Boogeyman, Ghostbusters and RaipeMan – amazing sand sculptures at the Lappeenranta Sandcastle

This summer, the theme of Lappeenranta’s legendary family holiday destination Sandcastle (Hiekkalinna) is a haunted castle. In a departure from the theme, a special feature of the yellow-black ice-hockey spring, a sculpture of Saipa coach Raimo Helminen called RaipeMan, will also be on display next to the Sandcastle itself. The Sandcastle, which has free admission and is part of the Suomen makein kesä campaign, opens its doors on Saturday 7 June at 10.00 and will be open daily until 31 August 2025.

Around three million kilos of sand are transformed by professional sculptors into the most imaginative sculptures every year. This year, you can find the Moomin character the Groke, Frankenstein’s laboratory, Ghostbusters and other chilling figures at the Sandcastle.

Jarno Rossi, who is in charge of the construction of the Sandcastle, says that after a few years off, the Sandcastle looks like a castle again.

“By popular demand, we returned to the castle theme this year, but from a haunted castle angle. The sculptures feature characters that are also suitable for younger visitors. For example, it was a great honour that Moomin Characters gave us permission to make the Groke which is part of the Moomins’ world.”

At Rossi’s initiative, a topical sand sculpture, RaipeMan, sculpted by Hungarian artist Ferenc Monostori, will be erected next to the haunted castle to celebrate the glorious yellow-black spring in Finnish ice hockey.

“Sculpting a character from a photograph is very challenging and it has been a pleasure to watch Monostori’s delicate work. The children are already shouting “Is that Raipe!”, so the sculpture is recognisable,” Rossi says.

A new addition to the area is the Children’s Town Hall

In addition to the stunning sand sculptures, the Sandcastle area also offers the usual tourist information point, equipment rental service, a sandbox with toys that is a favourite with children, and the bouncy castle area Pomppulinnamaailma, where you can find a variety of bouncy castles and trampolines, a coffee and ice cream kiosk, and an arcade. This summer’s new feature is a wooden model of the Town Hall next to the Sandcastle, where children can play.

Hop on a tour bus from the Sandcastle  

For the second summer running, the tour bus will also depart and arrive at the Sandcastle. In celebration of the Suomen makein kesä campaign, children under the age of six can take the sightseeing bus free of charge.

During the 50-minute tour, you will, through announcements and photo narration, get to know the best parts of Lappeenranta, such as the Old Vicarage, the fortress and the historic Rakuunamäki.

“The tour bus is also a fun way for locals to get to know their home town from a slightly new angle. Both Finnish- and English-language announcements are available,” says Jasmin Tötterman, Service Manager at the Sandcastle.