Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland measures approximately 4,400 square km. It is the largest lake in Finland and the fourth-largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Most of the lake is spotted with islands, and narrow canals divide the lake into many parts. Saimaa (IPA: [sɑ͡imɑː]), or Saimen in Swedish, is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately 4,400 km² square km, it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The Vuoksi River flows from Saimaa to Lake Ladoga. Most of the lake is spotted with islands, and narrow canals divide the lake in many parts, each having their own names (major basins include Suur-Saimaa, Orivesi, Puruvesi, Haukivesi, Yövesi, Pihlajavesi, and Pyhäselkä). In places in the Saimaa basin (an area larger than the lake), "there is more shoreline here per unit of area than anywhere else in the world, the total length being nearly 15,000 km. The number of islands in the region, 14,000, also shows what a maze of detail the system is." The Saimaa Canal from Lappeenranta to Vyborg binds Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland. Other canals bind Saimaa to smaller lakes in Eastern Finland and form a network of waterways. These waterways are mainly used to transport wood, minerals, metals, pulp and other cargo, but also tourists use the waterways. lake in southeastern Finland. It lies just northwest of the Russian border and is northeast of Helsinki. It has an area of 443 sq mi (1,147 sq km) and is the primary lake in the Great Saimaa lake system, which, at 1,690 sq mi (4,377 sq km), is the largest system in Finland. The lake’s two branches extend northward about 220 mi (350 km) from Lappeenranta on Lake Saimaa proper to Iisalmi on its western branch and Nurmes on its eastern branch. About 120 lakes and numerous rivers and streams in the system drain most of southeastern Finland through Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River, and the Saimaa Canal (built in 1856) to the Gulf of Finland. Lumbering and pulp and paper manufacturing are the basis of the regional economy. The lake system provides essential transportation links among the major towns of the region. Large hydroelectric-power stations are located in the southern part of the lake system, especially at Imatra. The region’s scenic mosaic of water, hills, and forests attracts many tourists.
Saimaa (IPA: [sɑ͡imɑː]), or Saimen in Swedish, is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately 4,400 km² square km, it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The Vuoksi River flows from Saimaa to Lake Ladoga. Most of the lake is spotted with islands, and narrow canals divide the lake in many parts, each having their own names (major basins include Suur-Saimaa, Orivesi, Puruvesi, Haukivesi, Yövesi, Pihlajavesi, and Pyhäselkä). In places in the Saimaa basin (an area larger than the lake), "there is more shoreline here per unit of area than anywhere else in the world, the total length being nearly 15,000 km. The number of islands in the region, 14,000, also shows what a maze of detail the system is." The Saimaa Canal from Lappeenranta to Vyborg binds Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland. Other canals bind Saimaa to smaller lakes in Eastern Finland and form a network of waterways. These waterways are mainly used to transport wood, minerals, metals, pulp and other cargo, but also tourists use the waterways. One of the three species of freshwater seals, the Saimaa Ringed Seal, lives only at Saimaa. Gulf of Finland, eastern arm of the Baltic Sea, c.285 mi (460 km) long and from c.10 to c.75 mi (15–120 km) wide, between Finland and Russia and Estonia. The shallow gulf receives the Narva River and water from Lake Lagoda and the Saimaa lakes; it is frozen from December to March. The gulf, an important corridor for Russian and Estonian shipping, contains many islands. St. Petersburg and Tallinn (Estonia) and Helsinki (Finland) are the chief ports.
We approach the Retretti Art Exhibition via the Punkaharju esker ridge, an isthmus between two large lakes. The sub- and superterranean exhibition halls of Retretti house an exhibition of classical as well as contemporary visual arts. After lunch in Punkaharju you head to Savonlinna. On a small island in the center of the town stands the best-preserved medieval fortress in the Nordic countries, Olavinlinna Castle. Founded in 1475, the castle and its three magnificent towers have seen the Swedes rowing through the straits, the Russians skiing across the ice and the Finns building a bridge over the troubled water. Every summer it turns into the scene of one of the oldest music festivals in Europe, the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The eastern orthodox monastery of Valamo still bears the name of the island in Lake Ladoga from where it was transferred to Heinävesi in 1940. In the Valamo Monastery, tea is brewed in the traditional style in a massive silver samovar, sweetened with raspberry jam, and served in tea glasses. The tea is accompanied by old-Russian delicacies. Continue to Koli Hills, one of Finland’s best-known places of natural beauty. Form the highest hilltop there is a spectacular view over forests and lakes. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Koli in Lieksa. Lake, southeastern Finland. Located northeast of Helsinki, Lake Saimaa has an area of 443 sq mi (1,147 sq km) and is the primary lake in the Great Saimaa lake system, the largest in Finland. About 120 lakes and numerous rivers and streams in the system drain most of southeastern Finland through Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River, and the Saimaa Canal to the Gulf of Finland. The lake system provides essential transportation links and hydroelectric power among the major towns of the region, and its scenic forests attract many tourists.
