Country: Finland
Visit websiteSaimaa UNESCO Global Geopark, located in the South Karelia and South Savo provinces, takes the visitor on an adventure into the origin story of the pure lake landscape. Formed from fractured bedrock, Saimaa originated from the ancient sea more than 1 900 million years ago. Legacies of the last Ice Age include esker islands with sandy beaches, impressive roche moutonnées and large erratic boulders.
The waters, forests and nature formations of Lake Saimaa originated millions of years ago and have evolved over time to their current splendour. Saimaa Geopark tells the story of the Saimaa labyrinthine waters from its origins to the present day. The geology is directly reflected in the shapes of the area, and Saimaa’s unique sites bring the story to life and make it visible to today’s hikers.
The ancient bedrock of Lake Saimaa originated at the bottom of the ancient sea around 1,900 million years ago. The bedrock evolved over time; the ancient sea receded, a high mountain range rose above the present-day Lake Saimaa, the rock masses crystallised into gneisses and granites in its depths, and gradually, over millions of years, the mountain range eroded away, leaving only sand on the shores of Lake Saimaa. The broken base of the mountain range is still visible as a mosaic-like landscape, alternating between water, rocky and terrestrial areas. Read more about the birth of the unique Lake Saimaa!
