HELSINKI > LAPPEENRANTA (221 km)
	Lappeenranta is Southern Karelia’s administrative, commercial and cultural centre. Lappeenranta is known for its friendly and good-humoured inhabitants, its natural beauty, its happy Karelian character and its excellent prospects. www.gosaimaa.fi.
The package contains Lappeenranta Fortress. The fortress is a reminder of the historical ties between east and west - today it houses charming small museums, cafés and craft stalls. The Orthodox Church also loves to receive visitors. The Lappeenranta fortress is close to the Lappeenranta Harbour on Lake Saimaa.
We recommend: 2-Hour Cruise to Saimaa Canal. This waterway from Lake Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland, with a total length of almost 43 km, was opened in 1968. The difference between the water levels in Lake Saimaa and the Gulf of Finland is a total of 76 metres and this is compensated for by eight locks, three of which are on the Finnish side of the border. During the cruise, the ship will pass through the Mälkiä lock, where the largest difference in water level in the largest lock is 12.7 metres. You can also take a one-day bus-boat trip to Vyborg in Russia (visa required). Sandcastle - Finland’s biggest sand statue (3 million kilos of sand) next to the historical Fortress.
LAPPEENRANTA > IMATRA (37 km)
	Imatra was founded in 1948. During the past 50 years, Imatra has grown into a modern city that is dominated by Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River and the Finnish–Russian border. The Imatra rapids came into existence about 5,000 years ago, when the water from Lake Saimaa broke through the Salpausselkä ridge at Vuoksenniska. Tourism is considered to have arrived at Imatra in 1772, when Empress Catherine II of Russia and her entourage came to the city to admire the struggle of the water masses in the narrow waterway. A cableway was constructed in 1872 so that brave visitors would have the opportunity to cross the foaming rapids in a basket. When the hotel Valtionhotelli was built next to the rapids in 1903, Imatra experienced an unparalleled flow of tourists. The rapids flowed freely until 1929 when Imatran Voima water power station was completed and the rapids were dammed up. Nowadays there are regular rapids displays in the summer, when the rapids are allowed to flow freely. www.gosaimaa.fi
We recommend: Imatrankoski Rapids Show During the daytime shows, the inflow in the rapids is accompanied by music of Jean Sibelius. During the evening and night performances, the effect of the inflow in the rapids is heightened by a lightshow designed by Ekku Peltomäki and music of Jean Sibelius. Imatra Big Band Festivals June 27 – July 5, 2008