What can one do in Kolovesi National Park?
Go Canoeing or Rowing
For independent canoeist or boater Kolovesi is an ideal place.
The
wilderness-like nature of Kolovesi National Park attracts lots of visitors in
July-August. In the peak season it is not easy to find a tent site there. We
recommend you to make your trip in the first weeks of June or in the last weeks
of August. The visit in the colourful ruska season in September-October would be
also an unforgettable experience.
You can start your Kolovesi trip with
a canoe or rowing boat from Käkövesi or Kirkkoranta boat
launching place.
Go Canoe Trekking
The 40 km circular canoeing route of Kolovesi takes 2 - 3 days. There are
several campfire places in the National Park with camping sites and dry
toilets.
Inside the National Park goes part of the longer Norppareitti (“Seal
Trail”) (www.karttaikkuna.fi), of which “Norppataival” section covers the
circular route of Kolovesi and Linnansaari National Parks (7 - 10 days).
Go Sailing or Motor Boating
- Motor boating is forbidden in almost everywhere the National Park, except
the northern parts. The boundaries of the restricted area can be seen in the
map of the area.
- Sailors and motor boaters have access to
Mäntysalo Nature Trail (62°18,42’ N,
28°44,70’ E) and Pitkäsaari camping sites. The northern camping site is at
62°18,50’ N, 28°44,80’ E and the southern at 62°18,41’ N, 28°45,04’ E. The
shallow and narrow straits of Kolovesi are not recommended for sailing.
- There are no marked channels in the National Park. The northern parts of
the park are close to Heinävesi Route, where the channel is 1,8 m deep. If you
turn off the route by Vieruvuori Hill (62°19,05’ N, 28°45,27’ E), it is about
500 metres to the place where you can see rock paintings at height of about 10
metres on the rock wall.
See the Sights and Scenery
At Ukonvuori Hill there is an old
excavation at the hill side, containing formations of quartz crystals. There is
a short marked trail up to the top of Ukonvuori Hill, in quite a difficult
terrain. The trail is marked with white triangles, and it is in its natural
state, so there are no stairs to help in the arduous ascent. Because of the
forest growing on the top, the view to the lake is not that good.
Rock paintings can be found
at Ukonvuori Hill inside the National Park, and at Haukkavuori and Vieruvuori
Hills nearby the National Park.
See the Visitor Centre, Nature Centre and Nature Information Hut
Kolovesi Nature Information Hut is
located in the centre of Enonkoski Municipality in an idyllic setting near
rapids, in an old granary. It is open in the summer and there is an exhibition
about the natural features of Kolovesi. There you can also get information on
how to explore the National Park.
Oskari - Linnansaari Visitor Centre gives
information on Kolovesi around the year. It is located in the centre of the
Municipality of Rantasalmi. Also Nestori
serves the National Park visitors.Nestori exhibition and customer service
point is located in the Provincial Museum of Savonlinna, close to Olavinlinna
Castle. It has an exhibition on Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa Ringed Seal
(Phoca hispida saimensis).
Walk on Nature Trail
In the National Park, there are two Nature
Trails, where you can find out about the forest ecosystems of Southern
Finland.
Go Fishing
For lure fishing at Kolovesi you need to pay the lure
fishing fee of the Province of Eastern Finland (www.mmm.fi) to the Ministry
of Agriculture and Forestry, or buy the lure fishing permit of Metsähallitus ,
area
1401 (www.villipohjola.fi, in Finnish). If you are 18 - 64 years old, you
also need to pay the fishing
management fee (www.mmm.fi), unless you are only angling or ice fishing. In
the state-owned waters managed by Metsähallitus, there is a restricted area,
where angling, ice fishing and lure fishing are all forbidden, for the
protection of the Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). Fishing is
forbidden in small lakes, such as Vaajalampi, Valkealampi, Tervalampi
and Kampukkalampi. The restricted area is marked on the location.
It is not possible to get net fishing permits for state-owned waters at
Kolovesi, because the area is very important for the Saimaa Ringed Seal’s
reproduction. For other than state-owned waters, fishing permits can be obtained
from local fishing collectives. To protect the pups of the Saimaa Ringed Seal,
the local fishing collectives have agreed on prohibition on net fishing 15.4. -
30. 6. in almost the whole area of Kolovesi. In addition, the ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry has set regulations on certain fishing implements and
methods of fishing at Kolovesi in the area included in Natura 2000 areas.
Go on Guided Group Tour at the Visitor Centre or Nature Centre
Groups can get presentations in Oskari - Linnansaari Visitor Centre and in
Nestori - Saimaa Nature Exhibition, for example about the services, and the aims
of conservation in Kolovesi National Park, the threatened species in the lake
ecosystems, and about nature conservation in general. Oskari is located in the Municipality of
Rantasalmi, and Nestori in the Town of
Savonlinna.
Go Berry or Mushroom Picking
Picking berries and mushrooms is allowed everywhere in the park, except the
restricted areas, where it is forbidden to
enter around the year. Kolovesi is famous for its blueberries (Vaccinium
myrtillus).
Go Swimming
There are no official swimming places in the National Park. However, swimming
is allowed in the park, except in the restricted
areas. The sandy beach at Käkövesi (nearby the National Park) is good for
swimming. There are also swimming platforms at the camping
sites.
