning of June to the end of August. The center's summer art program includes exhibitions of fine art, poetry readings, various lectures, and exciting concerts. You can visit Salamela any day of the summer from eleven in the morning until six in the evening local time.
Address
Mäntyharjuntie, 25.
Opening hours
Every day in summer from 11:00 to 18:00.
Masterpieces of Finnish fine art can be viewed at the Mikkeli Art Museum, located near the cathedral. In addition to permanent exhibits, the museum annually presents changing thematic exhibitions, for example, an exhibition of African art or a modern exhibition.
Address
Ristimäenkatu, 5.
Opening hours
Monday – the museum is closed, Tuesday – from 10:00 to 17:00, Wednesday – from 12:00 to 19:00, Thursday and Friday – from 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday – from 10:00 to 13:00 :00.
Navetta Gallery in Kyyhkylä
In this gallery you can see bricollage masterpieces created from recycled materials. The materials for the exhibition exhibits are a variety of things or materials whose service life for their intended purpose has already expired. Here you can find old brooms, broken mirrors, worn-out shoes, gloves, plastic bottles and food packaging. All these things are intricately woven into amazing paintings and exhibitions.
Address
Kyyhkyläntie, 6 A.
Opening hours
From April to October - daily from 9:00 to 20:00.
GalleriAri
In this small cozy gallery, located in the central area of the city, exhibitions of works of fine art, ceramics and other equally interesting things are updated monthly.
Address
Kasarminkatu, 3.
Opening hours
Tuesday to Thursday from 10:00 to 18:00, Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 15:00.
Sassala Art Radius
At the Sassala Art Radius International Art Centre, visitors can not only enjoy regularly updated exhibitions, but also take part in art-related events and lectures.
Suur-Savo
Suur-Savo is a museum dedicated to the history of the city and the peasant life of the inhabitants of Southern Savo.
Address
Opening hours
In the period from 02.05 to 31.08 – from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, on Saturday from 14:00 to 17:00; from 01.09 to 30.04 – on Wednesday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Saturday from 14:00 to 17:00.
Infantry Museum
This museum, located within the walls of an old barracks, is entirely dedicated to military craft. Here you can see permanent and changing exhibitions on military topics.
Address
Jääkärinkatu 6-8.
Opening hours
In the period from 02.01 to 30.04 and from 16.09 to 31.12 – Friday-Sunday from 11:00 to 16:00; from 02.05 to 15.09 – every day from 10:00 to 17:00.
ArtRadius
In the vicinity of the city, on the Saksalanharju mountain range near the village of Haukivuori, the International Art Center ArtRadius is located. The founders of the center are Danish artists – Lucien de Arden and Maria de Long. ArtRadius covers different artistic disciplines and consists of the Allaprima MuseuM, a FOAM park featuring foam sculptures and a residence with six studio apartments. The center is located in the buildings of a former nursing home, which includes wooden and brick buildings from 1920 to 1966, partially restored in 2004. Around the center lie picturesque Finnish forests, inspiring poets and artists.
Address
Opening hours
In the period from 01.05 to 30.09 - from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00; from 01.10 to 30.04 – on weekends from 12:00 to 16:00.
Main Headquarters Museum
This museum displays exhibitions that date back to the reign of Marshal Mannerheim. Here you can see the atmosphere of that time, as all the exhibits have been preserved in their original form.
Address
Päämajankuja 1-3.
Opening hours
Loki Communications Center
This is a museum where you can feel the spirit of war. The Finns carved an inconspicuous, full-fledged military headquarters into the rock. This headquarters was called "Lokki" and operated throughout the war. Today the museum displays items from the war era: weapons, equipment, uniforms. In the museum you can see female mannequins in the uniform of radio operators, which convey the atmosphere of work at the headquarters during the war.
Address
Opening hours
The Wax Museum
The museum presents 80 wax figures, but this is not the limit, as the museum is constantly replenished with new heroes. For example, here you can see famous personalities: presidents, athletes, stars, as well as the Finnish Santa Claus.
Park address
Visulahdenkatu 1.
Opening hours
Mon-Sat: from 10:00 to 17:00 - all year round. Closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Stone sacristy
The sacristy was built in the 16th century, and therefore has become a truly unique landmark not only in Mikkeli, but also in Finland. Church objects are on display in the sacristy.
Address
Porrassalmenkatu 32.
Opening hours
Architectural monuments
The central square of the city is a landmark in itself. In the center of the square there is a monument to Marshal Mannerheim. Not far away is the famous Lutheran Cathedral, built of red brick in the late Gothic style. Every Sunday, the Cathedral fills the square with the sounds of the organ and solemn service singing.
Around the square are the buildings of the city hall, hotels, offices, banks and a large department store, and not far away there is an old covered market - a monument of northern architecture. By the way, every Saturday market stalls emerge from the walls of the building and fill the square. In summer, you can relax in the 24-hour cafe Marskin torikahvila, a favorite place among tourists.
Naisvuori
Very close to the center is the Naisvuri observation tower - a rather original architectural object with a cozy cafe on the top floor. Taking the elevator, you can enjoy the picturesque view of Mikkeli while enjoying a cup of coffee and pleasant conversation.
Kivisakasti
Kivisakasti is a beautiful stone sacristy with a very mysterious history. The fact is that today no one undertakes to accurately determine the date of construction and age of the building. There is an assumption that Kivisakasti is part of the destroyed Savilahti church, built at the beginning of the 16th century. At the beginning of the last century, the building was restored and turned into a museum of church items collected in Mikkeli and its surroundings.
Mikkelin maaseurakunnan kirkko
This is a picturesque village church, built of wood in 1816 - 1817. Mikkelin maaseurakunnan kirkko is the third largest Finnish stave church.
Ortodoksinen kirkk
Ortodoksinen kirkk is the Orthodox Church of Mikkeli’s patron saint, Archangel Michael. The church was erected in 1957.
Parks and Recreation
Xon park Mikkeli
Xon park Mikkeli or XON is the most extreme amusement park in all of Finland. Here you can get a lot of adrenaline by riding on breathtaking rides. Visitors to XON can enjoy such entertainment as trampolining and Benji, Zorbing ball rides, a catapult ride and many other equally entertaining activities.
Despite the fact that the XON park is designed to charge visitors with adrenaline and offers exclusively extreme types of entertainment, all of them are absolutely safe, because the park uses modern, first-class equipment from famous Swiss and American companies. So you can get your dose of adrenaline in XON in an absolutely safe way.
Material on the topic
Mikkeli shops
Mikkeli is one of the most popular places in the Finnish Lake District, which in addition to this city also includes Tampere, Lappeenranta, Savonlinna, Kuopio, Jyväskylä. People most often come to this central part of Finland for a relaxing holiday in cottages.
Kenkavero
Kenkavero is an estate museum located in a former priest's estate. On the territory of the museum there is a center for folk fine and applied arts Syreeni, a souvenir shop, a restaurant and a magnificent one in which five thousand species of plants grow. Here you can enjoy the picturesque view, get acquainted with the work of Finnish masters, have a delicious lunch and take an exciting cruise along Saimaa right from the pier near Kenkavero.
There are many legends about the estate and its name. Kenkavero means "tribute with shoes" in Finnish. It is believed that this name comes from the ancient custom of putting on boots only before going to church, and taking them off immediately upon arriving home. According to another version, the name of the estate originates from the ancient custom of giving the cantor a salary for delivering correspondence from the ecclesiastical chapter in the form of a pair of boots and woolen stockings. They also say that the estate once became the last stronghold of the Savolaki club warriors, who rebelled during the Club War.
You can visit this wonderful place at any time of the year and for free. On weekdays and Sundays the estate is open from ten in the morning to six in the evening, and on Saturday from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon. You can get to Kenkavero at other times, but to do this you need to pre-book tickets.
Urpola
Urpola is a nature center dedicated to the flora and fauna of the Urpolanjoki river valley. Here everyone can watch fascinating films about animals, meet the inhabitants of the river through the glass of huge aquariums, and see stuffed local animals. In addition, in Urpola you can visit the nature reserve and have lunch at the local cafe, located in the building of an old mill.
Not far from the center there is one of the most interesting natural monuments - the third largest glacial basin in Finland. The depth of the basin reaches eight meters. The age of this monument is over nine thousand years.
Anjan puisto
The Anjan puisto forest park is perhaps one of the most romantic places in the area. Here you can walk for hours along the paths carefully planted with exotic trees. Among the lush vegetation you can find various animals and birds, which, having become accustomed to regular visitors, have ceased to be afraid of people. By the way, you can have a picnic on the park’s territory, which occupies about six hectares.
Koivulan Farmi
You can get acquainted with local domestic animals at the Koivulan Farmi, where donkeys, goats, Scottish ponies, Petunia mini pigs and Finnish horses are kept.
