Mikkeli Tourist Attractions
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The Finnish town of Mikkeli (Swedish St Michel), chief town of the province of the same name, lies on one of the western arms of Lake Saimaa.
International Trotting Races
Mikkeli International Trotting Races are held in July.
Museum of Art
In the center of Mikkeli are the Museum of Art (20th century painting, sculpture), the provincial government offices (by C. L. Engel, 1843) and the Town Hall (1912).The permanent Martti Airio collection features Finnish paintings that date from the 1870s to the 1980s, furniture, oriental carpets and small decorative arts.
Ristiina - Brahelinna
6km/4mi south of Mikkeli on Road 13 is the narrow sound of Porrassalmi, and 18km/11mi beyond this, at Ristiina, are the ruins of Brahelinna, a castle begun by Per Brahe but never completed. The church at Ristiina, built by Eskil Collenius, a Karelian architect, in 1775, contains portraits of Per Brahe and his wife.
Chalet Villages
From Mikkeli there are boat services to the nearby holiday center of Pistohiekka (chalet village) and to Lappeenranta and Savonlinna.To the north is the esker (a gravel ridge deposited by a glacier) of Pikku-Punkaharju.
Church Museum
To the northeast of the center of Mikkeli, at the end of Porrasalmenkatu, is the stone-built sacristy (kivisakasti) of Savulahti church, a wooden building (1320) which was pulled down in the 18th century. The sacristy now houses a Church Museum.
Lookout Tower
In the center of Mikkeli, on the hill of Naisvuori (open-air theater in summer), stands a lookout tower from which there are fine panoramic views. Indoor swimming pool hewn from the rock. Nearby is the interesting Headquarters Museum.
Mikkeli Cathedral
The brick-built Mikkeli Cathedral (1897) has an altarpiece (ca. 1900) by Pekka Halonen (Christ crucified, with the Virgin and St John); stained glass over the altar.
Parish Church
On the west side of Mikkeli stands the rural parish church (1816), a large wooden building in a style characteristic of eastern Finland, on a double cruciform plan, which can accommodate a congregation of 2,000.
Suur-Savo Museum
Near the Mikkeli parish church, in a converted granary at Otavankatu 11, is the Suur-Savo District Museum (history and ethnology of the Suur-Savo district).
Orthodox Church
South from the Suur-Savo Museum in Mikkeli is the Orthodox church, a modern building by Ilmari Ahonen (1957).
Kenkävero
Kenkävero is the largest wooden vicarage in Finland which dates back 550 years. The stone cowshed main building contains a gallery and farmhand's quarter. Visitors can watch live demonstrations and participate in workshops.
International Music Festival
Mikkeli is located in the heart of the Finnish lake district. Its pride is the Mariinski Theater, the main venue of the Mikkeli International Music Festival.Once dubbed the world's leading opera house by Placido Domingo, the theater is the annual venue for orchestras, choirs and soloists that make up the Mikkeli Music Festival.The festival includes both Finnish and internationally-acclaimed artists, and takes place in early July.
Mikkeli International Amateur Theater Festival
The festival began in 1976 has run during the last weekend in January ever since.The program includes dozens of local and international performances ranging from traditional to dance and musical theater.This is the only Finnish annual festival arranged in the winter.
Tuukkola
3km/2mi south of Mikkeli on Road 18, at Tuukkola, can be found a cemetery with graves dating from the 12th century.
Visulahti
Outside Mikkeli, to the north, is the Visulahti tourist center, with a wax museum, a motor museum and Miniland (scaled-down models of Finnish buildings).There is also a waterpark and bungalows available to rent.
Map of Mikkeli Attractions
Map - Miikkeli / St Michel
