The Savonlinna Opera Festival is the cultural reason most international visitors come to town. For four weeks from early July to early August, the castle courtyard is covered with a temporary roof and turned into a 2,200-seat opera house with extraordinary acoustics. The programme each year includes both standards from the international repertoire and a Finnish production.
Tickets sell out months in advance — bookings open in November. Dress is smart but not formal; many of the audience walk over the bridge to the castle direct from a restaurant. The town fills up completely during the festival, with rates and queues to match. If you can manage even one performance the experience is worth it.