Saint Olaf

Olavinlinna, or Saint Olaf was founded in 1475 while Finland was still a part of the Swedish empire. The castle was commissioned by a Danish knight - Lord Erik Axelsson Tott (Sweden was more a loose confederation than a single country at the time) - to protect the eastern border of the empire against an ever growing Russian threat. Well, it was also to lay claim to the Russian side of a disputed border but Russia was an ever present danger. The castle was named St. Olaf after the patron saint of knights. Ownership of the castle passed between the Russians and Swedes a couple of times over the years as the ever changing border went back and forth.

Olavinlinna ceased military operations in 1809 and served as a prison for a good part of the 19th century. In 1907 it became part of the newly created country of Finland but fell into neglect and ruin. Restoration work was completed in the 60's & 70's. Today it is government owned and hosts the Savonlinna Opera Festival every July. This is apparently a pretty big deal and preparations for the festival were in progress during our visit. It also is the site of concerts and exhibitions. It is among the most completely restored of all the Scandinavian castles and the tour is quite interesting.

Official Website