Punkaharju Ridge is an

esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...

(ridge) in

South Savo South Savo (or Southern Savonia; fi, Etelä-Savo; sv, Södra Savolax) is a region in the south-east of Finland. It borders the regions of North Savo, North Karelia, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Päijät-Häme, and Central Finland. The total area ...

, southeastern Finland. It separates two lakes of the

Saimaa Saimaa ( , ; sv, Saimen) is a lake located in the Finnish Lakeland area in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest natural freshwater lake in Europe. The name Saimaa likely comes from a ...

lake system,

Puruvesi Puruvesi is a lake in Eastern Finland. The lake is located in Kerimäki, Kesälahti and Punkaharju municipalities. Part of the Saimaa lake system, it borders on the sub-lake system of Pihlajavesi to the south. As is the case of other lakes of Sai ...

and Pihlajavesi, with only a narrow strip of dry land and a series of islands visible above water. Punkaharju is an iconic Finnish national landscape (''kansallismaisema''), which has inspired artists and writers, and drawn both domestic and international visitors since at least the early 1800s. Czar

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...

visited the area in 1802 and expressed his wish that it be preserved, and since 1843 it has been protected first as a state park and later as national park. Today, it is a designated

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

, and is included in the EU's

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

programme. The area has also been protected by the

Finnish Heritage Agency The Finnish Heritage Agency ( fi, Museovirasto, sv, Museiverket), previously known in English as the National Board of Antiquities, preserves Finland's material cultural heritage: collects, studies and distributes knowledge of it. The agency is a ...

as a nationally important cultural environment. The ridge can be traversed by car, either along the National Road 14 (between

Savonlinna Savonlinna (, , ; sv, Nyslott, lit=New Castle) is a town and a municipality of inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region, which is why the city is also nicknamed the "Capital of Saimaa". Together with Mikkel ...

and Särkisalmi), or the older scenic route 4792. In 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence, the 'Road of the Century' was chosen by popular poll, with the scenic route ('Harjutie') winning by a clear margin, with 42% of the votes.

Gallery

References

External links

Punkaharju
on City of Savonlinna visitor info {{Authority control Eskers Geography of South Savo Landforms of South Savo Tourist attractions in South Savo Saimaa