Nowhere else in the world can you find the “Saimaa seal,” a freshwater seal that became trapped in this labyrinth of lakes after the last ice age and has since evolved into its own species. Around Mikkeli, in southeastern Finland, that labyrinth serves as the backdrop for hiking trails, national parks, and rock carvings that are thousands of years older than any manor house in the area.
From short nature trails just a ten-minute drive away to full-fledged national parks over an hour away: here’s an overview of the best places to hike around Saimaa, with travel times from Mikkeli (this city is just over a 2-hour drive from Helsinki).
If you don’t have a whole day to spare, there are several beautiful nature trails right around Mikkeli.
A ten-minute drive from Mikkeli lies the Urpola Nature Center, a visitor center for the Saimaa Geopark. The center is housed in Mikkeli’s oldest residential building, dating from 1782, and serves as a great starting point for learning about the area’s geology and nature.
About a 45-minute drive away are the hiking trails across Neitvuori Hill and through the Hiidenmaa area, featuring forest trails and overlooks of the surrounding lake landscape.
Also a 45-minute drive away is Astuvansalmi, the largest site of rock art in Northern Europe. The drawings date back about 5,000 years. Of the approximately eighty images, one stands out: a human figure known as the Artemis of Astuva, one of the few female figures in European rock art from that period.
Just over an hour’s drive (1h 10m) away, in Puumala, there is a nature trail dedicated to the Saimaa ringed seal. The chances of actually spotting the seal are slim—the animals are shy, and there are only a few hundred left—but the trail provides a good overview of their habitat.
Repovesi is a forested landscape shaped by the last ice age, featuring dozens of lakes, ponds, and rugged rock formations. The park has over 40 kilometers of marked hiking trails. The most famous spot is Olhavanvuori, a nearly vertical rock face 50 meters high and one of Finland’s most popular climbing sites. The Lapinsalmi suspension bridge, 55 meters long and 12 meters high, offers a spectacular view over the water.
If you walk the entire 24-kilometer Kaakkurinkierros trail, you’ll pass all of the park’s highlights. The rare red-throated loon nests in the secluded ponds, and its call echoes across the water in early summer.
Linnansaari is located in the heart of the lake system and is best experienced from the water—for example, by canoe from Oravi or Rantasalmi. The park was established in 1956 and covers 96 square kilometers of islands, bays, and open water. Linnansaari is one of the most important habitats for the Saimaa ringed seal; an estimated fifty of them live here.
The main island also features marked hiking trails along rocky shores and through herb-rich forests, as well as the Ukonvuori rock carvings, which are also about 5,000 years old.
Leivonmäki is sometimes described as Central Finland in miniature. The park is ideal for families thanks to the boardwalks that make the hiking trails accessible. Along the way, informational signs explain the formation of kettle holes, erratic boulders, and other glacial phenomena.
Wild blueberries grow in the Haapasuo peatlands during the summer, and various spots along an esker ridge or by the water are perfect for a picnic.
If you still have some time and energy left after a day of hiking, you’ll find plenty of cultural history in and around Mikkeli.
For hikers looking for a base in the heart of this lake district, Landhaus Kekkola is a natural starting point: an estate with five centuries of history on Lake Iso-Vuolinko, about 7 kilometers from Mikkeli. After a day outdoors, a warm sauna, an oak-paneled hot tub, and a dinner prepared by Chef Marco Fiori—who combines traditional Savo cuisine with German and Sardinian influences—await you. Read more about accommodations, dining, and the sauna at Landhaus Kekkola in the separate article about the estate.
Leivonmäki, thanks to the boardwalks that make the hiking trails accessible to children and less experienced hikers.
Small. This seal is one of the rarest in the world. Your best chance of seeing one is on a guided canoe trip in Linnansaari, outside of the sensitive breeding season in the spring.
There is no admission fee for Repovesi, but reserved overnight cabins and any transportation may incur additional costs. Be sure to check the current rules for each park before you go.
Late spring through early fall, when the trails are easily accessible and the days are long. In winter, parts of the area are ideal for ice skating and cross-country skiing on the ice.
Landhaus Kekkola, an estate on Lake Iso-Vuolinko near Mikkeli, serves as a central base with a sauna and restaurant.
With a passion for travel and photography and over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, I love to share my special nature travel tips. Travel is wonderful and important, you meet new people and cultures and it opens your view of the world.
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