The National Park is a 40 km long and 5 - 10 km wide area in the middle of
Lake Haukivesi, a part of Lake Saimaa which is the largest lake in Finland. The
landscape alternates between a labyrinth of sheltered islands and broader open
waters. The park includes more than 130 islands and hundreds of smaller islets
and protruding rocks. If you are lucky, you can see the endearing Saimaa Ringed Seal (www.metsa.fi) on the lake.
Linnansaari is one of the best habitats of the Saimaa Ringed Seal (Phoca
hispida saimensis).
There are ca. 60 individuals which are faithful to
their native place.
In Linnansaari, the deciduous forests, the bare rocks parched by the sun, and
the open meadows offer a good habitat for many plant and animal species which
have become rare. For example, Linnansaari is home for the endangered White-backed Woodpecker
(Dendrocopos leucotos). There
are great contrasts in the vegetation of the islands; looking from the lake
towards the shore you can see the barren rocks covered in lichen, but lush
groves hide behind them. Linnansaari has more herb-rich forests than any other
National Park in Finland, about 30%. In Finland, herb-rich forests make up about
1% of all the forests.
The forests of the Park are young; the old-growth tree
stands are mainly in the rock forests. This is because of the slash-and-burn agriculture and the loggings of the last century. The deciduous forests are
dominated by the Birch (Betula) or the Aspen (Populus
tremula), and in the younger forests the Alder (Alnus). One of the
valuable features in the herb-rich forests is their diversity of tree species.
In the same grove you can find the Birch, the Aspen, the Littleleaf Linden
(Tilia cordata), the Hoary Alder (Alnus incana), the Pine
(Pinus sylvestris), the Spruce (Picea), the Rowan (Sorbus
aucuparia) and the Goat Willow (Salix caprea).
