Finland's Saimaa Lakeland Regions Unify for Promotion

Published on: April 28, 2010

Fifteen local destinations in Finland’s Saimaa Lakeland area have come together to promote the region. A labyrinth of 120 clear, blue lakes dotted with 14,000 green islands, Saimaa Lakeland forms the largest continuous lake district in all of Europe. The lake district has more water than land, and the archipelago has a shoreline of 9,227 miles, five times greater than the shoreline of Thailand, and rivaling the shoreline of the North American Great Lakes combined. Located in South Karelia and Savo in eastern Finland, Saimaa lake district has historically been a tourist attraction for the Russian elite from St. Petersburg and city dwellers from the Finnish capital area. A rich cultural heritage has formed here on the border of Finland and Russia over the years.

The Charms of Saimaa is a cooperation of 15 destinations around the Saimaa region. The variety of services offered includes hotel and farm accommodations, restaurants, boutiques and steamboat cruises. The Hotel Satulinna, for instance, is an early 20th century manor, which serves as a hotel, restaurant, conference venue, as well as sauna and spa village. The former barn of the manor now serves as a restaurant in the summer time; serving food prepared using all-organic ingredients.

The Tertti Manor in Mikkeli is a manor hotel and restaurant in southern Savo. The manor dates back to the 1500s and has been run by the same family for over a century. In 2010 The Finnish Gastronomic Society acknowledged Tertti’s achievements in consistently promoting high-quality gastronomy, as well as sustaining the authentic manor house atmosphere.

The Ollinmäki Wine Farm in Anttola is a producer of award-winning wines made from Finnish berries and fruits. At Ollinmäki, a Central European wine-making technique is used to turn the berries into wine. In addition to the berries, the names of all the wines come from Finland as well, from an old collection of songs and hymns called Kanteletar.

Sightseeing cruises on the traditional handmade Finnish steamships S/S Paul Wahl or S/S Punkaharju offer an insight into the history of the Finnish inland lake. The tour steams around the Saimaa Lake district and Savonlinna’s medieval Olavinlinna castle, home to an opera festival held at the height of summer each year. Daily cruises in the Savonlinna archipelago June 1 to Aug. 31 at noon, and at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. on the S/S Paul Wahl, and at 11 a.m. and 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. on the S/S Punkaharju. For more information, visit www.saimaancharmantit.fi, www.savonlinnatravel.com or www.visitfinland.com.