Finnish Lakeland
The majority of Finland’s 180,000 lakes are situated between the coastal area and the eastern frontier covering an area some 100km- (60 mile-) wide. The lakes are a veritable maze with their profusion of bays, headlands and islands. Sometimes they open out into broader stretches. They are linked to each other by rivers, straits and canals forming waterways which in former times were a principal means of communication. Nowadays, they are attractive routes for the tourist. As the lakes are usually shallow and the surrounding land is not high, the water soon becomes warm in summer. Many summer festivals of all kinds take place in the lakeland area, often in beautiful country settings.
The eastern region is an area of interconnected lakes which is dominated by Lake Saimaa, a vast expanse of water. Dotted over their surface are no fewer than 33,000 islands and the shoreline is 50,000km (80,000 miles) long. A network of waterways joins the lively Savo towns, such as Savonlinna with its medieval Olavinlinna Castle, the best preserved in Scandinavia. The Savonlinna Opera Festival is held annually in July. In addition to operas performed to international standards, there are a number of concerts. Kuopio is known for its food speciality kalakukko (a rye bread pie with fish and pork filling).
Jyväskylä, Tampere, Lahti and Hämeenlinna region. This area comprises two major waterways, the oldest of which, the Finnish Silverline, runs between Hämeenlinna, birthplace of Sibelius, and Tampere, through fertile agricultural lands which are fairly densely populated. Lahti, a winter sports centre, lies at one end of Lake Päijänne where the land is higher and steep rocky cliffs rise to as much as 200m (650ft). At the other end is Jyväskylä, famous for its modern architecture.
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