It’s time to introduce to you one MUST experience winter activity here in Saimaa! It’s called tour skating.
SaimaaHoliday maintains the longest tour skating trail in Finland. It`s located in Linnansaari national park and it’s over 40 km long.
Tour skating on the frozen lakes
As it has already come obvious my home region Saimaa lake district in Finland is full of lakes. What comes to winters, they are cold in Finland. That means that all of our lakes are frozen during the winter. When the lakes are frozen you can walk or do cross-country skiing on the ice. Or you can do tour skating.
We don`t have mountains or any kind of big hills in my home region so the possibilities for example to downhill ski are not good. If you want to do that in Finland, then go to Lapland. However, possibilities for tour skating are excellent in Saimaa lake district. So that`s why they have started to do more and more tour skating trails in this area. And that`s why more and more people have started to show interest in that. I am one of them. Nowadays I can already say that tour skating is one of my winter hobbies.
Tour skates are longer than normal skates so that it`s easier to skate with them on the natural ice.
I was surprised how easy it was to skate with a baby carriage
Hot tea and meat pie “Laurikainen” – yummy! (Meat pie is the delicious local speciality – I recommend)
Fresh air and outdoor life makes it all s tour skating?
There are many reasons why I like tour skating:
- Tour skating is a great way to spend a winter day outside with your family or friends. Fresh air freshens also your mind and thoughts. And remember that the picnic in nature is the best after you have been outside for a while!
- It`s good but gentle exercise for your body. Of course, you can also go as fast as you can and sweat a lot but it`s not necessary. Blades slide on the ice so well that you don`t need to work hard to get forward.
- Tour skating is easy. If you have ever skated it`s easy to learn also tour skating. If you haven`t skated, the technique itself is rather easy so you will learn quickly after a while of practice. Sticks are good – I recommend to use them!
- Lake nature is 100 times more beautiful surrounding to skate than a normal skating hall.
- Tour skating is a cheap hobby. Tour skates cost about 50-150 euros if you want to buy one of your own. Renting them cost about 20 euros/day.
Tour skating is becoming more and more popular in Finland
We love ice-cream, also during the winter
It`s wise to use sunglasses also during the sunny winter days because the snow reflects the light so much
I don`t know where is the nearest trail for you to try out tour skating but I warmly recommend to find it out. Try out how does it feel to skate on the frozen lake in a beautiful lake scenery and peacefulness around you!
Read more about this SaimaaHoliday tour skating track that goes through Linnansaari National park and combines Hotel & Spa Resort Järvisydän and Oravi:
