s/s Punkaharju, Southern Savonia, Finland
4.5 (37 reviews) Spent Ranking #1 in Savonlinna Boat Tours
A Savonlinna visit is complete without a steam cruise
The historical steam ships s/s Punkaharju and Paul Wahl are gems in the crown of this delightful summer tourist town. Both ships will take one for a 1½ hour cruise, giving an idea of yesteryear transport when these ships worked scheduled long-distance services. The staff are extremely friendly, English is spoken, and coffee and cakes in the saloon make the trip really worthwhile. The lake scenery, including some narrow channels, is magnificent, and a chance sighting of a ringed seal can put icing on the cake. A trip not to be missed.
Address
Satamapuistontie , Savonlinna, Finland, Postal Code: 57130.
Mobile
Website
http://www.saimaashop.com
Current local date and time now
Monday, May 13, 2024, 4:43
User Ratings
4.5 based on (37 reviews)
Excellent
67%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
3%
Terrible
5%
Reviews
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5strollingplayer 5:00 PM Aug 1, 2014
Blissful cruise
A lovely 90 minute cruise around the archipelago on an old-fashioned steam ship. Views off the decks were great, with plenty of shady areas or places to sit and soak up the sun. On-board bar is reasonably priced (for Finland) i.e. the same as on-shore prices. Some people have noted the lack of commentary - personally I'd say this is a plus, since the voyage is more about the views and atmosphere rather than any particular places or features of interest. You can always ask the captain if there's anything you particularly want explaining - he was very friendly, and patient and entertaining with the children on board. We took this over the nearby 60-minute cruises since it takes a fair while to manoeuvre out of and back in to the harbour, so you probably end up getting more sailing time per euro.
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4Signe77 5:00 PM Jul 27, 2014
S/S Punkaharju
S/S Punkaharju is a lovely old steamship, and going on a cruise on the lake is one of the best ways to spend a couple of hours on a hot, sunny day. The upper deck has about twenty seats with tables and naturally offers the best scenery. There is a bar downstairs and table service on the upper deck. As the "stairs" are little more than a ladder, I wouldn't reccommend you trying to get your snacks / drinks up yourself. The staff are cheerful, friendly and multilingual. We enjoyed our cruise very much indeed but becuse there wasn't any commentary, I'm afraid I can only give four stars. Oh, and be careful on a sunny weather, the water reflects the sun, so use a high sunblock.
