More summer cottages than anywhere in Finland City centre just minutes away from Lake Saimaa Several opportunities for nature activities The first feature of the city for those travelling to Mikkeli is the proximity of nature. The location on the shore of Lake Saimaa makes Mikkeli one of Finland's most popular holiday destinations – there are more summer cottages in the municipality of Mikkeli than anywhere else in Finland. But don't worry, if a summer cottage with a view towards Saimaa is still out of budget. A trip to Mikkeli as a part of a holiday in Finland is a great way to experience the charm of this city close to nature. Mikkeli, with its 50,000+ inhabitants, is one of the centers in Eastern Finland. Especially in the summertime this medium-sized city offers all kinds of market activities from fish markets to the annual international major market. International delicacies are there for taking, but you should also have a bite of traditional Savonian dishes, such as thin unleavened bread (rieska) together with a spread made of butter and hard-boiled eggs (munavoi). Nature is everywhere in Mikkeli. Even in the vicinity of the city centre, you can take a ten-minute walk to your desired direction and forget you are on an urban holiday. In the park area named Saimaa Central Park you can rent a sup-board and take a closer look at the wonders of Saimaa. For all the landlubbers, the area has nature trails both for walking and cycling. This may not be the most famous Central Park out there, but it suits Mikkeli just fine. Modesty is a very Finnish trait after all. New opportunities to combine urban and nature holiday arise when venturing a little further from the city centre. The Mikkeli region is full of Saimaa Geopark sites, where you can explore the nature and geological heritage of the area. About 40 km from Mikkeli city centre are thousands of years old rock paintings of Astuvansalmi, one of the largest rock paintings in Finland and Fennoscandia. If having everything within walking distance sounds more attractive, the Kaihu tour, which starts just over a kilometre from Mikkeli Market Square, is the best compromise for nature travellers who appreciate the city's comfort. As for music experiences, there is the Mikkeli Music Festival, which is an event focused on classical music. For more bluesy sounds, the weekend festival Bluemood Saimaa is one to check out. For sports maniacs, Mikkeli is a natural destination, as dozens of sports clubs in the area bring live sports entertainment all year round. Perhaps the most famous is Jukurit, who play main league ice hockey in the tiny Ikioma Areena with its 4,200-spectator capacity. In such a small arena, a passionate and intense atmosphere is guaranteed whenever Jukurit suit up! Adding up the regular inhabitants and the people who spend vast majority of their holidays in Mikkeli equals hundreds of thousands of Finns who are attracted to the Mikkeli region. There is nothing surprising about this, when you consider the proximity of Lake Saimaa, several nature tourist destinations and the bustling market life that wakes up in the summer. OnniBus.com offers the number one choice for a convenient and affordable way to get directly to the heart of Southern Savonia to the shore of the most iconic lake in Finland. Book your tickets here.
