Seven Hidden Treasures to Discover Around Lake Saimaa in Autumn

Lake Saimaa, Finland’s largest lake and the fourth largest in Europe, offers more than breathtaking scenery. It is also the birthplace of Everyman’s Rights – the freedom to roam, forage, and camp in nature. This cherished tradition exists thanks to the determination of one remarkable woman, Ilma Lindgren. To honour her legacy, Visit Finland has curated seven hidden treasures around Lake Saimaa that invite visitors to discover the landscapes, flavours, and culture of the region during the best foraging season: autumn.

On September 4, 1914, Ilma Lindgren  –  a young, widowed mother – picked 20 kilos of lingonberries on Äitsaari Island in Ruokolahti, Saimaa. A landowner confiscated them, insisting they were his property. Lindgren refused to yield. She pursued the case through three courts, ultimately winning in the Supreme Court after five years. Her victory affirmed the right of all Finns to forage, at a time when the principle was far from guaranteed.

Foraging today is more than a pastime; it is a national passion. In late summer and autumn, forests teem with people foraging berries, mushrooms, and herbs under Everyman’s Rights. Among its modern champions is awarded chef Sami Tallberg, a pioneer of wild food since 2005, who created the cake Tribute to Ilma Lindgren in her honour – featured in his bestselling Forage’s Cookbook, FLORA. 

“My work continues in the footsteps of Ilma Lindgren, who changed the way we Finns connect with nature. She secured nature’s treasures available and free for us all. Foraging is at the core of Finnish culture. Spring, summer and autumn cottage life supports seasonal eating and foraging: having wild, edible plants, wild mushrooms, berries is something everyone has access to,” Tallberg says.

Saimaa remains central to this tradition. Its countless cottages and vast forests keep the practice of foraging alive. “Lake Saimaa is not only breathtakingly beautiful – it’s a living monument to Ilma Lindgren’s courage and the freedoms we enjoy today,” adds Heli Jimenez, Senior Director of Marketing at Business Finland, who also forages at her family’s lakeside cottage.
 

Built in 1869, Pulsa Railway Station once served as the main transport hub of the Saimaa region. Today, it has been lovingly restored as a boutique B&B and café, preserving its wooden charm while offering modern comforts. Guests can stay in renovated 19th-century railway workers’ homes, enjoy coffee roasted on-site at Makea Coffee Roastery, and sample cakes and pastries made with foraged berries and mushrooms. Accommodation is available 1.5.-31.10.; the café remains open year-round.

Huuhanranta, known as the “Riviera of Saimaa,” is the region’s longest sandy beach, stretching 1.5 kilometres along a south-facing shoreline. In summer, it attracts swimmers, but in autumn it becomes a peaceful haven for camping, photography, and stargazing. Firewood sheds, a composting toilet, and a waste container make overnight stays simple. Surrounding forests brim with lingonberries, blueberries, and mushrooms. Part of the Saimaa UNESCO Geopark, Huuhanranta was recently featured in TIME magazine as one of the world’s most captivating “coolcation” beaches.

Kummakivi is one of Finland’s most intriguing natural wonders: a seven-metre boulder improbably balanced on a smaller rock. Deposited by retreating glaciers, it has stood immovable for thousands – perhaps millions – of years, defying even attempts with dynamite. The approach is just as memorable, crossing a moss-covered bridge from 1930 before winding through pine forests alive with birdsong. Local guide company Creative Kaiku offers tours that combine folklore with whimsical forest-elf storytelling.

No visit to Saimaa is complete without tasting its signature fish: vendace (muikku). Small and silvery, it is typically pan-fried until crispy and served with mashed potatoes, dill, and melted butter. A staple of local fishing culture for centuries, vendace remains the lake’s most important catch. At Wolkoff, a historic wooden restaurant in Lappeenranta, Chef Karo Sintonen prepares vendace dishes using sustainably sourced fish and farm-fresh vegetables.
 

Part surrealist gallery, part enchanted garden, Parikkala Sculpture Park is the life’s work of self-taught artist Veijo Rönkkönen (1944–2010). Over five decades, he filled the half-hectare garden with 560 concrete statues – from lifelike human figures frozen mid-dance or yoga pose to faces adorned with real human teeth. As autumn light shifts through the surrounding foliage, the sculptures take on a particularly mysterious air.

Lake Saimaa’s island-hopping cycling routes combine natural beauty with cultural history. The Four-Island Route in Imatra and Ruokolahti carries riders across bridges and ferries, linking villages, forest trails, and lakeside viewpoints. Highlights include the historic church hill of Ruokolahti, sweeping views of the Vuoksi River, Saimaa’s only outflow, and secluded picnic spots. A short boat transfer, booked in advance, adds to the sense of adventure.

Rastinniemi, a jewel of the Saimaa UNESCO Geopark, offers one of the lake’s finest recreational areas. Here, even hikers without boats can step into the heart of Saimaa and experience its island-like scenery. Ancient shorelines, formed at different stages of the Baltic Ice Lake, are visible at varying elevations – the highest at 105 metres above sea level. Located in Kyläniemi and accessible by ferry from Ruokolahti, the peninsula is well equipped with barbecue shelters, making it an inviting spot to linger under moonlit skies.