WHAT IS A GEOPARK?

Geology is the latest trend in nature tourism. A geopark is a highly popular tourism concept.

Geoparks aim for sustainable economic development of their areas through geotourism. Despite the fact that geoparks are not conservation areas, they are comparable to national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of the objectives of geoparks is to increase the local community's knowledge and appreciation of their home region by highlighting the area's geological heritage and making it part of people's lives. Source: Saimaa Geopark Website

The municipality of Puumala is involved in the Saimaa Geopark project and promotes sustainable travel. Read more Ten principles of sustainable travel Puumala commits to working for a more sustainable Finnish travel industry

You can find Puumala geosites here.

Saimaa – Finland's Largest Freshwater Lake

Saimaa is the biggest lake in Finland and the fourth-largest natural freshwater lake in Europe. Saimaa is actually made up of dozens of lakes, which form a maze that encompasses the regions of Southern Savonia, South Carelia and North Carelia. The Wall Street Journal included Saimaa in its list of the world's five most spectacular lakes.

Area                        4,400 km²
Shoreline                14,859 km
Number of islands         13,710
Surface elevation   75.70 m
Maximum depth             84 m
Average depth        17 m

Some of the largest islands on Lake Saimaa are located entirely or partly in Puumala. They include Hurissalo, Partalansaari, Viljakansaari and Lintusalo. The largest island in Saimaa is Soisalo. For more information about Finnish archipelagos and lakes, see the publication "Suomi – saarten ja vetten maa" available online at http://mmm.fi/julkaisut/muut-julkaisut.