Ice Age glaciers shaped the Lake Saimaa landscape thousands of years ago – creating a unique labyrinth of lakes, islands and ridges that you can explore today.
The Lake Saimaa region is one of Finland’s most striking examples of Ice Age geology. When the last glaciers retreated, they carved deep channels into the bedrock, polished rocky shorelines and left behind winding eskers that now form natural trails between shimmering lakes.
Today, this ancient story is visible everywhere – in cliffs rising straight from the water, smooth rock surfaces shaped by glacial movement and the region’s distinctive maze of lakes and ridges.
Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark brings together the region’s most impressive Ice Age formations in one story-rich landscape. Sheer cliffs, scarred bedrock and long sandy eskers and beaches reveal the force of ancient glaciers, while glacial potholes, erratic boulders and a vast island-filled archipelago show how melting ice shaped Saimaa’s waterways.
Set out to explore the raw beauty and the hidden treasures of Lake Saimaa by land and water at your own pace or join a guided boat or kayaking trip!
Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark
A unique destination spanning the regions of South Karelia and South Savo. Here, nature invites you on a captivating journey through time—revealing the origins of one of the world’s purest and most beautiful lake landscapes.
Destination pageFound nowhere else on Earth – the Saimaa ringed seal lives only in Lake Saimaa.
Read moreExperience Lake Saimaa in every season – from bright summer nights and colourful autumn forests to peaceful winter landscapes and the awakening of spring.
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