The Czars’ Route to the Saimaa Canal & Lakeland

Saimaa scenery

Prices from £784 per person
Period: June to August 2010

Route: Helsinki – Kotka – Lappeenranta – Savonlinna – Puumala – (Lappeenranta) – (Kotka) – Helsinki

Langinkoski and the Imperial Fishing Lodge are without doubt the most widely known destinations of the summer cruises. Czar Alexander III, being fond of fishing and simple life, found here the beauty of the surrounding nature and the river rich in salmon. In many books about Russian Czars there is a photo showing Empress Dagmar, her son and the captain of the imperial yacht Tsaverna peeling potatoes on the kitchen stairs of the Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge. Today Kotka offers many more sights, among them Kotka Maretarium and Sapokka Water Park.

On the way to the canal you will sail past Virolahti. The last Russian Czar Nikolai II, the son and follower of Alexander III, liked to spend his summer holidays here. Cruising along the Saimaa Canal will remind of not only the imperial summers, but also of the times of tar steams and rafting. The locks will take you to Lappeenranta, the lively capital of South Karelia with its unadulterated Karelian dialect.

Kristina Brahe sails through the Saimaa Archipelago and the unique scenery of the Lake Saimaa, where characteristic features are seals, sour milk, fish pie and the smell of a lakeshore sauna. On your way back you will have a short stop at Puumala, which was chosen the most beautiful municipality in the Lake Saimaa District a couple of years ago.

The m/s Kristina Brahe is the largest passenger vessel operating in the Saimaa Canal. Her compact size makes her ideal for cruising Finland’s lake district and the archipelago sea. In addition to provideing everything you need for a journey, the expedition-style vessel offers an intimate, old world atmosphere that inspires a refreshing sense of congeniality. Although cabins of the vessel are small, most have full facilities. the ship is registered under the Finnish flag and the crew is Finnish.

Programme daily

Tuesday
Flight to Helsinki, Finland. Check into your hotel.

Wednesday
Cruise departure from Helsinki 10.30
Visit to Kotka 5 pm – 8.30 pm

Thursday
Mälkiä Lock 8 am
Visit to Lappeenranta 9 am – 10.45 am
Arrival at Savonlinna 6.15 pm

Friday
Departure from Savonlinna 11 am
Visit to Puumala 2.45 pm – 3.30 pm
Visit to Lappeenranta 7.30 pm – 8.15 pm

Saturday
Visit to Kotka 9 am – 9.30 am
Arrival in Helsinki 4 pm
Check into you hotel

Sunday
Flight back to the UK

Package prices

View departure times and detailed package prices here (pdf)

What is included in the price?

• Scheduled return flight from London Heathrow airport to Helsinki
• Two nights in a minimum of three stars hotel in Helsinki with breakfast
• 4 day (3 nights) cruise on m/s Kristina Brahe in chosen cabin class according to itinerary
• Full board (3 x breakfast, 4 x lunch and 3 x dinner) during the cruise
• Onboard entertainment and shore excursions

Price for one person includes accommodation in a single room and accommodating one cabin.

Please note that transfers and the shore excursion to Olavinlinna (extra charge 25 Euros) are not included in the price.

Although our prices include flights from the UK, we are able to sell this cruise on its own i.e. without flights. Please ask for a quote.

Departures from airports such as Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Newcastle and Edinburgh are also available. Please ask for a quote.

Shore excursions included in the price

Kotka
Kotka in the Era of the Czars and Catherine the Great (Wednesday), approx. 3 hours
The reigns of Catherine the Great, Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia are closely associated with the history of the Kotka region. On this tour, the guide will tell you about various events in Kotka during the Russian reign. You will visit the Imperial Fishing Lodge situated at Langinkoski approx. 5 kilometers from the centre of Kotka, built for Alexander III and his family in 1889. On the way back to the town centre, the tour runs beside the historic Kotka Redoubt, which currently houses a herb garden.

Parks at their best can be admired in the centre of Kotka and the Sapokka Water Park, which has won more prizes than any other park area in Finland. The Kotkansaari fortress community during the era of Catherine the Great and the Greek-Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas will be presented at Sapokanlahti, close to the location of the Ruotsinsalmi Naval Battle. The tour is completed by a visit to the Maritime Centre Vellamo, which is an architectural masterpiece in the old port of Kotka.

Lappeenranta
Saimaa Canal Museum and Sightseeing in Lappeenranta (Thursday), approx. 2.5 hours
The Saimaa Canal Museum is located in Lappeenranta, near the Mälkiä lock. The museum forms part of the Canal Museums Directorate (set up in 1980 and maintained by the National Board of Navigation) which includes six regional canal museums. The museum is managed by the Inland Waterways District. The museum is housed in the former official residence of the canal’s senior district manager. The building dates from 1845; the small display in the porch of the museum reveals the different wall layers of the building. Outside, the visitor can admire the beautifully restored courtyard. The permanent exhibition focuses on the many interesting facets of the history of the Saimaa Canal. An entire section is devoted to the construction of the canal, from the 17th century Pontus Canal to the present-day Saimaa Canal. On display is a pantograph, dating from 1844, which was used in the construction. You can also watch a video which illustrates the building process of the present Saimaa Canal over the period of 1963-68.

After visiting the Museum, we will make a short, guided sightseeing tour in Lappeenranta. Embarking the ship and continue cruise to Savonlinna.

Optional extras

Savonlinna: Olavinlinna Tour (Friday), approx. 1.5 hours
The tour goes from the harbour along the oldest street in Savonlinna, Linnankatu Street, to Olavinlinna castle. Linnankatu Street has played an important role in the history of Olavinlinna Castle and in the history of Savonlinna. Olavinlinna castle, the medieval fortress standing in the middle of the swiftly-flowing straits of Kyrönsalmi is one of the best-known historical attractions in Finland. The castle was founded in 1475 by a Danish-born knight, Erik Axelsson Tott, to defend the kingdom of Sweden against attacks from Russia.

During its eventful history, Olavinlinna has witnessed a good many battles, and intriguing tales about the castle have lived on until the present day. The first opera performances were staged in the castle as early as 1912, and today the castle provides the venue for the Opera Festival as well as other popular events. After the guided tour in the castle return to the harbour. Olavinlinna excursion is for extra charge 25 eur / person for the passengers on Savonlinna-Helsinki-route.

We reserve the right for changes.