- Period: All year round
- Accommodation: Hotel Spa in Imatra or Lappeenranta (depending on the period)
- 5 days/4 nights
- Included: breakfast – excursions – transfers to places of interest (see below)
- Not included/optional: transfer from/to Helsinki, lunch, dinner, all what is not explicitly mentioned in the program.
- Starting price: 1450€/persona
Finland is well known for the beautiful nature, the endless forest views and, of course, for the legend of the 1000 lakes that are actually 187,888.
Lake Saimaa is Finland’s largest lake and a breathtaking UNESCO Global Geopark. It features an astonishing 15,000 islands and nearly 15,000 kilometers of shoreline. Carved by the last Ice Age, this freshwater system is famous for its exceptionally clean water, deep green pine forests, and maze-like archipelago channels, and known above all among the Finnish people, Saimaa Ringed Seal, an endangered specie of seal living uniquely in this lake.
Discovery Travels has the possibility to offer all year round accessible travel packages to visiting Saimaa Lake region. Accommodation in Spa hotel with the possibility in Summer to enjoy 1,5 h boat excursions starting from Imatra. The boat has the possibility to
🏰 Lappeenranta: The Lively Lakeside Gateway
Located on the southern shore of the lake, Lappeenranta blends rich history with a vibrant summer atmosphere.
- The Fortress (Linnoitus): A historic old town featuring museums, artisan shops, and Finland’s oldest Orthodox church.
- The Harbour: A bustling summer hub where you can sample regional delicacies like vety and atomi (savory meat pastries).
- Sandcastle Park: Finland’s largest sandcastle, sculpted with a different theme each summer.
- Saimaa Canal: A historic engineering marvel offering scenic boat cruises through its massive locks.
⚡ Imatra: Home of the Rapids
Just a 20-minute drive from Lappeenranta, Imatra is Finland’s oldest tourism destination, centered entirely around the raw power of water.
- Imatrankoski Rapids: Europe’s wild rapids that have drawn tourists—including Russian Empress Catherine the Great—for centuries.
- Kruununpuisto (Crown Park): Finland’s oldest nature reserve, surrounding the rapids and showcasing massive glacial giant’s kettles.
- Valtionhotelli: A magnificent Art Nouveau castle hotel overlooking the rapid gorge.
🦭 The Saimaa Ringed Seal (Saimaan Norppa)
The Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is one of the rarest and most endangered seals in the world, with only a few hundred individuals existing exclusively in this lake system.
Practical Spotting Realities
- The Prime Window: The absolute best time to see them is May. This is their molting season when they haul themselves onto sunny rocks to dry their fur. During summer, they spend most of their time submerged.
- Location Geography: The core population lives further north in the labyrinthine islands of Linnansaari and Kolovesi National Parks, as well as around Puumala. They are rarely seen directly in the open waters right off the main city harbors of Lappeenranta or Imatra.
💎 Spectrolite: Finland’s Gem of the Northern Lights
Discovered in southeastern Finland during the Second World War, spectrolite is a rare variety of labradorite found only in Finland. Its extraordinary flashes of blue, green, gold, and violet resemble the colours of the Aurora Borealis, making it one of the country’s most unique natural treasures. Visitors can admire and purchase handcrafted spectrolite jewellery and artworks from local workshops, bringing home an authentic piece of Finnish geology and craftsmanship.
If your target audience is international travellers, I would also subtly connect it to the Northern Lights, as many visitors already associate Finland with the aurora. This creates a stronger emotional connection without becoming too promotional.
- Spectrolite quarries: described as a special type of labradorite this stone can be found only in Finland.