DIVERSE NATURE

The area along the National Road Finland is divided into three entities according to their characteristics. Via Lakeland represents the Finnish lake area from Lahti all the way to Iisalmi, Via Wilderness represents the Northern hills from Iisalmi to Kuusamo, and Via Lapland the fjelds and the wilderness of Lapland from Kuusamo to Utsjoki. Common characteristics of all three areas are far-reaching forests and numerous lakes. The large swamp areas are not only an attraction for bird watchers but also the stage for the humorous swamp soccer world championship arranged every year.

The typical animals and plants of the different regions along the National Road Finland are listed in the Nature gallery. Due to the Ice Age which ended about 10,000 years ago, Finland has one of the oldest rock foundations in the world: it was formed about 3 billion years ago. This kind of rock foundation can be found only in a few other places in the world.

The melting ice masses of the Ice Age gave birth to about 188,000 Finnish lakes, which gave Finland the name "land of thousand lakes". Another special feature of the Finnish rock foundation are the ancient and extremely rare meteorite craters. One of the most important findings is the Suvasvesi twin crater lake, the second deepest lake in Finland, which is situated in the Savo region.

Via Lakeland, the largest lake basin in Europe, is mainly hilly ground fragmented by numerous lakes. The labyrinths and islands of Saimaa, the largest lake in Finland, split the landscape. In many places, the water takes up over half of the area. The nature in the lake area is both lush and uncultivated, offering fantastic settings for e.g. recreational fishing. The Saimaa freshwater trout, a relic from the Ice Age, is every fisherman’s dream. The endangered Saimaa ringed seal, which was isolated in the inland water due to the land rise around 9,000 years ago, is a good example of the unique fauna in the lake area. In the landscape of the National Road Finland, you can also find the flying squirrel, which is not found elsewhere in the EU.

Via Wilderness is dominated by Northern hills and woodland. In addition to the lake Oulujärvi, the Kainuu region has a plenitude of great lake passages, small lakes as well as rivers and creeks. Rugged cliffs and canyons enrich the landscape of Kuusamo, where rivers form fast-flowing rapids and falls. The fauna of Via Wilderness is intensely rich - with some luck you might be able to see a bear, wolf, wolverine, otter, peregrine falcon, golden eagle or a lake trout. This is also the only area in the EU where the wild forest reindeer population has been successfully recovered. Via Wilderness serves as a gate to the splendid primeval forests and woodland of Russia. The National Road Finland also forms a passage to the White Sea, which is inhabited by a rare beluga species.

Via Lapland is full of round-topped, partly very rocky fjelds as well as far-reaching swamps and woodlands. The swamps and primeval forests are inhabited by many endangered plant and animal species. Via Lapland is also a gateway to some of the finest salmon rivers in Europe, for instance, the Teno river, and to North Norway and the Kola Peninsula in the Northwest of Russia. The landscape of North Lapland is dominated by the lake Inari and its thousands of steep rock islands. The Arctic Circle extends across the entire region. Lapland is famous for its Northern lights, which you can witness during up to two hundreds nights every year.

For more information on the nature of the National Road Finland, please contact the travel services in the area. Their professional tour guides are at your service.