Lake Saimaa
Finland's largest and the fourth largest lake in Europe is actually not really a lake. Saimaa, rather, is a lake system that, from a bird's-eye view, closely resembles a maze consisting of many winding blue paths.
The length varies around 194 km.
The maximum width is 138 km.
The area is 4380 km2.
The maximum depth is about 84 m.
The average depth is only 17 m.
The coastline is 14,850 km long.
About 10 thousand years ago, the Saimaa system was still part of the Baltic Sea, and the reservoir acquired its current form only about 6 thousand years ago, with drainage into Lake Ladoga via the Vuoksa River. At the same time, human intervention in the ecosystem of the reservoir was also necessary.
At the end of the 18th century, when the border between Sweden and Russia passed through Saimaa, according to the plan of A.V. Suvorov, four canals were built by local residents and Russian soldiers to connect some parts of the reservoir. Later, the Saimaa Shipping Channel was opened, thanks to which Saimaa was connected to the Gulf of Finland. Today, Saimaa is also connected to other small lakes in Finland by canals, which are used both for transporting goods and for organizing tourist trips.
Like any reservoir of such grandiose size, Saimaa is very different. So, near the town of Imatra (which is not far from the Russian border), fans of kayaking or canoeing are waiting: there are many rapids here that are perfect for extreme water activities.
At the same time, tourists who prefer a quieter vacation can go to Savonlinna to walk around the medieval island castle, or head to Linnansaari National Park. Among other things, you can watch the Saimaa seal in the park: this representative of ringed seals (by the way, a close relative of the Ladoga seal) is still on the verge of extinction, although considerable efforts are being made to increase its population.
But fishermen– both beginners and professionals, will not be disappointed, no matter which shore of the lake they find themselves on. There are rare salmon species in the waters of Saimaa, the white-finned minnow was discovered relatively recently, and, of course, there are plenty of pike, perch and whitefish here. You can really fish on Saimaa all year round, it's just important not to forget about buying a special license. Therefore, in order to have a good time in Saimaa, you just need to choose your destination and set off boldly!