punkaharju ridge

Take your time to slowly drive along the ridge and admire the awesome views. Beautiful places, peaceful forests, silky blue lakes..

While Mother Nature's Trees with their leaves in Spring/Summer obscure the view of this road we had better views of the archipelago as we came towards this place from Kuhmo than when we got there.

Punkaharju is a harju, a many kilometers lonh high hill, made during the Ice age. It was made by ice when it did return back and took the soil with it. It is a national scenery of Finland but watch out when you reach Punkaharju that you don`t drive along a new road n:o 14 all the way to Savonlinna or Parikkala. Follow the signs "Harjutie" so you can enjoy the beauty to see water everywhere around you.

Go by train, get out at Retretti and walk over the ridge. If you come by car, stop and walk along the old road. Bicycles are also a good idea. Bring a picnic, and sit at one of the many tables along the old road. If you have a 'panorama' camera, this is the place to bring it.

We were so lucky to be taken here by a local Finn, keen to show us how stunningly lovely the eastern lake district of Finland is. It really is beautiful. You drive along a narrow ribbon of land between the lakes. The forests are full of silver birches, spruce, pine and wildflowers. The long summer days are wonderful here. While in Punkaharju, visit the amazing summer cave art gallery Retretti - high art underground.

A place to spend a good day with circular walks past the Beaver Lake and the large Lake Pihlajavesi. Other attractions are the Kruunupuisto hotel (formerly used for TB patients), Valtionhotelli (State Hotel), Lusto (Forestry Museum) and Lusto railway station. So so much to see

Drive thru either car-bicycle or motorbike this road narrow ,curve Lake Saimaa right both side..beautifull landscape..many camping areas nearby as well as museums.

I am biased because I am Finnish. But I think I have eye for the beauty of the Punkaharju area. It is worth of a car holiday, you can drive through the most beautiful lake district of Finland. Savonlinna is close, so you can choose a hotel in Punkaharju and visit the Opera Festival and concerts if you are ready to drive after the concerts.Otherwise, search for a hotel in Savonlinna and visit Punkaharju for a day trip or so.I have stayed twice at the Punkaharjun Valtionhotelli: once at a cottage, and once at the hotel. It is located in a small hill with lake views. It is a very beautiful building, but nothing luxury, more with taste of history. The cottage is not too well equipped but you have to be prepared for that. At the hotel, even though the food was near to be good, the service was not at the level of a state hotel. My waitress would have been better for a cleaning job than for serving. Strange, but this is eastern Finland, close to the Russian border. The art centre Retretti is close to the hotel, and worth of visiting. It is inside a big rock , and every summer there are theme exhibitions.The nature is above average, but for me, the service not.

Очень красивая дорога, ведущая по высокому хребту с видами на воду со всех сторон. По дороге есть место с окопами, оставшимися от линии Маннергейма, и информационными стендами, рассказывающими об этом месте в том числе и на русском языке.

Отдыхала с детьми неделю в Пункахарью. Такую красивую зиму можно увидеть только там. Складывается впечатление, что ты живешь в лесу нетронутом цивилизацией. Место уединенное где можно любоваться природой, выходить на озера и совершать пешие прогулки до ближайшей фермы Манулы. Где приветливый хозяин предоставит Вам отдых в гостинице, прогулку на лошадях и лодку!

Durante il nostro viaggio in Finlandia, ci siamo fermati a Punkaharju.Abbiamo visitato il bosco e il laghetto che si trova a pochi passi dalla strada principale, vicino al grande lago Saimaa. È stato molto suggestivo vedere il paesaggio della natura incontaminata.Si possono vedere le trincee usate durante la guerra, dentro il bosco.

Chi arriva fin qui dalla remota Italia si aspetta di scoprire paesaggi unici. Ti ritrovi invece in questo lembo di terra disseminata di pini e di larici, con le scure acque del lago Saimaa che lambiscono un po' tetramente i due lati della strada, che si alza a mo' di collinetta quasi per fornirti un panorama comunque monotono. Cerchi il paese, glorificato da insegne a caratteri cubitali, e ti trovi un'area di servizio Shell circondata da quattro brutte case e con lunghi lavori stradali eseguiti da gente lenta che, anche nella modalità lavorativa, ricorda l'età della pietra.