Mikkeli Tourist Places to Visit in Mikkeli, Finland, Europe
Mikkeli is a city in the municipality of Mikkeli in the Southern Savonia region in Finland lying between latitude 61°41′ in the north and longitude 027°16′ in the east, around 230 km northeast of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
Mikkeli is the site of the University of Applied Sciences which is the major employer in the town, employing around 1300 staffs including full time, part time and service staff. Mikkeli also houses many entertainment centers, bars, pubs and clubs as well as renowned St. Michel Strings chamber orchestra.
Geography of Mikkeli:
Mikkeli is spread over an area of 2,124.60 sq. km. Mikkeli is home to many beautiful lakes including Lake Puula which is located in the west part of the town.
History of Mikkeli:
According to the historical sources, Mikkeli takes its name from Archangel Michael in the early 16th century. Mikkeli achieved town status in 1838 and during World War II, Mikkeli served as the headquarters of the armed forces of Finland.
How to reach Mikkeli?
Mikkeli is served by airport located 3 km away from the city centre. Presently, it is used only for charter flights. So the year round working and the closest airport to Mikkeli is Varkaus Airport which has connectivity to Helsinki, served by Flybe and is situated about 70 km from Mikkeli.
Mikkeli is well connected to Helsinki through railway by 8 daily trains and Pendolino train is the major one, taking around 2 hours and 16 minutes from Helsinki to Mikkeli.
The major bus operators in Mikkeli include:
- Matkahuolto
- Pohjolan Liikenne
- Onnibus
The main car rentals in Mikkeli are:
- Europcar
- Hertz
- Avis
Culture, Food and Shopping in Mikkeli:
Mikkeli International Music Festival is the main event celebrated in Mikkeli, in the Mikaeli Hall which is also the site of St. Michel Strings chamber orchestra.
The major shopping options in Mikkeli include:
- Akseli Shopping Mall
- Sokos Department Store
- Tori
- Raijan Aitta
To taste some traditional dishes, tourists can visit:
- Tertin Kartano
- Gastropub Eino
- Ravintola Fernando
- Ravintola Holvi
Things to do in Mikkeli:
- Shopping
- Visiting lakes
- Hiking
Places to see in Mikkeli:
Infantry Museum:
Infantry Museum or Jalkavakimuseo is the major museum in Mikkeli situated in the proximity of the University of Applied Sciences. It is concentrated on the four modern wars of Finland such as Winter, Civil, Lapland and Continuation wars.
Concert hall in Mikkeli:
The concert hall in Mikkeli was constructed to memorialize the 150th anniversary of Mikkeli town in 1988. It is a stylishly constructed structure boasting world class facilities.
Naisvuoren Nakotorni:
Naisvuoren Nakotorni or Naisvuori Observation Tower offers an entire of Mikkeli town. It can be reachable by foot or vehicle.
List of other places of interest in and around Mikkeli include:
- Mikkeli Art Museum
- Headquarters Museum
- Communications Centre Lokki
- Suur-Savo Museum
- Kenkävero
- Mikkeli Park
- Mikkeli Centre of Photograpy
- Mikkeli Art Museum
- The University of Applied Sciences
- Mikkeli Cathedral
- Mikkeli Market Place
- Visulahden Matkailukeskus
- Mannerheim statue
- Visulahti
- Mannerheim`s Saloon Car
Best time to visit Mikkeli:
The months of July and August are ideal to visit Mikkeli.
Accommodation options in Mikkeli:
Mikkeli is a colorful town home to many grand cultural festivals as well as reputed hotels with descent facilities and services. Mikkeli is also home to many summer cottages charging around €30/night and camping is ideal for those who seek budget option. The major hotels in and around Mikkeli include:
- Cumulus Mikkeli
- Hotel Uusikuu
- Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Mikkeli
- Kyyhkyla Manor Hotel
- Gasthaus Mikkeli
- Tertti Manor
- Visulahti Travel Centre
- Harkaniemi Cottages
- Marjan Matkakoti
- Kekkola Mansion
- Topjupek
- Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
- Nopola Cottages