SAVONLINNA OPERA
- In the incomparable setting of a mediaeval castle on an island.
- Productions at Savonlinna are musically, visually and dramatically first-rate.
- A pleasant, small town amidst the unassertive beauty of the lakeland in design-conscious Finland.
A MASSIVE STRUCTURE of rough-hewn granite rising from a rocky islet, the castle at Savonlinna is the largest in Scandinavia. Built in 1475 it was frequently re-fortified during the next three centuries, for this was border country: Nordic occupancy alternated with Russian until modern times.
Opera has been performed here in the courtyard since 1912, so it even pre-dates Verona as a festival in a spectacular historic setting. During the last few decades its artistic achievements have placed this festival among the best in the world, yet its rather inaccessible location keeps the number of visitors well below what it deserves.
The lake district of eastern Finland is an area of gently beguiling beauty. Thousands of inter-connected lakes meet forests of birch and pine at an incredibly convoluted shoreline. The scenery and pure air provide a restful and refreshing foil to nights at the opera.