Located in Eastern Finland, Saimaa is the country's largest lake. Together with its surrounding towns, it offers many things to do and experiences for travellers interested in culture or the natural environment. The unique lakeside landscape provides a variety of adventurous attractions throughout the year. Try a winter holiday on Lake Saimaa to experience the thrill of speed skating, or go on a relaxing summer canoe trip to admire the lake’s beautiful scenery. For those interested in culture, the shores of Lake Saimaa contain a number of large towns, including Lappeenranta, Joensuu and Savonlinna, where there are lots of things to see and do for travellers of all ages.
Travelling on Lake Saimaa is easiest if you start from one of the major cities on its shores. Direct flights are available from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to both Joensuu and Savonlinna. In addition to air travel, there are good public transport links from cities in various parts of Finland, such as Lappeenranta, Mikkeli and Varkaus. In summer, you can easily travel on Lake Saimaa aboard one of the cruise ships that tour the Finnish Lakeland, and even visit Vyborg and St. Petersburg in Russia.
Lake Saimaa covers about 4,400 square kilometres and offers a wide range of opportunities for water sports and nature tourism. The area includes great hiking and canoeing facilities at the Kolovesi National Park, where you can also explore the ancient rock paintings of the Ukonvuori, Haukkavuori and Vierunvuori hills. Linnansaari National Park has a winter ice skating trail, and the Linnansaari Croft on the main island, restored as an old style slash and burn agricultural holding, is a good place for hikers to explore. With a little luck you might even catch a glimpse of the endangered Saimaa ringed seal while visiting the national parks.
As well as exploring the varied scenery, you can include a lively city holiday in your Lake Saimaa holiday. There are several cities worth visiting on the lake shores, so Lake Saimaa offers enough to see, even on a longer trip. Together, the cities around Lake Saimaa combine eastern and western influences in a unique fashion and offer many architecturally and historically interesting sites for you to visit. Located on the southern shore of Lake Saimaa, Lappeenranta is the bustling provincial centre of South Karelia and a vibrant university city. While in Lappeenranta, make sure that you visit the historically significant Lappeenranta Fortress, where you can explore a variety of museums, such as the Cavalry Museum and the South Karelia Art Museum.
If you are interested in culture and history, Savonlinna and Joensuu are well worth a visit. Savonlinna is especially known for its opera festival organised in the medieval Olavinlinna Castle. Savonlinna also has the world's largest wooden church, the Kerimäki Church. Joensuu is the centre of cultural life in North Karelia, with a cityscape dominated by the beautiful 1914 town hall, designed by Eliel Saarinen. There are many fine things to see in Joensuu, including the local history collections of the North Karelian Museum and Finland's only tropical butterfly garden, Botania.
There is plenty to see and do around Lake Saimaa throughout the year, particularly for travellers interested in cultural or sporting activities. Or, if you prefer, you can forget the rat race and spend a relaxing holiday savouring the silence and beauty of Lake Saimaa’s natural surroundings.
