The area of Savonlinna is the pearl of Lake Saimaa. Savonlinna is a beautiful and lively city of around 35 000 people in Eastern Finland, in the lap of lake Saimaa.The varied nature of the area of Savonlinna shows the beauty and gracefulness of Finland’s Lakeland. The city was founded in 1639, based on Olavinlinna castle. The castle was founded by Erik Axelsson Tott in 1475 in an effort to protect Savonia and to control the unstable border between the Kingdom of Sweden and its Russian adversary. During the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743), the castle was captured by Field-Marshal Peter Lacy. It was held by Russia between 1743 and 1812, when it was granted back to Finland as a part of the "Old Finland".
