Olavinlinna Castle

Olavinlinna Castle dates back to 1475 when it was built for knight Erik Axelsson Tott, in order to protect the strategically important Savo region. Through the centuries the castle has known many attacks, whereas in the more recent history, from the 1870s, the state started looking after the castle.

Restoration in the castle occurred in late 19th century as well as in the 20th century. However, the latest large-scale restoration began in 1961 and was finished in 1975, just in time for the castle's 500 -jubilee.

In the summer of 1912, opera singer Aino Ackté organized the first out of the five opera festivals. These were the predecessors of the contemporary annual Savonlinna Opera Festival that started in 1967.

The castle is in the hands of The National Museum of Finland.

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