Savonlinna Opera Festival | Lake Saimaa Region

First-class opera in a medieval castle

The Savonlinna Opera Festival is Finland’s premiere cultural event. World renowned for its high-quality opera performances and concerts, every summer it brings music lovers from across the globe to the charming lakeside city of Savonlinna. The month-long festival is held in Olavinlinna, a towering medieval castle by Finland’s largest lake. This creates a uniquely dramatic ambiance for its 70 000 visitors. Once inside, festival-goers are dazzled by classics and rarely seen works as well as world premieres and visiting productions from esteemed opera houses like La Scala.

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Hotel Järvisydän

Our unique Järvisydän hotel is in our awesome main building, which is constructed from Finnish stone and old wood – all locally acquired.

Standard Room
Standard rooms have double bed, balcony to the garden or forest and rocks, shower/toilet, hairdryer, minibar, tv and capsule coffee machine, and water kettle. Rooms are also equipped with towels.

Suite Room
Suite Rooms have a living room/small kitchen, bedroom, and a sleeping gallery. There is a double bed in the bedroom, and in the sleeping gallery there is one single bed plus a folding bed for one. The sofa of the living room can be used as an extra bed for two persons. In the bathroom there is a shower, jacuzzi and a toilet.

Superior Rooms
Our Superior Suite with a jacuzzi is a nice option also for a longer holiday. Superior has a double bed and the sofa can be used also as an extra bed for one person. In the bathroom, there is a shower, jacuzzi and a toilet. Superior have also a second toilet, hallway, and a balcony with the view to Lake Saimaa.

VIP suite
Our Vip Suite is located in the top floor of the hotel and we can recommend it for e.g. for a special occasion like honeymoons or for small meetings. Vip Suite is equipped with a jacuzzi, fireplace, kitchen, 2 toilets, meeting lounge, and of course with a view to Lake Saimaa.

Lietsu Boutique Aparthotel – Hotel with Karelian Charm in Joensuu, Eastern Finland

We offer service with a personal touch – Any request, big or small, we’re here to help!

Each of our hotel rooms has a unique design and is equipped to a high standard. The decorative details in each room tell stories about local history, culture and nature. You may book your stay with or without local Karelian breakfast.

Lietsu Boutique Aparthotel has 30 double rooms and one smaller, single room. Some of the rooms can be combined to make a larger space for example for a family stay. All the rooms have their own kitchen and bathroom and are equipped with air conditioning and heating. Our hotel doors are secured by code locks.

If you book your stay directly from the hotel or on our website www.lietsuhotel.fi, parking is included in the price. Also, in direct bookings the use of the gym is free and you are offered a private 1-hour Finnish sauna with a river view.

We are proud to have the audited EcoCompass certificate for our responsible environmental management system (EMS), and we have gained the Sustainable Travel Finland certificate. We also collaborate with the Joensuu Climate Block project and are engaged in the national Energy Efficiency Agreement for the hotel sector. Equality and accessibility – well, isn’t it obvious that everyone is equal and all should have equal access to services? We believe so and strive to make everyone’s stay comfortable and safe.

Come and enjoy the relaxing Lietsu atmosphere in North Karelia!

Koli National Park

Finland’s best loved national landscape

When you take in the marvellous view over Lake Pielinen from the top of Ukko-Koli hill, it’s easy to see why this spot has attracted so many Finnish artists, photographers and nature-lovers over the centuries. The splendid scenery always instills a sense of serenity and wonder in visitors. Koli’s hills and lakes provide fine settings for enjoyable outings and activities at any time of year.

In nature conservation areas, everyman’s rights do not apply in the normal way. Please always check the rules of the destination before making your trip.
National parks are nature reserves, whose key task is to safeguard biodiversity and enable people to enjoy and relax in nature on the terms of nature conservation.
All national parks in Finland are managed by Metsähallitus.

Spa Bomba

Relax at the luxurious Spa Bomba in Nurmes, overlooking lake Pielinen. Try the Karelian sauna Kyly, experience a traditional Finnish sauna Sampo or relax at the steam sauna Taivaankansi. The sauna department also has experience showers and foot baths.

The pool area pampers you with hot and cold pools, a main pool with different kind of massaging showers and streams and special showers with light and sound. The outside terrace has outdoor jacuzzis which are perfect for relaxing while looking at the stunning view. The pool bar serves you and you can enjoy the refreshments at the relax area of the spa on the heated seats. Come and experience the Karelian themed spa!

Break Sokos Hotel Bomba

Break Sokos Hotel Bomba is an exclusive spa hotel located on the shore of the lake Pielinen and part of the Bomba tourism area in Nurmes. The luxurious Karelian-themed spa with its outdoor jacuzzis with lake views and a variety of themed saunas pamper your mind and body. The spa hotel also has three restaurants: an Italian style café & restaurant Buolu, cozy Restaurant Bomba and Frans & Emma.

The cozy hotel rooms are perfect for families, group of friends or couples and the area offers things to do for everyone. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings, relax at the spa, eat well at the restaurant and fall asleep on the comfy hotel beds!

The Bomba area also has a Karelian village where the traditional Bomba House is located. Explore the small museum room, shop at the arts & crafts boutique or go on a walk towards the Orthodox chapel. Experience Karelian culture and food while staying at Bomba!

Bomba also has Bomba Safaris adventure and experience services offering rental equipment as well as guided tours. Head out to nature on your own or go on a guided tour!

Kuhmo Chamber Music 2026

Kuhmo in Eastern Finland is a paradise of music during the annual Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival. Music can be heard from early morning events till late evening concerts. But is not only the music that matters in Kuhmo. The combinations of culture and pure nature make Kuhmo very special. The Austrian music magazine Die Festspiele has said that the strengths of the Festival are “blue lakes, white nights, cosy atmosphere and unique music”.

The 56th Kuhmo Chamber Music will take place from 12th to 25th July 2026. The theme of the summer will be “Celebrations & Ceremonies”. The festival will celebrate various annual festivities from Easter to May Day, Midsummer, and Christmas, as well as birthdays and anniversaries of composers and artists. One person’s celebration may be another’s ordinary day – even consumerism will be part of the theme. A significant part of the celebration will be the European Capital of Culture year for Oulu and its 39 neighboring municipalities. Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival will be closely involved and contribute to the Spotlight of Europe theme with three commissioned premieres.

The concerts will be held in three wonderful wooden venues – in Kuhmo’s beautiful old church (built in 1816), at the Kuhmo Arts Centre (built in 1993) and in the Tuupala School (2018). The full programme and list of performers, around 100 international artists, will be published in January 2026.

Don’t miss Kuhmo – the world capital of chamber music!

Break Sokos Hotel Bomba

Break Sokos Hotel Bomba is an exclusive spa hotel located on the shore of the lake Pielinen and part of the Bomba tourism area in Nurmes. The luxurious Karelian-themed spa with its outdoor jacuzzis with lake views and a variety of themed saunas pamper your mind and body. The spa hotel also has three restaurants: an Italian style café & restaurant Buolu, cozy Restaurant Bomba and Frans & Emma.

The cozy hotel rooms are perfect for families, group of friends or couples and the area offers things to do for everyone. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings, relax at the spa, eat well at the restaurant and fall asleep on the comfy hotel beds!

The Bomba area also has a Karelian village where the traditional Bomba House is located. Explore the small museum room, shop at the arts & crafts boutique or go on a walk towards the Orthodox chapel. Experience Karelian culture and food while staying at Bomba!

Bomba also has Bomba Safaris adventure and experience services offering rental equipment as well as guided tours. Head out to nature on your own or go on a guided tour!

Accommodation in Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna, Mikkeli

Staying the night in Mikkeli offers a break from everyday life

Our comfortable rooms offer you a rest and a good night’s sleep. Would you like a room with a charming indoor balcony, or would you prefer our exciting Superhero Rendel theme room?

Our sauna facilities are located on the top floor, offering a great view of Mikkeli. You can also arrange family or company parties at our hotel, and our modern facilities also facilitate arranging successful meetings and events.

A hotel breakfast tops off a good night’s sleep

The relaxed French-style bistro Frans & Michelle offers a generous buffet breakfast every morning. What better way to start a day than by tasting local products and the kitchen’s own delicacies!

Restaurant Villa

Stylish surroundings, immediate and warm service and, above all, good food – all this is Forssa’s own restaurant Villa. Our impeccable á la carte menu is built from good, domestic ingredients. Experienced cooks as well as lovers of traditional home cooking will find a dish they like from us, not forgetting children.

Forssa Museum Pattern Centre

Pattern Centre is the home of the Forssa museum’s collection of printed textiles. The space is divided into an exhibition space, museum shop, archive, and research facilities. The permanent exhibition opened its doors at the end of April 2022.

The exhibition includes information, illustrations, and photographs of designers and their time as well as printed textiles, made into textile installations. These installations have been created to showcase different styles and decades of Finnish printed textile design. You can learn about color layering, color theory, and textile printing in our exhibition that invites you to touch, feel and try for yourself!

Background in Finnish Textile History:
The new exhibition tells the story of Finnish textile printing, an industry that began in Forssa in the 1860s. Forssa maintained its status as a focal place of printmaking know-how and design, through the age of industrial textile printing in Finland, and continued onwards from the 1930s as an important part of Finlayson Co.

From the year 1951, the Forssa design studio hosted textile designers and artists who created patterns of different colors and designs: stripes, polka dots, florals, abstracts, and everything in between, always getting inspired by the movements of art, popular culture, architecture, and design of their time. These printed fabrics dressed our nation, decorated our homes, and spread across the border to international markets.

Opening hours for the summer season.
(1.6.-31.8.)
Mon: closed
Tue-Fri: 10-16
Sat-Sun: 12-16

Opening hours outside the summer season
(1.9.-31.5.)
Mon: closed
Tue-Fri: 10-16
Sat-Sun: open upon request, please contact us in advance.

Guided tours are available.

Forssa Museum

Forssa museum is located in the historic Spinning Mill Area which has been renovated into a vibrant cultural centre.

Our permanent exhibition the City of Colourful Cloth tells how Forssa evolved from a group of farming villages of the middle of the 19th century into a modern industrial city. It tells how Axel Wahren founded Forssa and how “cotton angels” came to work in the factory. It tells about the time when the river through the city got blue, green or red, depending on the dyeing plant. It also tells about later days when rotating machines produced kilometres of colourful cloth, and when houses were made of concrete.

The City of Forssa was established around textile industry. Swedish born Axel Wilhelm Wahren (1814-1885) founded a cotton spinning mill by the side of Kuhalankoski rapids in 1849. The mill was soon followed by a weaving mill, yarn dye works and Finlands first industrial fabric printing plant. In 1934 the Forssa Company founded by Wahren was merged with the Finlayson textile group from Tampere. From this merge a company named Finlayson-Forssa was born. Textile production in Forssa ended in 2009. The heritage of the textile factory is now stored in Forssa museum’s textile archive, which contains fabric samples, sketches and artifacts originating from between the 1800’s and 2000’s.

Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna, Hämeenlinna

Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna, Hämeenlinna – The happiest lake hotel in Finland!

Open the door from history to a modern hotel adventure

Travel through history along Hämeen Härkätie, from the Middle Ages to the present day. The journey was both dangerous and thrilling, making it essential to choose a reliable travel companion. You can reach your destination only through teamwork – something that this hotel experience is perfect for. Along the way you’ll come across glass, metal and wood, the materials of old-world trade.

Stay in a cosy inn, immersed in stories. Experience a touch of France on the lakeshore of Vanajavesi in our Le Blason restaurant. Immerse yourself in the experience of Finland’s happiest lakeside hotel and Hämeenlinna’s history, brought to life in a modern way at Sokos Hotel Vaakuna.

The hotel is next to the railway station. Nearby attractions include 13th-century Häme Castle, Aulanko nature reserve, the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius, and various museums in the town centre. Vanajavesi offers excellent opportunities for a range of activities, and the surrounding nature is a delight for canoeists, cyclists and walkers alike.

We bid you welcome!

Hotel Emilia

The privately owned Hotel Emilia is located in the heart of the town of Hämeenlinna. Our hotel is recently renovated and we have 41 comfortable rooms, all equipped with individually controlled air conditioning, bathroom, TV, telephone and wireless internet access. Additionally, we have some pet rooms and a room specially designed for physically disabled people.
On the top floor we have minisuite, which has its own sauna and a balcony.

All our rooms have been decorated with Marimekko fabrics to create comfortable Scandinavian atmosphere.
Our hotel also has its own night club, Emilia Klubi, which is open on weekends. In the summer time you can enjoy breakfast, coffee or fresh drinks on our terrace.

Hotel Vanajanlinna

Hotel Vanajanlinna in Hämeenlinna is a full-service hotel and award-winning conference, event and banquet venue. There is a total of some 200 beds at Hotel Vanajanlinna and in the various other lodgings found on the grounds. Guests can stay in an elegant Main Building room, a modern suite or one of the Vanajanlinna Villas. Breakfast is included in the room rate. Vanajanlinna is also the site of one of the top golf courses in Finland – Linna Golf, which is the only European Tour Destinations in Finland.