Savitaipale is a lively and active municipality in South Karelia, South East Finland. Here you can enjoy the best aspects of unspoilt and peaceful nature. The surrounding nature is a diverse and beautiful combination of the lakes Kuolimo and Saimaa, as well as numerous smaller lakes, in addition to the various eskers, forests and vast fields. Savitaipale is ideal for people who want to take care of their wellbeing and love sports and nature.
The centre of Savitaipale is located alongside Lake Kuolimo and on Salpausselkä 2 ridge, an extensive ridge system shaped during the Ice Age. The northern edge of the ridge reaches the height of 40 meters in places. The climatic conditions are favourable and the nature’s resources abundant. All of this makes the landscape unique and diverse.
The centre of Savitaipale hosts a variety of services, grocery stores and specialized shops.
The location of Savitaipale in South Karelia is also convenient when it comes to traffic and transportation. The centre of the municipality is located alongside highway no. 13. Both the railway station and the airport are only half-an-hour’s drive away.
With its wide range of services, the lively South Karelian village will expand its position as an interesting location for residents and recreationalists. Per capita, the municipality has more cottages than any other location in South Karelia. With the approximate three thousand summer cottages, the population of Savitaipale, about 3 500 inhabitants, almost triples during the summertime.
Welcome to Savitaipale!
Facts and statistics about the municipality of Savitaipale
Established
1639
Population
ca. 3500
Total surface area
691 km2
Land area
540 km2
Lake area
151 km2
Shoreline
996 km2
Location
In terms of getting here, Savitaipale has a favourable location in South Karelia. The centre of the municipality is located alongside highway no. 13 between Lappeenranta and Mikkeli. The closest railway station and airport are located in Lappeenranta, only half-an-hour’s drive away.
- Lappeenranta 38 km
- Mikkeli 70 km
- Imatra 72 km
- Vyborg, Russia 99 km
- Kouvola 74 km
- Kotka 107 km
- Lahti 137 km
- Jyväskylä 179 km
- Helsinki 227 km
- St. Petersburg 231 km
- Kuopio 232 km
- Tampere 263 km
- Turku 388 km
- Oulu 520 km
- Rovaniemi 738 km
By car
Enter address Torikatu 10, 54800 Savitaipale into your navigator, and you will be guided to the marketplace in the centre of Savitaipale, a stone’s throw away from all the major services. Free parking can be found around the marketplace.
By foot
The center of Savitaipale is easy to move around on foot. Dining places and cafés can be found near the marketplace and close to the harbour. The beach, church, and many of the main attractions are just a short walk from the village center.
By bike
It’s easy to move around Savitaipale by bike. There are many walking and hiking trails which are also open for mountain bikes. Trails are versatile and run through beautiful and memorable scenery.
By boat or canoe
The center of Savitaipale and its harbour is located on the beautiful and clean lake Kuolimo, which offers many recreations like boating, fishing and canoeing. Savitaipale and many of its villages, e.g. Partakoski, Kärnäkoski, Lavikanlahti, Rahikkala and Kuivainen, are also reachable from the Lake Saimaa. A canoeist can move between Lake Kuolimo and Lake Saimaa at Orraintaipale former crossing point on the northern side of Partakoski rapids. The distance required to carry the canoe is approx. 300 meters.
By bus
A number of buses pass through Savitaipale on a daily basis from the directions of Lappeenranta and Mikkeli, from where connections extend onwards to destinations all over Finland. The bus stop is right in the center of the village, close to the marketplace.
Savonlinja Oy
tel +358 20 141 5500 (Mon–Fri 8.00–16.00)
savonlinja.fi/en
Matkahuolto Oy
tel. +358 200 4000
www.matkahuolto.fi/en
By taxi
Savitaipale taxi stand is located in the center of the village, just off the marketplace.
Address: Kievarintie 5
tel. +358 5 416 0035
By train
The nearest railway stations are in Lappeenranta, Mikkeli and Kouvola.
VR Customer Service, tel. +358 600 41 900
You can also check timetables and buy train tickets on: www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/frontpage
By plane
The nearest airport is in Lappeenranta, half-an-hour’s drive away from Savitaipale. There are direct flights to Athens (Greece) and Bergamo (Italy) and charter flights to various destinations in Europe. www.lppairport.fi/en
Living in Savitaipale
There are seven active villages in the municipality of Savitaipale: Havo, Heituinlahti, Kuivasensaari, Partakoski, Savitaipaleen kirkonkylä, Säänjärvi and Välijoki. These villages have formed an extensive network of village organizations that restore and host meeting places, actively plan and develop happenings and events, and uphold the cultural heritage and historical landscapes.
During the summer season, the number of residents in Savitaipale increases to almost threefold, thanks to the some 3000 summer cottages in the area.
Housing
In Savitaipale, we like to describe our town as a modern countryside. Here, you can live in the peacefulness of the countryside but still be close to the main services and stores located in the town centre. Thanks to the fast Internet connections, it is possible to be firmly connected to the world outside, when needed.
The housing opportunities in Savitaipale are varied. You can feel at home in the closeness of the centre’s services and waterways, as well as the rural peace. For those wishing to build their own houses, there are plenty of single-family plots on offer, as well as housing packages on turnkey options. We also manage more than one hundred rental homes. There are also plans to start building new detached house areas by the lake.
Early childhood education and daycare
Savitaipale has three daycare centres, where all children have an individual early childhood education plan drawn up in co-operation with their parents. The municipality also has preschool, morning and afternoon clubs, as well as a children’s health clinic.
Education
The municipality has two schools providing basic education, Heituinlahti school and Europaeus school. Heituinlahti teaches students in grades 1 to 6 and Europaeus school grades 1 to 9.
Savitaipale also has a high school Savitaipaleen lukio, which was ranked among the hundred best Finnish high schools in 2015. On Savitaipale’s high school tennis line, one can study and play sports while accumulating credits. The godfather of the tennis line is the successful Finnish tennis player Jarkko Nieminen.
The municipality also has a community college, where both children and adults can study a broad range of artistic and cultural subjects, as well as sports, music and languages. Arts and music education is additionally complemented in the municipality by an art school and a music school.
Work and livelihood
The natural conditions in Savitaipale favour plant production, forestry and tourism industries. Basic agriculture continues to play an important role in maintaining the viability of rural areas. The production of farms has shifted increasingly in the direction of crops, which increases the opportunities at farms for the development of other business activities, as well as paid work outside the farms.
Savitaipale has small sawmills, planing mills and wood product industries, as well as mineral and metal companies. Other major forms of business are machine contracting, construction, transportation and food processing. Tourism and its related food and accommodation activities, recreation, treatment and care services, as well as the manufacture of handicraft products are increasing and interesting forms of enterprises.
Business House
The municipality of Savitaipale has renovated real estate vacated by a bank into modern business premises that also support occupational well-being. Business House is a community meeting place, where one may receive support from a range of individuals from varying business elds through informal interaction. The building is the location of work for entrepreneurs, remote workers, and a variety of o ce and wellness entrepreneurs, as well as students and trainees.
Address: Kievarintie 1
Open Mon–Fri 8–15
Health services
The municipality’s family and social services support residents during their various life stages and situations, such as questions concerning child’s birth and growth, schooling, income, aging, migration and services for persons with disabilities. In addition, a number of businesses and associations complement and support the services provided by the municipality.
Savitaipale Wellbeing Centre
Savitaipale Wellbeing Centre belongs to South Karelia Social and Health Care District (Eksote). The centre’s services include e.g. doctor and nurse receptions, as well as laboratory, x-ray, mental health unit, health clinics, physiotherapy and dental care.
Address: Maitolantie 7
Tel. +358 5 352 1400
www.eksote.fi
Open: Mon–Thu 8–16, Fri and eves to public holidays 8–15. Always call before arriving at the wellbeing centre.
If you become ill in the evening, at night or during the weekend, call South Karelia Central Hospital emergency department: +358 116 117 (Lappeenranta)
In an emergency, call 112.