Highlights of
Saimaa winter tour

The waterscape of Saimaa’s Lakeland is gone in the winter. Now it’s been replaced by snow-laden trees and icicled buildings, the enormous lakes frozen into a sprawling snow-covered expanse. If you’re looking for an active winter holiday in Finland, Lake Saimaa is where you’ll find it.

Smoke or ice sauna in Sahanlahti resort & local gourmet dinner 

The Finnish sauna is propably up to 10 000 years old. The prehistoric sauna has com a long way to the modern electric saunas with their high-tec sauna stoves, but the traditional wood-heated sauna or smoke sauna are still the most popular options at cottages.

The health benefits of going to sauna have been known for centuries. In sauna, the skin temperature and pulse rise, metabolism speeds up and aching muscles relax. Sauna soothes and makes you feel calm and also improves your sleep. Sauna is pure health!

Sahanlahti is a small, family run resort with hotel and cottage accommodation and two restaurants serving the best of local food made from seasonal ingredients. Both restaurants offer the most amazing lakeside views and the small guest harbour hosts visitors from near and far in the summertime. Built around an old sawmill, Sahanlahti is steeped in history and has a story or two to tell you as you wander around the resort.

Food based on high-quality, fresh and local products and the dedication to ethical and responsible farming are the cornerstones of Sahanlahti dining. All of this and the skill of people growing and preparing your food can be clearly tasted on your plate when dining at the atmospheric Koskivahti restaurant at Sahanlahti.

Your sauna would not be complete without the traditional sauna snack of sausages cooked on the sauna stove. These can be enjoyed on the sauna terrace with refreshments whilst cooling off from the sauna.

Cross country skiing & winter hiking in Punkaharju

Close by the rental cottages you can reach well-maintained nordic skiing tracks, which are over 30 km long. Skiing tracks go along the fabulous Punkaharju ridge-area. Classic style skiing sets can be rented from rental point in Holiday Resort Harjun Portti.

Snowshoe walks give you an opportunity to experience winter nature in a way that is almost impossible to find otherwise. In Kruunupuisto you can find eight magnificent and clearly marked snowshoe trails around the ridges of the Punkaharju Nature Reserve and other exciting terrain.

The trails include alternatives for all ages and fitness levels, and no previous experience in snowshoe walking is required on the easier trails. Although Punkaharju Snowshoe Park does provide experienced hikers and nature walkers with plenty of challenges. You can go for a snowshoe walk on your own, with friends or you can ask to go one of Kruunupuisto guided walks. See the routes and more info from here.

While visiting Punkaharju, don’t forger to visit Finnish forest museum Lusto.
Lusto is the national museum responsible for forest culture and it illustrates the interaction between man and the forest from the past to the future. Lusto’s exhibitions, events, work demonstrations and theme days provide a diverse and illustrative insight into the significance of forests in the life of Finns. Lusto is sure to appeal to visitors of all ages.

Finland’s longest ice skating trails on Lake Saimaa

Try out the most beautiful natural ice skating trail in Finland, from Oravi through Linnansaari National Park to Rantasalmi, or vice versa. The total length of the prepared route is 20-40 km depending on the weather conditions. The route is open for walkers, mountain bikes, kick sparks, skiers and skaters when the weather is permitting. There are fire places along the route and a cafeteria on Linnansaari (open during winter peak season).

The idyllic village Oravi is located in between the National Parks Linnansaari and Kolovesi. Oravi is offering variety of guided nature activities, the largest canoeing center in Saimaa, 17 lakeside villas, hotel and restaurant services in the village. Village of Oravi have been awarded with “Best village of Finland” – prize. For more luxury at your stay offers Kanava Resort with 9 new ecologically build villas. Each villa has kitchen, living room, terrace with grill, 2 bedrooms with total 4 guests, 2 showers and toilets and sauna with a view. Si it is everything that you want for perfect getaway. 3 of those villas are pet friendly, so you can take your best friend to explore the winter wonderland in Oravi.

Punkaharju is known as Finland’s oldest tourist destination and primarily a summer attraction, but in winter it transforms into a magnificent activity center. Every year, a roughly 15-kilometer-long ice skating route is constructed, connecting Harjun Portti, Punkaharju Resort, and Kruunupuisto, making them easily accessible. Punkaharju is often the first place where you can go ice skating. Alongside the ice skating track, a winter hiking trail is also created, as the ice can be challenging at times. However, you can safely move on the marked route. Whether you skate, ski, ride an electric bike, use a kicksled, or walk, a day spent enjoying the fresh air on the ice is an unforgettable experience, best topped off with a warm drink, salmon soup and waffles. Rental equipment is available at Harjun Portti and Kruunupuisto. After a day outdoors, it’s nice to move to the warmth of your own cabin, turn on the sauna, and maybe even take a dip in the ice hole. For those seeking a bit of everyday luxury, you can hop into the gentle steam of Kruunupuisto‘s newly renovated spa and enjoy the relaxation of warm water and other spa treatments.

The industrial heritage of Varkaus and warm local culture events

Lake Saimaa waterways that extend to the city centre, a lush natural environment and many destinations offer holidaymakers a many opportunities in the Varkaus region. Specialties include the city’s own caviar and sturgeon delicacies as well as the home of amazing instruments, the Museum of Mechanical Music and the rich culture of wooden houses.

Varkaus is a great destination to visit year-round. The factory, which operates all year, remains a prominent feature in the cityscape and has become a striking landmark for Varkaus in a rugged way. Especially in winter, the factory’s steam creates a beautiful snowy veil on the arounding trees, adding a unique mystique to the town. The old wooden houses tell their own story throughout the seasons, and cultural attractions offer a variety of specialties for those thirsty for knowledge.

The Museum Center Konsti narrates the city’s history in general and with changing exhibitions. The wood industry, around which the city has developed, the famous architects and designers, and the story of the factory’s founding family are interesting to hear and experience in their own way. Visit old Varkaus and explore the sites independently, or if you want to experience a true Finnish adventure, join the weekly sauna session at Kinkamon Aalto, complete with an ice hole, and simultaneously enjoy the splendor of the environment designed by Alvar Aalto. Notably, this is the only place where an Aalto-designed site is currently open to the public in Varkaus so definetely worth for visit. The Theatre of  Varkaus is good way to spend an evening with culture. While most of the plays are in Finnish, there are also musical productions and club evenings from September to May mainly in the first Wednesday of the month.

Overnight in Scenery suite

Järvisydän is a vibrant resort with plenty of activities or peace and quiet, whatever you wish to do. Nestled in a bay of Lake Saimaa, the resort offers luxury accommodation, an amazing spa and lots of nature activities. The resort has been run by Heiskanen family since 1658 and is steeped in tradition. Newest addition to the Järvisydän family is the Kuru Resort, a private resort just for adults and just for ultimate relaxation and only 800m away from Järvisydän.

Järvisydän’s Lake Spa will give you a new kind of Finnish lake wellness experience. The spa is built in the middle of the natural rocks and the large windows overlook Lake Saimaa. In the middle of the spa you can find the heart of the lake – a natural pond with the shape of the heart. In Kuru Resort you can pamper yourself in Sisley DaySpa, relax in a meditation class or book a private lakeside sauna with the access to the lake around the year.

The Scenery Suites of Järvisydän are located close to the lake shore of the resort, so you can enjoy the beautiful lake views and the scenery of Linnansaari National Park. In summer you can feel the nightless night through the skylight windows; in Autumn the coming darkness and quietness with autumn colors; in winter the beautiful dark, starry sky and maybe even the Nordic Lights; and in Spring the awakening nature.