NORPPAPOLKU(THE SAIMAA SEAL TRAIL)••••••

Total length 13 km
Marked on the terrain in 2016
Kitulanlenkki 3 km
Kaivannonkieppi 4 km
Kotkatsaarenkierros 3 km
Location: Puumala
Puumala tourist info
Keskustie 14, Puumala
tel. +358 50 562 0706
www.visitpuumala.fi

Wellbeing from nature – exercise until you are out of breath, or takea moment to breathe in the surroundings and enjoy the experiences
along the Saimaa Seal trail on your own or with good company

Saimaa Geopark

The Saimaa Seal trail showcases Lake
Saimaa and its spectacular geologicalsights in depth. The trail takes you along
great forest hiking routes, to observation
points where you can rest, and to spots
where you can dive into Saimaa’s invitingwaters. If you are lucky, you might catcha glimpse of one of the rarest seals inthe world, the Saimaa ringed seal, after
which the Saimaa Seal trail is named.
The Saimaa Seal trail is 13km long in total,and can be walked in either direction. You
can choose from three shorter circular routes,
if you don’t wish to walk the entire trail. Theroutes are signposted with information. The
Saimaa Seal trail runs through rugged forest,
rocky, lakeland and heathy terrain. The trail
varies from fir needle-lined paths to rocky surfaces. The Saimaa Seal trail is suitable for recreational use all year round. During the winter,please be aware of the snowmobile route thatruns past the Kitulanlenkki area.

The Norppapolku trail consists of three circularroutes: Kitulanlenkki, Kaivannonkieppi and Kotkatsaarenkierros. The recommended starting
points are the centre of Puumala, the Luukkolantie car park, and the Kaivanto car park.
The Saimaa Seal trail’s routes are great for hiking and jogging, nature spotting, snowshoeing,
mountain biking, and geocaching. There arealso swimming areas at Kaivannonkieppi andalong the Kotkatsaarenkierros.

Geological sights along
the Saimaa Seal trail:
DRUMLINS

Drumlins are elongated moraine formations
formed by the flow of an ice sheet. They often
have a rocky core, behind which a long ridgeof moraine accumulates. Drumlins are usually
very large, and are therefore difficult to discernin the terrain, but there is a small drumlin ridgealong the Kitulenkki path on the Saimaa Seal
trail that is almost immediately discernible.

TYPES OF ROCK IN THE AREA, AND THE
VIEW FROM THE OBSERVATION POINT

The observation point at Pääskytvuori provides excellent views of Lake Saimaa, but visitors should also take a look down at the solid
bedrock under their feet. The type of rock at
the observation point is striped mica gneiss,
which formed millions of years ago from sandand clay on the ancient seabed. These ancientsediments were transformed into mica gneissthrough mountain folding, deep in the Earth’scrust.

KETTLE

Kettles formed as large blocks of ice were buried in the sand and gravel at eskers and deltas formed by glacial rivers. As the ice blocks
gradually melted away, holes of various shapes
and sizes were left behind. The esker terrainaround the Saimaa Seal trail is dotted by many
kettles, and one kettle pond lies along the Kotkatsaarenkierros.

ANCIENT SHORELINES

There are beach banks, terraces and ridges atvarious elevations on the slopes of the esker
terrain around the Saimaa Seal trail, such asalong the Kotkatsaarenkierros. They are theancient shorelines that formed in the ancientphases of Lake Saimaa, when the surface of thewater was higher. They were revealed due toland uplift and a fall in water levels. The latest
2-3-metre drop in water levels took place when
the Vuoksi outlet channel formed around 5,700years ago.

LONGITUDINAL ESKERS

Eskers formed in long, narrow stretches in glacial river tunnels. The eskers comprise material
that was layered and accumulated by meltwater that flowed through network of tunnels inthe ice sheet. The core of the esker is madeup of coarse gravel and rocks worn round by
the meltwater. Finer sand accumulated overand around the core. The Kotkatsaarenkierros
crosses over the esker ridge to the south ofMaijavuori.

Further information:www.visitpuumala.fi

Saimaa ringed seal

The Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is one of the rarest seals in the world.
Saimaa ringed seals live only in Finland. It is estimated that there are currently about 400 ofthem. The Saimaa ringed seal is one of the few
seals to live in fresh waters. It was isolated in
Saimaa about 8,000 years ago when the connection to the Baltic Sea was severed after theIce Age. The Saimaa ringed seal has larger eyes
and brain than its relatives, because it had toadjust to living in the dark and labyrinthinewaters of Saimaa. The typical Saimaa ringed
seal is: 130–145 cm long; weight: 50-90 kg;
colour: dark grey with individual light rings on
the fur; average lifespan: 20 years.

Respecting nature
while hiking in Saimaa• You can move around the area freely inaccordance with Everyman’s right.
• It is only permitted to light a fire in designated areas. It is prohibited to light open
fires during terrain or forest fire alerts.
• If you intend to stay overnight for 1–2
days, please use the marked rest areas ordesignated camping areas.
• Do not litter. Burnable waste can be burnt
in campfires, and bio-waste can be composted along with WC waste. Please takeany other waste with you when you leave.
• You can pick berries, mushrooms andnon-protected plants.
• Angling and ice fishing are permitted byEveryman’s right. The relevant permits arerequired for other types of fishing.
• Pets must be kept on the lead.
• Stay on the trails and paths, and respect
other trail uses.
EMERGENCY NUMBER 112– KNOW YOUR LOCATION.

Talvikuva ja norppakuva Matti Vainikka, ilmakuva Juha Markkanen | Mainospihlaja Ky | Painomäki Oy 2019The Saimaa Seal Trail

Geology is a rising trend in nature tourism.
Geoparks are internationally highly popular tourism operating models. The aim of theGeoparks is to achieve sustainable economic
development in these areas with the help ofgeotourism. From the tourist attraction perspective, geoparks are similar to national parks
and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, although ageopark is not a nature reserve as such. Saimaa
Geopark consists of 9 municipalities: Sulkava,Ruokolahti, Juva, Savitaipale, Taipalsaari, Puumala, Lappeenranta, Imatra and Mikkeli. There
are 14 geosites and 3 nature and culture sites
in Puumala.

Norppapolku
PuumalaThe Saimaa Seal Trailvisitpuumala.fisaimaageopark.fi

Norppapolku is one of thegeosites in the SaimaaGeopark. Geological sights
along the trail:
1. Drumlins
2. Types of rocks in the area
3. Kettle holes
4. Ancient shorelines
5. Longitudinal eskers

Norppapolku
Kitulanlenkki
Kaivannonkieppi
Kotkatsaarenkierros
NORPPAPOLKU 13 km (solid blue line) consists of three looped routes. The markings forthese are blue dots painted on the trees. Preferred starting points are the centre of Puumala, Luukkolantie carpark and Kaivanto carpark.
Route class: moderate.
KITULANLENKKI 3 km (yellow dashed line)
hiking, trail running, nature observing, snow
shoeing, mountain biking and geocaching. Themarkings for this are yellow dots painted on thetrees. Route class: moderate.
KAIVANNONKIEPPI 4 km (red dashed line)
hiking, trail running, nature observing, snow
shoeing, swimming and geocaching. The markings for this are red dots painted on the trees.
Route class: moderate.
KOTKATSAARENKIERROS 3 km (white dashedline) hiking, trail running, nature observing,mountain biking, swimming and geocaching.
The markings for this are white dots painted onthe trees. Route class: easy.

InfoCarpark
Camp fire siteSwimming
Spring / well
Dry toilet
Jetty/Moorings
Lookout