Mikkeli

Mikkeli (St. Michel in Swedish) is a cozy town in South Savonia province, Eastern Finland with a population of 54,400. It is 230 km NE from Helsinki and 100 km west from Savonlinna. It was founded in 1838 and the Finnish Army HQ under Marshal Mannerheim was based there during World War II.

By train
Mikkeli railway station is in the centre, one block from the market square. The city is on the main Savonia railway between Helsinki and Kuopio. Sometimes you may have to change trains in Kouvola. Typically, there are 7 daily connections from Helsinki to Mikkeli, ranging from "regular" old express trains (seize the opportunity while they still are around!) to slightly better equipped InterCity 2 trains. The fastest connection are the Pendolino trains, making the trip in 2 hours and 16 minutes.

By bus
Mikkeli has good bus connections to all main cities of Southern and Northern Finland. Direct routes are available for example from Helsinki, Lahti, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lappeenranta, Savonlinna and Imatra. Buses leave from the Matkakeskus terminal integrated with the railway station.

By boat
Lake Saimaa can be reached from the sea through the Saimaa Canal. Boats with high masts may have to moor at Kristiina, some 15 km south of the centre.

By car
From Helsinki drive through road 5. Almost equal in distance is the road via Kouvola (roads 7, 6 and 15).

Get around
Mikkeli has a comprehensive public transport system (buses to e.g. Anttola and Otava almost every hour). Information about local transport you can find here. You can use theDigitransit route planner to find local bus routes between given locations and addresses. One-way tickets for buses in the city area cost around €3, while fares for longer routes are distance based. The Waltti Mobiili mobile app can be used to purchase tickets.

Moppe service lines and rural lines complement the regular local bus lines. Part of these services operate by fixed route and schedule, but part of them are based on the dial-a-ride principle.

Major car rental companies, such as Europcar and Hertz, are available in Mikkeli. In summertime, one may also hop in a sightseeing bus or take a cruise in Saimaa from the harbour.

Taxis are also available.


 * Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi
 * Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

By electric kick scooter
Finnish Joe Scooter rents electric kick scooters for use in the centre.

See
During World War II, Mikkeli was the headquarters of the Finnish Army, and quite a few sights from the period remain.



Do




Eat
Mikkeli has quite a few restaurants given to the city's relatively small size, although many of them are generic chain restaurants. Fast food is available in the form of kebabs and pizzas. McDonald's and Hesburger have two restaurants each in Mikkeli. Almost all kebab restaurants stay open until the closing time of night clubs, and are thus seen as the preferred late-night eating options. There is a list of lunch offers for each day.

Some noteworthy restaurants:



Drink
Mikkeli's nightlife is not perhaps one of the busiest in Finland, but has some nice pubs to visit. Surprisingly the live music scene is very active. Most of the bars are centred along Porrassalmenkatu, so exploring the night is very easy. In wintertime the city is quiet, but in summer many nice terraces open up throughout the centre.



Sleep
There are a few hotels in the town centre but not many hostels can be found. Camping is a good choice for cheaper accommodation.

Cottages
The area around Mikkeli is one of Finland's main centres for summer cottages (kesämökki). Most are inconveniently located unless you have your own car, and primarily geared for families or groups who can bring all their own gear (bedding, food, etc.) and stay a week or longer, but a few cater also to short-stay visitors. Prices vary widely depending on the facilities: some places go for as little as €30/night, top-end facilities ten times that.



Go next

 * Suomenniemi
 * Jyväskylä
 * Kouvola
 * Kuopio
 * Pieksämäki
 * Savonlinna — The northernmost medieval stone castle, with a famous opera festival, 100 km away by car