Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM, BY INVITATION ONLY
Breathe the clean Nordic air and learn the secrets of Finland's green forests and the largest Lakeland district Saimaa. The Saimaa UNESCO Geopark offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, cycling, canoeing, and fishing. The Geopark also is home to several historic sites, including ancient castles, churches, and museums. You will have an experience combining activities, stunning locations, wellness and culinary delights and enjoy beautiful landscape.
During the fam trip we will visit Linnansaari National Park and get familiar with biking, hiking and canoeing. We will go to sauna and swimming, taste the delicacies from the surrounding nature and get to know different companies in the region.
WEDNESDAY 30.8.2023
Flights from home destinations to Finland
Arrival in Helsinki/Joensuu
Accommodation at Helsinki Airport Hotel/Original Sokos Hotel Kimmel
WORKSHOP DAY, THURSDAY 31.8.2023
(Morning flight to Joensuu, transfer by bus to the hotel)
Breakfast at the hotel
09:00-12:00 Joensuu excursion
13:30 Lunch at Hotel Kimmel for buyers and suppliers
15:00-18:00 Workshop in the conference centre of Original Sokos Hotel Kimmel
19:00 Get together dinner at Hotel Kimmel
Friday 1.9.2023
Breakfast at the hotel
Check-out
Meet your tour host Mr Tomi Närhinen, Adverento Travel Ltd
tomi.narhinen@adverento.com +358 40 724 3896 in the hotel lobby
08:00 Transportation by car from Joensuu to Linnansaari National Park
Sit back and enjoy the scenic 125 km drive through Lake Saimaa labyrinth archipelago.
11:30 Arrival in Oravi Village
located between two archipelago national parks (Linnansaari and Kolovesi), Oravi is a perfect basecamp for kayaking or exploring the national parks.
Lunch in Oravi
13:00 Boat trip to Linnansaari National Park
Linnansaari National Park in Northern Lake Saimaa consists of more than 130 small islands and is the largest national park in Southern Finland. We spend the afternoon kayaking and hiking the nature trails of Linnansaari. It surely is a great nature encounter with beautiful views and scenery wherever you go. With just a bit of luck, it is also possible to see the endangered Saimaa ringed seals or ospreys. We'll return to Oravi by early evening.
16:00 Transportation by car from Oravi to Puumala with a short stop to the marvellous town of Savonlinna
18:30 Arrival in Puumala, one of the most beautiful municipalities in Finland
Check-in at Pistohiekka Resort
Accommodation in cosy modern cabins of one of the finest beach resorts at the shores of Lake Saimaa.
19:00 Dinner in Pistohiekka Resort
Pistohiekka Resort has an excellent restaurant by Lake Saimaa. The restaurant is a five-star D.O. Saimaa (designation of origin) restaurant, sourcing most of its food from the local farms, fishermen and other food producers in Lake Saimaa region.
21:00 Optional sauna and swimming at Pistohiekka Resort
Pistohiekka Resort's lakeside sauna was recently ranked among the best sauna experiences in Finland.
Saturday 2.9.2023
08:00 Breakfast at Pistohiekka Resort
Wake up in a fantastic place by the beach. This is the day to go outdoors in Puumala. Lake Saimaa is at its best in Puumala with beautiful sandy beaches and rocky hills wherever you go. It's a true labyrinth archipelago with an enormous number of islands and narrow waterways. There are several different outdoor and nature activities available at Pistohiekka Resort, but with a limited time today, we must be very selective.
09:00 Drive to Varkaantaipale canal and RIB cruise to visit Astuvansalmi Rock Paintings.
The RIB cruise will take us to three old canals and Astuvansalmi Rock Paintings. Astuvansalmi is the largest site of ancient rock paintings in the Nordic area. At Astuvansalmi, there are about 70 pictures that date back to 2500-3000 BC. The site itself is incredibly beautiful and would make a perfect day trip destination even with no rock paintings at all; you'll see what we mean, when you see the place! Our means of transport this morning is a sporty, open RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat), which takes us to Astuvansalmi through narrow waterways and canals
12:30 Lunch at Pistohiekka Resort
14:30 Eco-boat cruise to Lake Saimaa
Pistohiekka Resort is an eco-friendly active holiday resort with Sustainable Travel Finland label and Good Travel Seal certification for responsible tourism. One way of demonstrating eco-friendliness is to favour eco-friendly boating experiences. This afternoon, we'll drive to the village of Puumala and set off for an eco-boat cruise by Finland's first professional cruising boat powered by an electric engine. We'll see some of the best sceneries at Lake Saimaa and enjoy silent, slow boating.
16:30 Return to Pistohiekka Resort
18:00 Dinner at Pistohiekka Resort
20:00 Optional sauna and swimming at Pistohiekka Resort, accommodation at Pistohiekka Resort.
Sunday 3.9.2023
07:30 Breakfast at Pistohiekka Resort
08:30 Kayaking trip to Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark
Lake Saimaa in general and Puumala in particular, is a kayaking paradise. This morning, we'll make a relaxed, leisurely kayaking trip to the labyrinth archipelago. There are beautiful sandy beaches, rocky hills, and enormous amount of small islands and narrow waterways to explore. Pistohiekka Resort is surrounded by nature reserves and sanctuaries, and it is not uncommon to see Saimaa ringed seals in the area.
11:00 Early lunch at Pistohiekka Resort
11:30 Transportation by car to Helsinki
14:45 Arrival in Helsinki Airport
It is time to say goodbye. Hope to see you soon again!
Contact us
DMC
Adverento Travel Ltd
tomi.narhinen (at) adverento.com
Visit Finland Helsinki
Heli Saari
heli.saari (at) businessfinland.fi
Visit Finland Helsinki
Mira Immonen
mira.immonen (at) businessfinland.fi