Autumn, Sunshine, Water and a Castle - Great Way to Spend a Day

Each of the posts in the series focuses on a castle and/or fort in the Baltic region. This includes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Northwest Russia with a few more thrown in for good measure. I will also include other castles from around the world as my travels take me to some very interesting destinations. Take a look at my other posts on the subject -

First Installment - https://steemit.com/history/@energyaddict22/castles-are-cool-defending-trade-forts-and-castles-part-1

Cesis, Latvia - https://steemit.com/history/@energyaddict22/castles-and-forts-series-2-cesis-wenden-latvia

Turaida Castle, Latvia - https://steemit.com/history/@energyaddict22/castles-and-forts-series-turaida-castle-sigulda-latvia

Pskov Kremlin - https://steemit.com/history/@energyaddict22/pskov-the-impregnable-fortress-of-western-russia

If you enjoy the splendor, history, romanticism and even the economic/historical importance of castles like I do, then you will want to follow along and share these with your friends. I will also take suggestions on others that need to be included in the series.

It's been over a month since I added an entry to my Castles and Forts Series, but a friend was teasing me that I have been far too hard on Finland lately and I should say something good about the Socialist Utopia that is Finland. Therefore, I am featuring the Olavinlinna Castle located in Savonlinna, Finland because it is one of the most classic castles in the world in design and beauty.

We visited in the Autumn by driving North from the Russian border at Imatra/Svetagorsk. The weather was perfect and the trees were changing as you'll notice from the photos and it was a wonderful way to spend a day in Finland. We were joined by some of our close Russian friends that were familiar with the town, which eliminated any need to plan out a tour in advance (and saved some money because Finland isn't cheap).

Swedes and Russians at War - Olavinlinna Castle

The castle was founded and built by the Erik Axellson Tott, a Swede, in 1475 to protect the area (known as Savonia) from the threat of Russian expansion during the reign of Ivan III. What is modern Finland has spent much of its history passing between the Swedish and Russian nations.

The castle outlasted several Russian sieges during the first few hundred years of its existence, but was eventually handed over to the Russian Empress Elizabeth in the 18th century before being released to the Finns in the early 19th century. It has remained under Finnish control since.

Built - 1475 (originally) with tower completions in 1485 and 1495.
Current Status - Museum with many renovations.
Location - About 200 miles Northeast from Helsinki
Initial Purpose - Protection of Trade and Territory from the threat of Russian armies.
Type - Medieval Keep with angled curtain walls and circular towers that could withstand artillery.

Diagram by Ohto Kokko

Corresponding Numbers in English
1 -Keep
2- Outer Bailey
3 - Bell Tower (St. Virgin's Tower)
4 - Church Tower (St. Olof's Tower)
5 - Kijl's Tower
6 - Thick Bastion (on place of Thick Tower)
7 - Ruins of the collapsed St Erik's Tower
8 - Bell Bastion (semi-bastion)
9 - Gateway Curtain
10 - Watergate Curtain
11 - Curtain wall
12 - Smallgate Bastion
13 - Suvorov's Bailey

Interesting Facts

Construction was likely completed using labor and expertise from the city of Reval (modern day Tallinn, Estonia), which coincidentally also has large beautiful towers and thick curtain walls used to protect trade and the city itself.

While no siege or bombardment was capable of overcoming the castle defenses or the surrounding waters, two of the "impregnable" towers were destroyed. The first was due to collapse because of a poor foundation and the 2nd in an internal explosion.

Saint Olaf's Castle Today

A wonderful museum exists in the castle currently and features historical information about the castle, the city of Savonlinna, and the surrounding area. The cost is reasonable at about 10 Euros for adults and 5 Euros for children. If you're there, it is a can't miss. If you're in Finland, a trip to Savonlinna is certainly a good option.

Additionally, every summer the castle hosts the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The festival was originally started in the early 20th century, but ceased during the First World War. However, it was revived in 1967 and has grown into a month long event that attracts visitors and some of the best opera companies in the world.

More information on the city and castle can be found at - http://visitsavonlinna.fi/en/

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Images -
Title Photo of the castle at night - Lauri Kosonen
Castle Diagram - Ohto Kokko
Sunset from the Castle - Downloaded for Pixabay
All other images are mine.

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