Rocky terrain at Neitvuori

Neitvuori could perhaps have been a sacred place for our distant ancestors. Neitvuori’s previous name of Hiidenvuori could indicate this. In the old days, people referred to sacred groves and burial grounds as “hiisi”. There are plenty of places beginning with ‘hiisi’ in the nearby area, such as places named Hiidenmaa around Neitvuori.

Three panels in the sign open up different contents on your mobile device (a series of panels beginning with the title “Discover the hidden treasures of Lake Saimaa”). You need the free Salmi AR app to view the content. Content includes pictures, videos, audio narration, and peepholes. You’ll find information about Suvorov’s time, wartime, and industrialization, and get to see what the area looked like 11,000 years ago and how the ancestors lived. The contents are currently available only in Finnish.

There are several observation and rest points with places to make a fire on the Neitvuori routes, including the Hiidenkota lean-to on the Hiidenkierros route. Hikers should reserve sufficient time for hiking through the challenging terrain. The Hiidenlahti quay is near the Neitvuori parking area.

Image: Arto Hämäläinen