14 / 14 Saimaa scenery Punkaharju - Rapids - Saimaa Canal - Kolovesi - Linnansaari - Olavinlinna In 1475, Erik Axelsson Tott founded a fortress on a rocky island in the swiftly flowing strait of Kyrönsalmi between Lake Haukivesi and Lake Pihlajavesi to secure the volatile eastern border of Sweden and to protect the settlement of Savonlinna. The castle was named after St Olav, a Nordic patron saint. In 1742, the Russians captured Olavinlinna and converted it into a node in the defences of the country's western border. When Finland was completely annexed by Russia in 1809, the castle lost its strategic role, and it was subsequently used for a number of purposes, for instance as a prison. The castle was thoroughly renovated twenty years ago. Olavinlinna Castle, Savonlinna The town of Savonlinna grew around Olavinlinna Castle and its garrison. Today, the castle hosts the internationally celebrated Savonlinna Opera Festival.