Winter that whispers

Holiday Resort Harjun Portti, Punkaharju

The perfect lakeside launch point for Saimaa’s winter trails.
From Harjun Portti, you step straight onto the glittering ridge-side ice route that is one of Saimaa’s most scenic winter experiences. Rent tour skates, kicksleds or fatbikes, linger in the warmth of the lakeside café, and end your day in a cosy cabin of your own. The resort’s year-round cottages and traditional lakeside sauna with ice-swimming make it an ideal base for both easy outings and full-day adventures.

Tip: Join the annual Torchlight Skating Evening in Punkaharju on 20 February. Glide on skates or a kicksled along a lakeside trail lit entirely by torches and glowing log candles.

Quick services: Rentals • Café & restaurant • Lakeside sauna & ice-swimming (bookable) • Cottages (year-round)

harjunportti.fi →  |  Torch Skating Event (FI) →

Kruunupuisto, Punkaharju

Historic ridge-side wellness wrapped in winter calm.
Kruunupuisto is a lakeside retreat rooted in the beautiful ridge area, where winter days flow between snowy ridges, frozen lake views and a soft sense of history. Spend the day on the ridge’s peaceful trails or on the frozen lake, then unwind in the renewed lakeside spa with saunayoga in the historic main building.

During the winter holiday season, the shoreline Inkeritalo opens as a cosy waffle café for skaters and walkers, and the lakeside sauna is available for private bookings – completing a perfectly calm Saimaa winter day.

Tip: Book a morning sauna with breakfast in the beautiful old Inkeritalo sauna.

Quick services: Spa • Saunayoga & treatments • Historic hotel Villa Urhola • Lakefront access • Restaurant & café • Wellbeing activities

kruunupuisto.fi/en →

Naaranlahti, Punkaharju

Countryside winter magic on the lakeshore.
Naaranlahti offers a peaceful rural stay surrounded by snowy forest and quiet lake views. Stay in cosy cabins, enjoy the warmth of a lakeside sauna and join winter experiences like ice-fishing by snowmobile or a nostalgic Finnish horse-drawn sleigh ride – a memory from another era, still alive on Saimaa’s shores.

Tip: Book a sleigh ride around dusk for the most atmospheric light, and combine it with a lakeside sauna and a cool dip for a very Finnish evening.

Quick services: Lakeside cabins & saunas • Ice-fishing by snowmobile (weather permitting) • Finnish horse sleigh rides • Snowy lakeshore surroundings

naaranlahti.com/en →

Kanava Resort

Modern lakeside cottages for relaxing winter days.
Kanava Resort is an easygoing accommodation option right by the Oravi canal, perfectly placed at the edge of the Linnansaari National Park and next to Oravi Village’s activities and services. These nine modern cottages suit families, couples and groups of friends, offering fully equipped kitchens, private saunas and calm views of the surrounding nature.

With its peaceful setting and flexible location, Kanava Resort works as a comfortable “home harbour” for your Saimaa stay. Take a day on winter trails in Linnansaari, spend a day in Savonlinna exploring cultural sights, travel over the ice to the next resort for a spa day or restaurant visit – and every evening unwind in your own warm, quiet cottage.

Tip: Use Kanava as your “home harbour” and combine a relaxing cottage stay with daytrips to Punkaharju, Rantasalmi or Savonlinna, depending on weather and ice conditions.

Quick services: Modern lakeside cottages • Saunas • Easy access by car • Good base for multi-day winter trips

kanavaresort.fi/en →

Oravi Village

Saimaa’s winter adventure hub between the lakes.
Oravi is a cosy canal village that turns into a basecamp for winter adventures on Lake Saimaa. Rent skates, kicksleds, skis or snowshoes, join a guided ice-fishing trip or try dry-suit floating in the ice-free canal. When the ice is thick enough between Oravi and Järvisydän, you can travel between resorts by snowmobile.

Tip: When the winter trail towards Linnansaari is open (weather permitting), plan a full day on the ice, hike to Linnavuori hill and finish the day with a hot sauna back in your cottage.

Quick services: Rentals (skates, kicksleds, fishing gear) • Guided ice-fishing & winter activities • Canal village café/restaurant • Lakeside cottages & apartments

oravivillage.com/en →

Nature & Spa Resort Järvisydän

Full-service winter resort on Lake Saimaa.
Järvisydän combines winter safaris, cosy dining and one of Finland’s most distinctive spas, built partly from ancient driftwood raised from Lake Saimaa. Stay in hotel rooms, villas or striking glass-roofed suites, and step straight into adventures in the surrounding nature or on the ice.

From Järvisydän, you can make a winter daytrip to Kaarnetsaari by e-fatbike or, when ice conditions allow, by skating or kicksledding across the frozen lake.

Tip: Stop by the cosy forest café Metsäkahvila, warm up with a hot drink and meet the adorable alpacas that live there.

Quick services: Rent e-bikes, skates or kicksleds • Unique lakeside spa • Restaurants / café • Hotel rooms, villas & special stays

jarvisydan.com/en →

Kuru Resort

Adults-only retreat for deep rest and silence.
Kuru’s private villas are designed for stillness: soft interiors, spa-style bathrooms and a calming forest or lake view straight from your bed. With no children and no rush, the resort is ideal for couples and travellers seeking quiet luxury wrapped in snow and pine trees. Your stay always includes a calming yoga session – a gentle way to unwind and reset. You can also book the lakeside sauna with its outdoor hot tub and enjoy the peace of nature together with your loved one.

Tip: Treat yourself to a surprise menu at Restaurant Solitary, ranked the 9th best restaurant in Finland, and taste some of the purest, most local flavours sourced straight from the surrounding nature.

Quick services: Adults-only villas • Private saunas & spa-style bathrooms • Calm forest setting • Restaurant and breakfast

kururesort.com/en →

PihlasResort

Silent-luxury forest suites & dining.
PihlasResort is a high-end hideaway deep in the forest – a peaceful retreat where nature softens every sound and nothing interrupts the calm. Spacious suites, private outdoor hot tubs and beautifully crafted meals set the tone for an unhurried stay focused on rest and connection.

Stays can be booked with full or half board, including access to equipment, the gym and the lakeside sauna with outdoor hot tub, as well as seasonal dining at Restaurant Siimes, where a delicious surprise menu highlights local ingredients at their best.

Tip: PihlasResort is a perfect destination for couples seeking time for each other, or for friends wanting to enjoy nature, good food and meaningful company in a truly refined setting.

Quick services: High-end suites & villas • Outdoor hot tubs • Fine dining with local ingredients • Nature-immersed surroundings

pihlasresort.com/en →