August 13, 2021 (day 15 of 19)

In the spotlight

400 km / 249 miles 🚗 🚶

Olavinlinna, Savonlinna 🇫🇮

By far the most famous story of Olavinlinna is the tragic love story of the Finnish maiden.

The daughter of the castle’s Lord was in love with a Russian soldier and one night she opened the castle gate to let him in. But she was betrayed by her lover when he brought more soldiers with him. The Russian forces were fought off and the traitorous lover was killed in the attack. The maiden was sentenced to death for treason and buried alive in the wall of the courtyard.

Shortly afterwards a rowan tree grew on the burial spot and the white flowers which bloomed on the tree were said to be symbolic of the girl’s innocence.