Welcome to visit Saimaa!

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Welcome to visit Saimaa! THE MOST BEAUTIFUL & INSPIRATIONAL LAKE AREA in Europe and the TOP 5 most beautiful lakes in the world. Listed by The Wall Street Journal in 2014.

The source of happiness & QUALITY OF LIFE Finland has been named already 4 times as the happiest country in the world by the United Nations World Happiness Report. Our happiness comes from many things, but one of the biggest is our connection with nature. Over 90 % of our land is covered with forests and waters. We are a country of thousand lakes and nature inspired people. We want to invite you to get a piece of this gold for your health and happiness too!

Four seasons MANY MORE REASONS Taking care of our nature is important to us because it offers us great four seasons and versatile sources of wellbeing year- round; white winter, green spring, blue summer and autumn with its colourful “ruska”. Nature gives us people so much good, so let’s all cherish and enjoy its gifts in a way that also nature can be well. #finnishliving #sustainableliving

Peace, silence & SLOW LIVING Modern life is hectic and often stressful. That’s why we locals in Saimaa like to head our way to peaceful outdoors and fresh air on our free time. Saimaa is full of nature paths for you to discover and places to enjoy your favourite kind of outdoor picnic. Sit a while by the lake, and your stress and haste is soon away. Possibilities to slow down are many. Feel free to take home some tips to more natural and relaxed living from your Saimaa travel.

Nature & culture EAST AND WEST Besides pure nature, we have rich culture. Saimaa is located in Eastern Finland near Russian border. The history between Russia and Sweden and times under both regimes are seen here. The traditions of East and West and our own Finnish nature of SISU have created our unique culture. Lappeenranta fortress, Mikkeli headquarter town with the statue of Marshall Mannerheim and many manor houses with their organic gardens and medieval Olavinlinna castle in Savonlinna. See one or experience all during your Saimaa travel. For four summer weeks, the big castle courtyard of Olavinlinna hosts also the world- famous Savonlinna Opera Festival - The first festival organised already in 1912 by the Finnish woman and singer Aino Ackte.

National parks & unique nature sights Two national parks, four nature reserves and many more inspirational nature sights. That’s what we have for you. In Ristiina you find for example the largest rock art site in the Nordics; Astuvansalmi rock paintings are made by the local Saimaa people 5700 years ago during the stone age. It’s a true meeting place of Finnish lakeland nature & culture. Rent a canoe or hop on a boat to discover the beauty of Astuvansalmi! #traveltips

Lake Saimaa Saimaa is the biggest lake in Finland and the 4th biggest lake district in Europe. Its surface area is 4400 km2. Saimaa is a labyrinth of almost 120 blue lakes and 14 000 green islands. We have the longest lakeside shoreline in the world. We also think that Saimaa is not only a place and an area, it’s a state of mind and a way of living. Get inspired by #saimaalife. HEART OF FINNISH LAKELAND

See the seal, hear the birds Enjoy unique experiences of Saimaa Spring is the time when the birds are awakening to sing but it is also the best time to see this cutie - Saimaa ringed seal. It is the most endangered seal species in the world with its total population of only 400 individuals. This rare freshwater seal was isolated in Lake Saimaa about 8000 years ago, when the link to the Baltic Sea broke after the Ice Age. Many travel companies arrange Saimaa ringed seal safaris, for example around Linnansaari national park. Book your own safari when you come to visit us!

Health and wellness FROM SAIMAA FORESTS Time on our waters is wonderful but so is in the woods too. Did you know these study results of time spent in nature? 5 minutes - Relaxation and stress alleviation 10 minutes - Lowering of blood pressure and pulse 20 minutes - Mood rise 60 minutes - Attention improvement 120 minutes - Immunity strengthening

Finnish way of WELLBEING Swimming in refreshing natural waters year-round. That’s one secret behind Finnish people’s health and happiness. We think at least once in their lifetime all people should experience “avanto”, dipping in the hole in the ice. You feel so alive and energetic after avanto! Summer morning swim, early spring swim, windy autumn swim, after-sauna swim - situations are many, but all empower and relax you in its own way.

No visit in Finland WITHOUT SAUNA Finland is a nation of 5,3 million people and 3,3 million saunas. Sauna is THE thing here! In Saimaa particularly, it is the combination of sauna and lake swimming. Health benefits of sauna are many but so are the cultural traditions. It’s the anchor of our wellbeing. It’s spa and beauty salon, room to find answers to life’s questions, place for important work discussions - also many grandma’s and -pa’s have born in saunas, as well as many food has been cooked there. Saunas in Saimaa welcome you to reborn and refresh your body, mind and soul!

Enjoy luxury OF ALL KINDS Towns of Saimaa have many cafes, restaurants, boutiques, crafts shops, exhibitions, and sightseeings to get inspiration and information about our region, history and lifestyle. For example worth to see are Muisti Centre of War and Peace and the Headquarters Museum in Mikkeli, Saimaa Nature Centre and city library in Savonlinna, Alvar Aalto’s Varkaus with its pieces of Finnish design and the number one attraction of Varkaus - unique Mechanical Music Museum.

Authentic local life & MEANINGFUL MEETS We Finns may not be the most talkative people but we are happy to tell you about our life if someone asks. Don’t let our shyness to stop you! We have cold winter but warm and hospitable heart. Many people in our travel companies are locals but feel free to discover local lifestyle elsewhere too.

Local products ARE DOING GOOD We are proud of our food and design product D.O. Saimaa mark. It is Finland’s first regional mark of origin & mark of quality. Not only are the products under it good -high quality and responsibly made- they also do good; for the environment, culture and the vitality of our region. D.O. Saimaa products are a good choice ethically, and for the local community. Making good choices, make you also feel good.

Hyvää ruokahalua! Bon Appetit! BY SAIMAA GASTRONOMY Our nature is pure, but so is our food. There are hundreds of organic farms in Saimaa, and many restaurants of Saimaa prepare delicious food from ingredients sourced by fishermen, farmers and other local producers. Ask where your food is coming from, and you may hear many nice local stories!

Go local, Go grocery & MAKE YOUR OWN SAIMAA MOMENT It is worth to ask local people the best hidden treasures of Saimaa, but it is also worth to discover local treasures from our groceries. You wanna have old Finnish design, tableware or textiles to take home with you? Put a visit to our local second hand shops to your list. You may find some unique pieces!

You want to learn new? THAT WILL DO! We are happy also to share our recipes, traditions and knowledge with you. You wanna learn to make our world famous salty delicacies, Karelian pies? Or Finnish cinnamon rolls, “Korvapuusti”? Or learn how to make a campfire? Or make and use “vasta” -bath whisk- in sauna ? All that is possible during your Saimaa travel.

Quality accommodation TO SLEEP WELL Saimaa offers a wide range of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets. One pearl is Punkaharju with Finland’s oldest hotel, Hotelli Punkaharju, Punkaharju Nature Reserve with its “Road of the Century”, Finnish Forest Museum LUSTO and Nordic skating tracks on lake in wintertime. You can reach all this by walk distance from Helsinki train. #travelbucketlist

Traditional & MODERN Design can take many forms. Design also lives over times. What combines Finnish design is that through ages it has got a lot of its inspiration from our Nordic nature. Passion to develop the use of natural materials - that is also a thing of Finnish and Saimaa lifestyle.

Rent your own HIDEAWAY We Finns have close to half a million summer cottages. We have also thousands of cottages for you to rent. Small and big ones. Old and new. All of them are close to waters and surrounded with forests. Arrange yourself a possibility to go back to basics and experience the art of Finnish cottage life. Living a while close to nature may give you more than a holiday.

You have the right to enjoy ALL GIFTS OF NATURE Everyman’s rights -jokamiehen oikeudet- gives us Finns and the visitors of Finland the right to roam in and enjoy our forests and waters. These general public’s rights allow the freedom to roam the countryside, forage, fish with a line and rod, and enjoy the recreational use of natural areas. Feel free to use these rights during your Saimaa travel! Respectfully, naturally.

Open all your senses TO SMALL MIRACLES Take a step into Saimaa lifestyle and give yourself a possibility to calm down, get connected to yourself and hear your own thoughts in the peace of our lake nature. Look around, touch, smell, listen and taste. Seize the small moments and pick the delicious flavours of wild berries, mushrooms and herbs with our nature guides. #findyournature - and be well.

Fishing for all & year-round On the lake ice in winter, on the lake waves in summer. Fishing takes also many forms in Saimaa by the season. Fishing is a great way to enjoy outdoors and get delicious, fresh food at the same time. Also kids love to fish, as well as many women in Saimaa. Try for yourself! Our fishing guides are ready to take you to our lakeland waters.

Memorable CRUISES Waterways used to be the highways in Saimaa before cars. Also nowadays in summertime it is possible to travel along the waters in Saimaa. You can book yourself short or long sightseeing cruise. Like one hour cruise around the town of Savonlinna, or day cruise from Lappeenranta to Puumala. With old steamships, new yachts and everything in between - lake cruises in Saimaa are made with many kinds of ships.

Canoeing OR SUP BOARDING? Or do you prefer to try out traditional Finnish rowing boating? All are great ways to move your body, discover the beauty of Saimaa and make memories on the waters. Have you ever heard about SUP yoga? You can do that in Saimaa too!

Saimaa is made FOR CYCLING Our lakeside roads, forest paths, countryside landscapes and small towns are made for cyclists. Cycling routes are many in Saimaa as well as bikes: you can rent mountain bike, fatbike, city bike or electric bike -depending on your needs and plans.

White winter WONDERLAND FUN Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, Nordic skating, kick sledding and many more. In the woods or on the lake, naturally. Winters in Saimaa are cold, but outdoor activities make you feel warm from inside out. Many guided nature activities in Saimaa also include picnic by the fire. Yummy!

Recharge and empower your BODY, MIND & SOUL In the hustle and bustle of everyday life we need places of peace and simplicity. Also sometimes it is worth to go far to see close. See how the roots of our health and happiness are in the very end in basic things in life. How all good starts from ourselves and from the courage to find our authentic nature and grow to create life that looks and feels like us. To do that we need to get inspired and empowered. The world is full of amazing places to experience that. Finnish lakeland is one of them. You are warmly welcome to visit Saimaa! #purestfinland

Begin your Saimaa travel FROM HELSINKI There are many ways to arrive in Saimaa. We recommend #sustainabletravel that is train. Enjoy the refreshments of restaurant carriage and relax at the forest and lake window sceneries while you are getting closer to Finnish lakeland. There is free Wi-Fi for all passengers to use in Finnish trains. In our long distance trains there is also kids’ play carriage, and good space for big luggage and even bicycles. Train traveling is comfortable traveling in Finland!

Combine Saimaa & SAINT PETERSBURG If you have more time to use on your travel, and you want more exotic experiences, there is a chance for you to combine The area of Lake Saimaa is a good place to pamper the vibrant city life of St Petersburg in Russia to your yourself, in exactly your own way. Peaceful living, tranquil and nature inspired quiet environment, large ancient forests, the Saimaa holiday. The train journey from the Saimaa numerous faces of the lakes. town of Lappeenranta to St A calm Finnish lifestyle. They all work together in Petersburg takes only a few hours! giving you new ideas and new strength.

Naturally good #SAIMAAMOMENTS The beauty of Saimaa lifestyle has inspired us Finns already for centuries, and it still does. That’s why we like to capture and share our meaningful and memorable moments with others. During your Saimaa travel, breathe in our lake nature for real. However, feel free to share your own #saimaamoments as well. We would be happy to hear from you and see the highlights of your nature inspired Saimaa travel!

Gives you more than a travel experience - #lakesaimaa WWW.VISITSAIMAA.FI WWW.SAIMAALIFE.COM Coming up! www.lakesaimaa.fi