www.mikkeli.fi
Mikkeli, a town of about 33,000 inhabitants is the administrative centre of the South Savo region and also the province of Eastern Finland. Mikkeli has numerous historically interesting places and events, according to the emphasis in developing tourism in the Mikkeli sub-region has been on its scenic attractions, particularly nature and waters.

Mikkeli's manufacturers are predominantly small and medium-sized companies, and the large production plant in the Mikkeli region is Schauman Wood Oy's plywood mill in Ristiina. The long-established printing industry has maintained its position, metal engineering, electrical and forest industries have also maintained their positions. A new international business is a sawmill built in the town by a Japanese company, other new businesses have also been established, especially advanced and environmental technology companies.

Location:
Mikkeli is the administrative centre of the South Savo region and also the province of Eastern Finland. The town is located at the site of Savilahti, which was the main town of eastern Finland from 1 100 to 1400. Mikkeli became a provincial centre soon after it was established as a town in 1838. The headquarters of the Finnish armed forces were in Mikkeli during all the four wars since independence in 1917. The town is on a shore of Lake Saimaa. Small lakes abound about in this landscape, which makes the area popular with holidaymakers. The town is on the Savo eastern main railway line and main road 5 and 13. There are flights to Helsinki from the town every weekday. Mikkeli is especially renowned as an administrative, commercial, garrison and educational town. Mikkeli town will be merged with the surrounding Mikkeli rural district and Anttola in 2001. The town is compact. Areas of newly built housing surround the town centre, where the streets form a grid pattern. Urban housing extends into the Mikkeli rural district. Over a third of the town's homes are one-family houses. The housing is comparatively new: 85 % of homes have been built since 1960. 

Population:
Mikkeli has 33 000 inhabitants, but with the merger the population will rise to about 47 000. Since the Second World War the town's population has tripled.
 

Education:
Mikkeli has several higher education teaching and services units. The Helsinki School of Economics has the Small Business Centre and the International Centre, which grants MBA and BBA degrees. In the town there is Helsinki University Institute for Rural Research and Training, Institute For Co-operative Studies and some other units. Mikkeli Polytechnic teaches technical, business and social and health care subjects. It also has a research and development unit called Institute of Environmental Technology. It does research in the fields of wood processing, environmental and food technologies.

Tourism & culture:
The centre of cultural life is the Mikkeli Concert and Congress Hall, which was completed in 1988. The Mikkeli Music Festival and Ballet Mikkeli are important annual cultural events. There are frequent performances, including concerts by the Mikkeli Town Orchestra, opera and Mikkeli Theatre plays. Mikkeli is also host to Työväen Näyttämöpäivät, the country's most important amateur drama festival. The emphasis in developing tourism in the Mikkeli sub-region has been on its scenic attractions, particularly nature and waters. Popular tourist attractions include the Visulahti tourist centre and Kenkävero handicraft and arts centre. Mikkeli has numerous historically interesting places and events associated with Marshall Mannerheim and the wartime military headquarters. The town has several museums and tourist attractions related to military history, such as the Headquarters Museum and Infantry Museum. The town is renowned for its football, skiing and trotting, for all of which facilities are first class. The wide range of sports facilities includes golf courses and canoeing centre.

Local economy:
Mikkeli's manufacturers are predominantly small and medium-sized companies. The only large production plant in the Mikkeli region is Schauman Wood Oy's plywood mill in Ristiina. A quarter of all industrial jobs disappeared in the early 1990s, but in recent years the number of such jobs has been increasing. At the same time there has been major restructuring, by companies. The long-established printing industry has maintained its position, with Help-rint at the forefront as the biggest engraving printer in the Nordic countries. Metal engineering, electrical and forest industries have also maintained their positions. A new international business is a sawmill built in the town by a Japanese company. Other new businesses have also been established, especially advanced and environmental technology companies.