Café Majurska: A culinary journey through the Lake Saimaa region

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: goSaimaa

In 2024, Finland’s Saimaa region was awarded the title European Region of Gastronomy. Here, local ingredients and flavours can be enjoyed in harbours, on forest paths and alongside roadside stops, turning travel in the region into a flavour-filled journey.

Lined by forests and the shores of the largest lake in Finland, the Saimaa region is one of the country’s most striking travel destinations, represented by the cities of Imatra, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Savonlinna and Varkaus.

For many visitors, the journey of exploring the Saimaa region begins in Lappeenranta, on the shores of Lake Saimaa. The city is shaped as much by water as its rich history, mixed in with a relaxed lakeside atmosphere where people gather simply to sit, talk and eat well.

Café Majurska: A culinary journey through the Lake Saimaa region

History and lakeside treats

That relaxed atmosphere is particularly tangible at the Lappeenranta Fortress. Within its 18th century ramparts stand the Cavalry Museum, the Commandant’s House and Finland’s oldest Orthodox church, which are reminders of the region’s mixed history and layered culture. Inside the fortress visitors will also find Majurska House, built in the 1800s as a residence for a Russian officer.

Today, the wooden building houses Majurska Café, beloved for its quark, apple and berry tarts, baked on site using long-kept recipes. Located in the same building is also a small shop selling design products and handmade items by local artisans, continuing the house’s long tradition of craftsmanship.

Lappeenranta Harbour is a lively place with a relaxed atmosphere.

“From the fortress, the natural next step is to head toward the harbour – often called the city’s living room,” says Natalja Zeleznjakova, marketing coordinator at goSaimaa. Stretching along Saimaa’s longest waterfront promenade, it is a lively ribbon of summer life, filled with restaurants, cafés, a public sauna, a sandy beach, cruises departing across the lake, and the famous sandcastle sculpture delighting visitors and locals each year. Fried muikku – small vendace fish, crisp and salty – is part of a typical snack, best eaten by the promenade, while enjoying the scenery and sunshine.

Moored at the harbour, the ship restaurant Prinsessa Armaada serves delicious dishes made with local ingredients, such as local fish and game – and paired with tasty beers from nearby Tuju brewery.

In Lappeenranta Harbour, ship restaurant Prinsessa Armaada serves dishes with local flavours and ingredients.

Following the water to Imatra

The region’s culinary tour can also be explored further, with many visitors opting to embark from Lappeenranta to Imatra and onwards around Lake Saimaa.

In Imatra, the impressive Imatrankoski rapids are released from their dam daily, releasing the full force of the rapids in a spectacular show. This free event is hugely popular, drawing hundreds of visitors to witness the power and beauty of nature in action.

Beside the rapids lies Kruununpuisto, Finland’s first nature reserve, founded in 1842. Its paths lead to the picturesque Imatra State Hotel, which overlooks the rapids and is often regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in the country.

In the middle of Imatra, the Vuoksi Fishing Park forms a hidden oasis of calm, where visitors can fish, hire equipment, smoke their catch or stay overnight in cottages or at the campsite. At the heart of the fishing park is Café Wanha Virveli, which is said to serve the best traditional salmon soup in the region. The soup is rich and comforting, made with locally sourced salmon.

Iloisen Pässin Maalaispuoti’s menu includes specialities such as bison burgers prepared with locally raised bison.

A region to be savoured

A short drive away, Parikkala is home to one of the region’s most unusual cultural attractions, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year. The Parikkala Sculpture Park is the life’s work of artist Veijo Rönkkönen, who spent nearly five decades creating more than 550 concrete figures across a half-hectare garden.

Along the route, a pleasant pause awaits at Iloisen Pässin Maalaispuoti: a small, family-run restaurant, café and local food shop, where travellers can slow down and enjoy the region’s offerings. The menu highlights locally sourced ingredients and includes specialities such as bison burgers prepared with locally raised bison, as well as pike perch burgers for a unique alternative. The adjoining shop sells products from over 70 local producers and artisans.

Not far away in Uukuniemi, Juholan Biisoniareena continues the story in a renovated barn. The restaurant is renowned for its pizzas – the most famous being Aortanrepijä, or Aorta Ripper, which draws in visitors from across Finland, including many travelling from Helsinki just to try it. The restaurant’s atmosphere is relaxed and convivial, with an à la carte menu alongside more casual bistro dishes, serving locally produced food, right down to the gelato made from milk from a nearby dairy farm.

“The Saimaa region offers a chance for visitors to explore both major tourist attractions as well as places slightly off the beaten path and enjoy the many culinary delights the region has to offer,” Zeleznjakova says. The Saimaa region is dotted with hidden gems, from small cafés and promenades and harbours with summer terraces to fishing parks and roadside restaurants, all showing how culture and cuisine come together to create something truly special.