FIELD TRIP 3: SAIMAA CULTURE

Experience the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Saimaa region. From the waterways of the Saimaa Canal and the iconic Imatrankoski to the traditional landscapes of Sulkava and Juva, discover local history, wooden boatbuilding traditions, and the unique culture that shapes the Saimaa area.

🚢 Saimaa Canal
A historic 43 km waterway connecting Lake Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland since 1856. In a trip you can see the scenic canal route, the locks of Mustola and Mälkiä, and the Saimaa Canal Museum, where historic buildings and exhibitions bring the canal’s fascinating history to life.

🌊 Imatrankoski & Vuoksi River
Explore the famous Imatrankoski rapids, one of Finland’s national landscapes and a popular attraction since the 1700s. Surrounded by the historic Kruununpuisto Park with its giant’s kettles, rock carving and the iconic Imatra State Hotel at the riverside.

⛪ Ruokolahti Church Hill
See the landscapes of Ruokolahti Church, which once inspired artists and explore the landmarks in the church hill area, such as Simo Häyhä`s grave, the bell tower dating back to 1752, and the Winter War air battle memorial.

🏡 Liehtalanniemi
Step back in time at Liehtalanniemi, a historic farm and museum area on the shores of Lake Saimaa. Explore traditional island life from the early 1900s, discover the story of Jalmari Reponen, and enjoy protected forests, historic buildings, scenic nature trails, and peaceful lakeside surroundings.

🚣 Sulkava
Discover Sulkava’s rich wooden boatbuilding and rowing traditions in the heart of the Saimaa region. See the historic Sulkava Church and 1770 belfry, explore the memorial of the Russo-Swedish War, and stroll through the charming Uitonrinteen wooden village with its well-preserved traditional buildings.

🏡 Pattoi Heritage Farm
Explore Pattoi Heritage Farm, a well-preserved 19th-century peasant farm offering a glimpse into traditional rural life in the Saimaa region. Discover historic farm buildings, traces of the slash-and-burn era and the beautiful stone Church of Juva.

#saimaageopark #egnconference2026 #fieldtrips #culturetrip #europeangeoparksnetwork @europeangeoparksnetwork ...

FIELD TRIP2: STONE AGE

Travel back in time and explore the prehistoric history of the Saimaa region. We travel by bus through the historical sites of Taipalsaari, seeing the rural landscape of Lake Saimaa all the way to its shores. During the trip, we will see Astuvansalmi rock paintings, cultural landscapes of Urpola Manor and fascinating heritage of Finland’s Stone Age past in Rovastinoja.

This trip is part of the INACS project activities. @inacs.project

🎨 Astuvansalmi Rock Paintings
Discover the Astuvansalmi rock paintings, the largest prehistoric rock art site in the Nordic countries and one of the highlights of the Saimaa Geopark. Featuring around 80 ancient paintings of elk, humans, and boats created 4,500–6,000 years ago, the site offers a fascinating glimpse into Stone Age beliefs and life along ancient Lake Saimaa.

🏡 Urpola Manor
Enjoy lunch at the historic Urpola Manor, a beautiful Art Nouveau manor house from the early 1900s. Nearby there is the Urpola Nature Centre and its interactive Saimaa Geopark exhibits and you can visit green nature trails, in the wonderful estuary landscape.

🔥 Rovastinoja
Step into prehistoric life at Rovastinoja, where a reconstructed Stone Age peat hut and scenic campfire area bring ancient traditions to life. Surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of Lake Kuolimo, the area`s diverse nature trails, cycling routes and shallow, fine sandy beaches offer to visitors a glimpse into the local geology and forest landscapes shaped by the Ice Age.

#saimaageopark #fieldtrips #stoneage #egnconference2026 @europeangeoparksnetwork ...

Next fall, the EGN Conference will culminate in a day of excursions around the Saimaa Geopark area. We will introduce all our trip destinations a little bit better in this summer - So stay tuned!🤩

FIELD TRIP 1: ICE AGE
Step into the ancient landscapes of the Saimaa region and discover how the Ice Age shaped Finland’s natural beauty. From the glacial ridges of Sarviniemi and the sandy shores of Huuhanranta to the scenic views of Puumala and the fascinating Pursiala Giant’s Kettle in Mikkeli, this journey offers a unique glimpse into Finland’s geological history. 🌿🌊

📍 Sarviniemi
Explore the stunning ice age landscapes of Sarviniemi, a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Saimaa. Formed around 11,800 years ago, the area features ancient ice age ridges, large boulders and small islands shaped by the retreating continental glacier.

🏖️ Huuhanranta
Discover Huuhanranta, one of the longest sandy beaches on Lake Saimaa, stretching 1.5 km along the Salpausselkä ridge. Known as the “Saimaa Riviera,” the area offers beautiful lake views, hiking opportunities and fascinating ancient shoreline formations shaped during the Ice Age.

🌉 Puumala & Pistohiekka
Puumala Strait is the center of busy water traffic, the “Gibraltar of Lake Saimaa”, through which all long-distance transport along the Saimaa deep channel passes.
Pistohiekka is a beautiful nature and camping destination with a long hiking tradition in the Saimaa landscape.

🪨 Mikkeli – Pursiala Giant’s Kettle
Discover the fascinating Pursiala Giant’s Kettle in Mikkeli, a massive pothole formed by powerful glacial meltwater around 11,400 years ago and the 4th pothole discovered in Finland.

@europeangeoparksnetwork @geopark_hblo #egnconference #europeangeoparksnetwork #fieldtrips #saimaageopark #iceagetrip ...

Saimaa Geopark ja Etelä-Karjalan Virkistysaluesäätiö vietti kaksi, toukokuista retkipäivää imatralaisten koulujen lasten ja nuorten kanssa Haapasaaressa ☀️🌿

Teimme yhteistyötä molempien toimijoiden eri hankkeissa ja sainne järjestettyä aktiviteettien ja hyvän fiiliksen täyteiset saaripäivät!

Erityiskiitosta saimme erityislasten ohjauksesta ja tilan antamisesta kun sille oli tarve 💛

Loppuun vielä muutamia palautteita lasten suusta:

" Tehtävät olivat tosi mielenkiintoisia, tuluksien avulla tulen teko oli jännittävää, luontovisailu oli kivaa, laivamatka oli kohokohta, kaikki ohjaajat olivat tosi kilttejä"

@inacs.project @centralbalticprogramme @elinvoimakeskus.kaakkoissuomi #inacshanke #europeangeoparksnetwork #imatra #luontoretki #egnweek ...