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Imatra & Lappeenranta – Adventure in South Karelia
*Collaboration/PR-trip: goSaimaa, article contains affiliate linksSouth Karelia in Finland charmed us from the first moment we stepped out from the train. We had received an invitation from Anu and Pete from the All Continents -travel blog for a press trip to Lake Saimaa, and during our three-day trip we got to explore the best of Imatra and Lappeenranta – natural wonders, culture, local delicacies and stories from the heart of Lake Saimaa. It was also a great pleasure to meet other travel influencers, without whom the trip would not have been as fun and unforgettable as it was.
Lappeenranta – The best tips for the port city
By train from Tampere to LappeenrantaOur journey started comfortably from our home city Tampere, where we boarded the VR train towards Lappeenranta. The train journey was a great time to admire the beautiful rural landscapes of our country and get ready for the upcoming weekend adventure. At Lappeenranta station, we met the other people who had set off on the journey and our lovely goSaimaa guide. This is where our journey towards the best parts of Lappeenranta and Imatra began.
Ready to jump aboard the VR train in Tampere 
Original Sokos Hotel Lappee – Comfortable accommodation in the heart of the cityWe stayed the first night at the Original Sokos Hotel Lappee, located right in the heart of Lappeenranta city center, next to the IsoKristiina shopping center. We give this hotel a 5/5, because this newly renovated, modern and beautifully decorated accommodation was exactly to our taste. Stylish rooms, central location, diverse and delicious breakfast (this always says a lot about a hotel!), compact and beautiful sauna and swimming pool area and, above all, wonderfully cordial staff.
BOOK ORIGINAL SOKOS HOTEL LAPPEE HERE
The rooms of Lappee were stylish and charming 
Welcome gift 
We loved the style of the bathrooms 
Breakfast great 5/5 
The sauna and spa were so beautiful
Lehmus Roastery and Satamatie 6 – The best café in townWe quickly left our luggage at the hotel and headed out to explore the city. Our guide first took us to the only right place to have a coffee in Lappeenranta – the Satamatie 6 café. The café is connected to the coffee roastery Lehmus Roastery, so here you can enjoy fresh coffee from their own roastery alongside delicious pastries and savory snacks. We ate a fresh croissant and a goat cheese bagel to satisfy our hunger, and we had delicious and beautiful raspberry raisin muffins to satisfy our thirst for coffee. The Satamatie 6 building itself is an old harbor warehouse from the early 1900s, and the history of the place brings its own unique atmosphere to the coffee moment.
Satamatie 6 
Satamatie 6 manufactures its own products, including coffee from its own roastery. 
The Sandcastle is an attraction for all agesIn the summer, the famous Sandcastle rises in the Lappeenranta harbor, its changing themes attracting viewers of all ages. This year, the theme is horror. The skillfully carved sandcastle made us stop several times to take pictures of the sandworks.
Lappeenranta Sandcastle 
Lappeenranta Fortress offers an old-world atmosphereBefore dinner, we visited the Lappeenranta Fortress, which serves as the old town of Lappeenranta. The cobblestone streets and old buildings of the fortress exude history, but something else was happening here. The Cityravit 2025 event was being held there, and who else could host the event than the famous Finnish speaker Antero Mertaranta himself.
Amazing views of Lappeenranta 
Cityravit 2025
Restaurant Kehruuhuone in the best locationDinner was already eagerly awaited at the end of a long day of travel. Restaurant Kehruuhuone in Lappeenranta Fortress had reserved a long table for us in their own hall and the buffet offered a variety of salads, vegetables, meat and vegan options. For dessert, there was chocolate mousse and mini pancakes. From here, with full stomachs, it was good to head for a walk to the harbor and back to the hotel for an evening sauna and a quick swim before going to bed.
Imatra – Rapids and cultural heritage
Water sports and local stories at Vuoksi Fishing ParkThe next day, after a delicious hotel breakfast, we headed by bus to Vuoksi Fishing Park to digest our breakfast and try some wakeboarding. Well, some of us tried it and some didn’t. The most adventurous decided to take action and let themselves be carried along by a rope with a wakeboard in the 12-degree Vuoksi water, while the rest of us were content with the role of photographers or trying out lighter activities.
Vuoksi Fishing Park is a large outdoor event center where you can practice various water sports, from stand-up paddle boarding to water biking, wakeboarding, rowing, fishing and river cruises on Vuoksi. You can also try electric cycling or mini golf here. For those staying longer, the area offers accommodation and restaurant services, and we enjoyed a great lunch of traditional salmon soup and salmon stew at the end of our wild adventures.
Vuoksi Fishing & Water Park 
Wakeboarding 
The water was only +12 degrees 
Sauna raft Imatra – An experience with a capital EWater is a big element in Saimaa, so the theme of our day continued by the water. Our next activity was to jump on a sauna raft and this was our first sauna raft experience. The Imatra Sauna Raft took us along the Vuoksi River and even though the day was a bit cool and windy, the scenery was still magnificent and worth experiencing. The wooden sauna offered sauna lovers a delicious steam bath and some dared to swim, even though the water was still freezing cold.
Sauna Raft Imatra 
Windy but wonderful 
12 degree water was refreshing after sauna
Imatrankoski is Finland’s oldest tourist attractionImatrankoski is a national landscape and the oldest tourist attraction in Finland. The rapids have been admired since the 18th century, and although the rapids are now dammed, you can still enjoy their roar during popular rapids shows. Imatrankoski is surrounded by Finland’s oldest nature park, the Crown Park, which was founded by the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. After the visit of the Russian Empress Catherine II, Imatra’s popularity grew even more among both the Russian nobility and the Finnish aristocracy, and eventually, by the end of the 20th century, Imatra was so popular that up to 14 train services ran from St. Petersburg to Imatra daily. The historic Art Nouveau hotel Imatra Valtionhotelli, which stands next to the rapids, is, together with the rapids, Imatra’s most famous attractions, and for good reason. (Source: goSaimaa).
Today, Imatrankoski only presents its roar during free rapids shows, as the rapids are dammed to generate electricity. Check the schedules of the rapids shows on the goSaimaa website. Imatrankoski is a Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark site.
Imatrankoski rapids and opening of the dam 
Imatrankoski and hotel Imatran Valtionhotelli 
Imatran Valtionhotelli
Nuotta offers fish from its own smokehouse on the shores of Lake SaimaaSummer restaurant Nuotta is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa in the passenger harbor of Imatra, in a beautiful lakeside setting, right next to Imatra Spa. Restaurant Nuotta is an award-winning and acclaimed terrace restaurant, known mainly for its fish dishes, where professionalism is evident on the plate. When our group of travel influencers arrived with our cameras and phones, a few heads turned on the terrace. We must not have been an everyday sight in these parts, who knows? The food was good and the wine pairing worked brilliantly with the evening sun glistening in the background, that’s the main thing.
Nuotta served us a fish-focused menu 
Blinis for the appetizer 
Main course was smoked salmon 
Pannacotta always works for dessert 
Beautiful sunset by Lake Saimaa
Imatra Spa Hotel – Step back in timeWhat would a visit to Imatra be without relaxing at the Imatra Spa? Our second accommodation was at the Imatra Spa Hotel, where we were able to relax in the old-style rooms on the Promenade side well into the next day. We went to enjoy the spa to the fullest and the variety of pools made it difficult to choose, so we tested each pool several times. The heated outdoor pool was a nice experience, as was the hot tub. We tested the water slides and unintentionally sipped refreshing pool water at the same time, even though we weren’t really thirsty. The spa gave us its best and we welcomed everything with joy.
The hotel offers restaurant services, shops, and a variety of activities and activities for the whole family. While a few small things in this hotel left a little to be desired, the spa’s spritzes crowned the visit and the Imatra Spa Hotel is definitely an experience worth experiencing.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT IMATRA SPA HERE
Imatra Spa hotel 
The rooms were basic but nice 
Imatra Spa 
Many different pools 
Water running circle 
Why travel to Imatra and Lappeenranta?Imatra and Lappeenranta offer the perfect combination of culture, nature, history, activities and good food. The heart of South Karelia beats warmly and welcomes travelers with unique hospitality. If you are looking for a memorable domestic trip, goSaimaa!
On Sunday it was time to return home and this time the train journey went by briskly, chatting and laughing about the weekend’s adventures with the group. Thanks for the trip, all my wonderful colleagues and partners!
HAVE YOU BEEN TO IMATRA AND LAPPEENRANTA? TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENTS! 🙂<3: Tiina Johanna
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Paris Catacombs – History and Secrets Beneath the City
*Article contains affiliate linksParis Catacombs offer a fascinating dose of history and secrets beneath the city. If Paris first brings to mind the Eiffel Tower, croissants, and the banks of the Seine glowing in the evening sun, you’re not alone. But did you know that beneath the city lies another, darker, quieter world, where time seems to stand still and history creeps up on you? Welcome to the Paris Catacombs, one of the city’s most fascinating (and slightly creepy) places to visit.
The Paris Catacombs were created when cemeteries became fullParis Catacombs were something else entirely in the beginning. In fact, the story of the Catacombs begins long before the first bones were moved. During the Roman Empire, Parisians quarried limestone beneath the city for building material. These disused quarries formed a vast underground network hundreds of kilometers long, which later proved useful for a completely different purpose.
In the late 18th century, Paris suffered from a major problem when the cemeteries could no longer accommodate the dead. Millions of bodies had been buried in the same places for centuries, often one on top of the other and in reused tombs. The largest and oldest cemetery, Les Innocents, was so full that the foundations of neighboring houses began to collapse and a stench of disease spread through the air.
Many factors contributed to the rapid filling of the cemeteries. Rapid population growth, recurring epidemics such as plague and smallpox, and wars increased the number of deaths enormously. Gradually, the stench, the polluted water, and the collapsing cellars created a health crisis in the heart of the city. In 1786, a huge and devout operation began, when the remains of millions of deceased people began to be moved to abandoned quarries beneath the city. The transfers were carried out at night, under the direction of the clergy, and over the years, a silent kingdom of death emerged underground.
Journey to the Catacombs begin 
”Arrête ! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort.” 
Only a fraction of the corridors are open to visitors. Most are closed and access is prohibited. 
Paris Catacombs – A Visit to the City of SilenceParis Catacombs have always been an interesting destination for me because of their dark history, so I was really looking forward to this visit. Paris holds many stories and historical events, so it’s definitely worth delving a little deeper into the city when traveling.
Above us loomed the text: “Arrête ! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort.” – “Stop! This is the kingdom of death.” With these words, a walk into the shadowiest part of Paris’s history begins.
The first step down into the catacombs is like entering another world. The staircase descends deeper and deeper, and suddenly you are more than 20 meters below ground level. There is no city noise here, only the crunching gravel underfoot and the occasional drip from the stone roof. If you wish, you can take an audio guide with you, which will take you through the dark underground corridors moment by moment.
The stone walls reveal carvings, dates and small monuments. We walked the corridors for a while, tense, before finally reaching an open space with a view of the bones. Above us, the text: “Arrête ! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort.” – “Stop! This is the empire of death.” With these words, a walk into the shadowiest part of Paris’s history begins.
There were piles of bones and skulls, arranged in rows. They were not randomly piled up, but carefully, almost artistically arranged. This aesthetic arrangement is largely the work of the city’s quarry engineer, Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury, who wanted to transform the barren bone warehouse into a respectful monument.
We explored the catacombs at our paste, guided by the audio guide. There were a few other tourists and a school group wandering the corridors with us. To think that schoolchildren could get to know such interesting history here on their school trip. The group was making a bit too much noise, so we decided to meander away from it.
Paris Catacombs were first opened to visitors in the 19th century, first privately, then increasingly widely. They fascinated writers such as Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire, and they continue to inspire films, books and urban legends. Some of the tunnels are still in secret use today, when so-called cataphiles, or illegal adventurers, explore the forbidden areas by torchlight. We would have been interested in a little secret adventure in the tunnels too, but having watched so many horror movies about the place, it wouldn’t have been a good idea. Who knows what we would have encountered and with our luck the flashlight would have broken, just like in horror movies.
The catacombs are not suitable for the faint of heart or the claustrophobic. 
Breaking bones can result in a fine of up to five figures and a prison sentence. 
The bones are carefully arranged, making the place a monument. 
WHY VISIT THE CATACOMBS?Paris Catacombs are not just a historical site. They make you think about life, time, and history in a new way. They are also the perfect counterpoint to the superficial glitz and mundane attractions of Paris. After admiring Notre-Dame, nibbling on macarons, and making discoveries in the alleys of Montmartre, the Catacombs offer something deeper, literally.
Tips for the Catacombs and good to know:
- Buy your ticket in advance! The catacombs are a popular attraction and the number of visitors is limited.
- Bring long sleeves or a jacket, as it is always a bit chilly more than 20 meters below the ground.
- Bring good shoes, as there is a lot of walking in the tunnels.
- The place is not accessible. The tunnels are only accessible via narrow spiral staircases, and there are quite a few of them, so a moderate level of fitness is essential.
- Not for the claustrophobic. The tunnels are deep underground and are partly shallow and cramped. This is hardly the place you want to have a panic attack.
- You are not allowed to touch the bones. If you break these ancient bones, the fine will be in the five figures.
- Take an audio guide or a guided tour for the best experience. Just staring at the bones as such does not necessarily give the same experience as hearing the background information and history.
CHECK OUT THE GUIDED TOURS AND GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE CATACOMBS HERE:
HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE PARIS CATACOMBS? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES BELOW! 🙂<3: Tiina Johanna
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