luonteri lakeland area

The Luonteri landscape is a combination of wide backwaters, forested islands, steep cliffs, smooth rocky coves, bays, headlands and clean sandy beaches. The rocky islands and beaches of the Luontera have cliffs several metres high. They reflect the ancient regional fractures and faulting of the bedrock. These formations are well distinguishable, as during the period of repeated glaciation during the Ice Age, it was the zones of rock weakness that were most heavily affected by glacial extraction. The continental glacier flowed from north-west to south-east and is still visible in the Luonteri landscape.

Geology

Varteussaari (Vartiosaari in some maps) is a good example of the barren rocky island of Luonteri Lake. It is a rocky island of about 1 km² in the southwestern part of the Luonteri. To the east, and especially to the northeast, the island is surrounded by extensive open waters. There are narrow straits on the north and west sides of the island and the shores are protected by nearby rocky islands. A Varteus excursion harbour has also been built in a sheltered bay at the northern end of the island.

Luonteri’s highly oligotrophic and clear lake is a Natura 2000 site. Botanically, it is a type of reed lake. The Luonteri is also a habitat for the Saimaa ringed seal. The forests in the area are mainly barren rocky pines and the area is important for the protection of old-growth forests. More information on Luonteri’s Natura area can be found in Finland’s environmental administration’s online service (in Finnish).

Image: Jari Nenonen