Sulkava is a town and municipality in the South Savonia region of Finland. South Savonia is most popular domestically as a summer cottage region, and Sulkava is no exception: the municipality is said to double its population during the holiday season.
Like most Finnish Lakeland, Sulkava is surrounded by Lake Saimaa, which is very scenic and clean. Boating is very popular, and boats are available for rent.
Sulkava is most known for hosting Finland's greatest rowing event, the annual Sulkava Rowing Race (Sulkavan Suursoudut), held in July with some 8,000 rowers. The World Master Rowing competition is an opportunity to race these special Sulkava long boats against competitors from all over the world. You can experience the Finnish summer and a unique rowing event. *
Sulkava is a small rural town, with some 2,400 inhabitants in 2022. The centre hosts two supermarkets, a marina, some restaurants and even an EV charging station, but outside the direct town center (and the small village of Lohilahti), Sulkava is a rural place.
The city of Savonlinna, many multiples larger, is only some 30 minutes away by car. This means that many services are not available in Sulkava, as locals will simply drive to Savonlinna for anything complicated.
Sulkava also is a tourist destination exculsively during the summer, getting most popular during the Finnish holiday season from early June to mid-August. Visiting in, say, January, you will find most services outside of the necessities closed.
Sulkava market square (Sulkavan tori), 61.78728°, 28.37106°. Centre of the town of Sulkava, with most shops and restaurants within walking distance. Occasionally hosts markets during weekends. 2022-07-28
Sulkava Church (Sulkavan kirkko), Kirkkotie 1, 61.789366°, 28.374054°. 19th-century large wooden church, designed by Italian architect Charles Bassi, fitting over 1,000 people in the town center. 2022-07-28
Sulkava hill fort (Sulkavan linnavuori), Linnavuorentie 306 (10 km from centre). Bronze Age forticifation estimated to be from the 16th century, with views from an elevation of 55 m. 2022-07-28
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division