The Art Museum is located at the neoclassic-style barracks (built in 1798) of the Lappeenranta fortress. The museum has a collection of Finnish visual art from the 1850´s to the present day. This collection includes works by many well-known artists such as Arvi Liljelund, Pekka Halonen, Tyko Sallinen, Hjalmar Munsterhjelm and Jalmari Ruokokoski.
The main emphasis of research and collections is on the Kymi province and the region of the ceded Karelia (Vyborg). There are also some temporary exhibitions.
The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.