Lappeenranta

Trains between Russia and Finland no longer run due to the company co-owned by the state railway companies of both countries being on the EU sanctions list. That is why the only form of public transportation available is the bus. There is a bus connection between Helsinki and St.Petersburg. One of them makes a stop in the border town of Lappeenranta.

I drove my wife and daughter to the bus station in Lappeenranta to send them off to see relatives. I'm home now. Before I drove back home I took some photos of the town of Lappeenranta. I visited what's left of a fortress at the lakefront just north of the town center.

Lappeenranta is the regional center of Southern Karelia. But it's not very big. The population is about 72,300.

The water immediately down the hill is the bay where the boat harbor is. The fortress is on the cape in front of it.

I drove to the fortress. I wasn't expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised. One major street runs through the fortress. Most of the interesting buildings are along that street.

Designer shops and a coffee shop.

Those two are early 20th century. According to a sign that one made out of red bricks is a military building built in 1910.

Cavalry museum

The oldest Orthodox church in the country, from late 18th.

This is an apartment building.

As is this one.

The northern end of the street.

Some shots of the new part of the town I took earlier in the evening.