Top things to do

Consider this a warning: once entered, this shop is almost certainly going to tempt you into extravagant expenditure. A showcase of top-quality Finnish design and handicrafts, it sells designer clothes (look out for…

Bestowing new life on a previously derelict row of old timber houses, this chic cafe is a popular midweek lunch and coffee stop. Claim an armchair and settle down to enjoy the soup and salad buffet (€9.90) or choose…

A picturesque 19th-century timber parsonage estate 1.3km southwest of the city centre on the shore of Lake Saimaa, Kenkävero is now Mikkeli's most popular tourist attraction. The parsonage building houses a restaura…

Having developed a loyal clientele since opening in the 1970s, Pruuvi works hard to keep its standards high and patrons happy. The à la carte menu includes stalwarts such as Caesar salad and steaks, and the weekday …

The Jalkaväkimuseo is one of the largest military museums in Finland, with 10 exhibition rooms in two 19th-century timber army barracks. These are arranged chronologically and cover events in Finland between 1915 an…

Sports fans congregate at this popular pub, which pours a range of home-brewed beers and offers live-music gigs or DJs on weekends. If you're out and about in Mikkeli after midnight (admittedly unlikely), this is wh…

The ground-floor eatery at the Cumulus City Hotel lacks atmosphere but serves perfectly acceptable pub grub. It's also open later than most of the town's eating options. Steaks and burgers are the safest choices.

Päämajamuseo was Mannerheim’s office and the base of the Finnish armed forces during WWII and evokes this period of Finland's history well.

This week-long classical-music event features top Finnish and Russian musicians and conductors.

A three-day festival that features plenty of Finnish and Scandinavian bands.