By Naomi Lloyd
Another Lake District: Naomi Lloyd visits an exciting but lesser-known part of Finland
“I’m charging down a wooden jetty, yelling “wahoo, I’m alive!”, before I leap into Finland’s vast, freezing Lake Saimaa, wondering if I have lost the plot. But the truth is I have never felt more refreshed or invigorated. Famous for Lapland and Santa Claus, Finland has another lesser-known gem: the Saimaa region, which is having a moment.
Crowned European Region of Gastronomy for 2024 and included on National Geographic Traveller’s ‘cool list’ for 2024, its lakes and forests offer tranquillity and well-being initiatives that make you feel far, far away from the cacophony of our capital. According to the UN’s World Happiness Report, Finland is the happiest place on earth. It has remained so for six years, and after a few days on the ground I’m beginning to see why.
The Finns I meet are proud of their deep connection to nature and slower pace of life. They spend summers at their cabin by the lake, swimming and boating. Seventy percent of the country is covered in forest and as children many Finns often learn how to fish, hunt and forage. For those of us who fancy being ‘at one’ with nature but with less Bear Grylls survival skills and more upscale luxury, the Pihlas Resort is a new five-star property which opened its doors last summer in the stunning lakeland area of Saimaa in eastern Finland.
Lake Saimaa is the equivalent of the Finnish Lake District. Its maze of waterways and thousands of forested islets have received UNESCO Global Geopark status. The water is so pure that in many areas you can drink it. It’s also home to the world’s rarest seal: the Saimaa Ringed Seal. (Best seal spotting period: May and early June.) Helicopter transfer from Helsinki airport brings you to the resort’s helipad in one hour; by road and train it takes four hours. The resort’s forest suites and villas are set apart with their own private garden, an individual sauna in the bathroom (of course! this is Finland) and personal golf buggy. Breakfast, which is served overlooking the lake, is a delight, with dish after dish of exquisitely prepared local food presented to us.
Porridge with wild foraged berries and honey from Pihlas bees, along with the revitalising lilac juice from flowers in the resorts gardens are some of the highlights.
We opt for a walking nature meditation with local mindfulness teacher Marianna. We stop at intervals to breathe in the scent of the forest, listen to a poem, touch the bark of a tree and savour the taste of a wild strawberry. I feel nourished and uplifted, and determined to bring this sense of well-being back into my busy, urban life.
Stays are tailor-made, so whether you fancy a bicycle tour with lunch laid out in the forest or canoeing with a private guide to see the Astuvansalmi stone age rock paintings, nothing is too much trouble. Or go for a treatment at the Pihlas spa and curl up in a cosy corner with a book and board games
It makes sense to learn that Saimaa’s gastronomy has earned the title of European Region of Gastronomy for 2024. Later, I enjoy a sauna at the side of the lake. At dinner, unexpectedly, our server asks if she can sing for us. Heartfelt and melancholy, the song brings me to tears. Anna translates and tells us the song is about love and loss, and that the singing was completely unplanned. Finns are like that, we learn.
A network of local businesses offer home grown, organic and seasonal produce. They include Tertti Manor, a charming country house in the same family for generations where guests dine in rooms adorned with sepia family photos, stuffed birds and chandeliers.
We also visited the award-winning, family-run Sahanlahti Resort, which, on a marina, has breathtaking views over the lake. On my final night I sat down to dinner on a steamship, which drops us at a medieval castle located on a nearby island. We watch Romeo and Juliet set in 19th century New York.
I leave Lake Saimaa feeling unbelievably relaxed and recharged. The Finns are definitely onto something; I wish I could bottle it up and take it back to my hectic London life. But for now I’m still basking in the well being glow. And planning my next visit.
Need to know
Pihlas Resort rates start at £510 per night, bookable at pihlasresort.com/en. Finnair fares start at £166 from Heathrow. Finnair.
Read more: Italy topples Bulgaria to offer Europe’s lowest ski-resort prices
Read more: Ski holidays: La Clusaz is the authentic Alps ski resort Brits haven’t discovered
