Cruises on Inland Waterways
There are dozens of lakes in eastern and central Finland connected by canals. One of the most extensive is the Saimaa Canal, built in the 1850s, which connects the Saimaa lake area to the Gulf of Finland. There are dozens of steam vessels serving the waterways of the Saimaa lake area and Lake Päijänne. Many of them were built fifty or a hundred years ago. There's old world charm in these vessels, with their wooden decks and brass fittings. Some ships offer cabin accommodation, and most provide food.
Lakeland adventures range from short expeditions lasting a couple of hours to leisurely tours with cabin accommodation that last several days. The vessels can range from hundred-year-old lake steamers to open-top motor cruisers ideal for sightseeing.
The route might take you from Nurmes at the northern end of the Lake Pielinen, through the Karelian lake ports of Lieksa and Joensuu, and finishing in Savonlinna. If you happen to be there in July, you can spend an evening at the opera in the magnificent Olavinlinna fortress.
Kuopio is another busy lake steamer port. Tours depart from here across the network of eastern lakes and canals. The route from Kuopio to Savonlinna is the longest regular passenger ship route offering on-board accommodation along the way on inland waterways. The old-time steamers sail amid narrow straits and some of the oldest locks in Finland. You can experience part of Finland's steamship history.
Further west, lake steamers depart from Lahti and Heinola and sail up Lake Päijänne to Jyväskylä. From Tampere you can sail the Poet's Way on a hundred-year-old steam ship, heading north to Ruovesi and passing sites of Finnish literary interest. Cruise ships usually serve refreshments; some of them serve full meals.
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