Savonlinna - Provincial Museum / Saimaa Museum

On the south side of Savonlinna's island, reaching out into the Pihlajavesi, is the Riihisaari peninsula, on which is the Provincial Museum (periodic special exhibitions), housed in a former granary (1851). South of this is the Saimaa Museum, with a number of old ships, including the "Salama", a steam-powered schooner launched at Viipuri in 1874 which carried passengers and cargo between Savonlinna, St Petersburg and Lübeck. It sank in Lake Saimaa in 1898 and lay in more than 30m/100ft of water until 1971, when it was raised, restored and opened to the public as a museum ship in 1978 (displays on shipping on Lake Saimaa).