Olavinlinna

About this site

Olavinlinna is a historic monument and a unique symbol site of considerable historical, landscape and cultural-historical significance. The phases of Olavinlinna's building history extend over 300 years, from 1475 to the end of the 18th century. The construction of the castle, which began with the three round towers of grey stone in the main castle and the curtain wall connecting them, later expanded with the construction of the outer bailey to the east of the main castle. Surrounding the inner castle is a bastion front from the Russian period, built at the end of the 18th century. Repair and restoration of Olavinlinna as an ancient monument began after the fires of the 1860s. The most recent large-scale restoration works were carried out in 1961–1975. The castle's iconic recognition internationally is linked to Olavinlinna as an early attraction and tourist destination. Olavinlinna is situated on a rock island in Lake Saimaa at Kyrönsalmi, once an important junction on water routes. The appearance of the medieval fortress has been shaped over centuries by the conditions set by the development of firearms and fortification architecture – Olavinlinna was the first fortification in Scandinavia built with firearms in mind. Olavinlinna's appearance has also been influenced by its location on a small island. The different parts of the fortress are placed on the island according to the topography, and the height of the walls varies with the island's terrain. The fortress has had a bridge connection since its construction period, and it is still reached by boat or across a bridge. The fortress's unified northern facade consists of a long curtain wall that connects the medieval cannon towers, raised several times in later centuries, with the north-east tower built in the 17th century. The medieval main castle encompasses the area delimited by three round cannon towers connected by the curtain wall, from which the lower outer bailey continues eastward. The easternmost boundary of the fortress, the new outer bailey, was built during the Russian period in the 18th century. The same period saw the construction of the angular bastions encircling the fortress on the southern side. The only building preserved from the Russian period in the fortress is the Adjutant's House sheltered by the main castle's walls, through which there is now access to the main castle's interiors. On the large outer-bailey courtyard are an artillery barracks and a chancery building from the late 16th century. Olavinlinna has acquired its present appearance as a result of Russian repair and renovation works in the 18th century.

Official description (Museovirasto) — machine-translated from Finnish

Olavinlinna, also known as St. Olaf's Castle, is a 15th-century three-tower castle located in Savonlinna, Finland. It is built on an island in the Kyrönsalmi strait that connects the lakes Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi. It is the northernmost medieval stone fortress still standing and also the best preserved of all the medieval castles in the Swedish realm. The castle forms a spectacular stage for the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which was held for the first time in the summer of 1912.

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Municipality

Savonlinna