Our summer vacation rolled around in mid-August. Our first stop on this year’s “COVID vacation” was Lappeenrata.
Fortress area
We started our adventure in Lappeenranta by checking into Rakuuna hotel. The hotel is located in old garrison buildings from the 1890’s. The room was huge and the amenities were practical. The area where the hotel is located in an old military area called Rakuunamäki with several beautiful buildings. After settling in we headed out to explore the town and eventually ended up in the old Fortress area.
The Fortress of Lappeenranta was constructed as a border fortress, forming part of the chain of fortresses between Finland and North-Western Russia. Over the centuries, the Fortress was alternately held by the Swedes and Russians. The oldest buildings, such as the Orthodox Church and the Former Commandant’s House, date from the 1770s, the wooden buildings from the 19th century, and the brick-built military garrisons from the early 20th century. When returning to the hotel to prepare for dinner I snapped a few pics of the area.
Delicious dinner
I had booked a table for us at a restaurant called Wanha Makasiini Bistro. As we had some time to kill we had a drink in the harbor area and explored that area for a bit before heading to the restaurant. The restaurant building was built in 1915 as an armory for the 11th sniper regiment. Today the old gunsmiths and carpenters workshop serves restaurant customers.
The restaurant boasts that it serves the best food in town, and I actually think it’s true. We had cocktails while contemplating what to order and I must say hubby’s Bloody Mary was innovative as it was clearly made of freshly juiced tomatoes. For my starter, I picked crispy shrimps with avocado puree and chili-tomato salad and hubby had Sugar Salted Perch with seaweed, cauliflower creme, and dill. The starters were perfect and left us hoping the mains would be as good. My main was pikeperch roasted in clarified butter, with potatoes, bok choy, and lime-cucumber dressing, and hubby’s was grilled tuna and romesco dressing with green capsicum, leeks, and crispy capers. The mains did not disappoint either. A delicious dinner accompanied by excellent service was a positive surprise. Also as we are used to Helsinki prices the price of dinner was also a pleasant surprise. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting to eat out in Lappeenranta.
Second post on Lappeeranta to follow.
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