The Saimaa lake system is the largest water system of this kind in Europe. It is located in the south-eastern part of Finland. It covers a total area of 4400 square kilometers, 1700 square kilometers out of which are the waters. It is a real maze of lakes big and small, of rivers and of over 14 000 islands.

The Saimaa region takes up most of south-eastern Finland. Its area can be compared to that of Belgium. It reaches almost up to the Oulujarwi lake in the north, while in the east it extends beyond the border with Russia. It was created as a result of the melting of the continental ice cover during the last ice period; the kilometer-thick ice melted, creating an area rising to 67 meters above sea level and full of basins which filled up with water.

The coast line of the Saimaa system is 15 thousands kilometers, the maximum depth of the lakes – 82 meters. There is altogether 3000 kilometers of sailing routes, 70 ports and harbours and a lot of smaller facilities for sailing*.

The waters of the Saimaa system travel slowly from north to south, then head south-east through the Vouksi river, cross the border with Russia and end up in the Ladoga lake – the biggest lake in Europe.

The Saimaa Channels connects the Saimaa system with the Finnish Gulf. The plans for the channel were created as early as 1490-1510. The first channel ran from Lauritsala to Suomenvesi in the gulf of Vyborg; it was completed in 1854-1856. Its length was 36 kilometers. The difference of water levels was 36 kilometers, which was leveled out by a system of 28 sluices. That channel still exists, although it was modernized in the years 1963-68 in cooperation with the Soviet Union. Now the channel has 8 sluices between the lake and the gulf, three of which are located on Finnish territory. The total length of the channel is now 42.5 kilometers. 

*You can read more about sailing opportunities on the Saimaa system in the article “Off the beaten track?”