Lake Päijänne

Lake Päijänne (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpæi(j)ænːe]) is the second largest lake in Finland (1,080 km2 (266,874 acres)). The lake drains into the Gulf of Finland via the Kymi River. The major islands are from north to south Vuoritsalo, Muuratsalo, Onkisalo, Judinsalo, Edessalo, Taivassalo, Haukkasalo, Vehkasalo, Mustassalo, Virmailansaari and Salonsaari. The largest island is Virmailansaari. The word saari means an island. Salo once meant a great island, nowadays it means a great forest area.

Päijänne
Päijänne and Päijätsalo
Päijänne
Coordinates61°35′N 025°30′E
Primary outflowsKymi River
Basin countriesFinland
Max. length120 km (75 mi)
Surface area1,070–1,082.89 km2 (413.13–418.11 sq mi)[1][2]
Average depth16.2–18 m (53–59 ft)[1]
Max. depth95.3 m (313 ft)[1]
Water volume18.1 km3 (4.3 cu mi)[1]
Residence time2.5 years
Surface elevation78.3 m (257 ft)[2]
Islands1886 (Virmailansaari, Salonsaari, Judinsalo, Onkisalo, Paatsalo, Muuratsalo, Haukkasalo, Vuoritsalo, Mustassalo, Edessalo, Taivassalo)
SettlementsAsikkala, Jyväskylä, Korpilahti, Kuhmoinen, Luhanka, Muurame, Padasjoki, Sysmä
References[2][1]

The largest city on the shores of Päijänne is Jyväskylä in the North. The city of Lahti is connected to Päijänne through Lake Vesijärvi and Vääksy canal.

An underground aqueduct, Päijänne Water Tunnel, connects the lake to Vantaa, providing the Greater Helsinki area with water. The deepest point in any lake in Finland is located in Päijänne (95.3 m or 313 ft).

Transportation
The Vääksy harbour at the southern part of the Lake Päijänne in Vääksy, Asikkala
Sailing boats near Kärkinen bridge in Korpilahti, Jyväskylä
MS Suometar in the Kalkkinen canal between Päijänne and Kalkkinen
Steamboat SS Suomi in Jyväskylä harbour

Päijänne is a famous boating, canoeing and sailing attraction. The 119 kilometres (74 mi) long lake is connected by canals to Lake Keitele, Lake Vesijärvi and to Lake Ruotsalainen. Length of the open waterway for ships is 380 kilometres (240 mi). Construction of canals connecting Päijänne to the Baltic Sea has been discussed for decades. Nevertheless, the plan is still to be materialized.

Until the 1940s Lake Päijänne was a major transportation channel in the Central Finland. Numerous ships transported passengers and freight between the villages and cities on the shores of Päijänne. Nowadays, passenger transportation is rather a tourist attraction on the lakelands than the fastest way connecting the cities and villages. One of the most popular passenger transportation routes in summertime is between the cities of Lahti and Jyväskylä.

Present day passenger ships on Päijänne
Name Built Passengers Length Width Speed Home harbour
M/S Aino 1922 90 17,20 m 4,10 m 11 knots Lahti[3]
M/S Elbatar 1984 90 16,08 m 4,78 m 11 knots Padasjoki[4]
M/S Charlotte Padasjoki
M/S Happy Days Lahti
M/S Hilja 1902 60 Jyväskylä, charter ferry[5]
M/S Jenni-Maria II 1970 30 15,30 m 3,80 m 15 knots Sysmä
M/S Katrilli 80 Jyväskylä, charter ferry[6]
M/S Kymppi 77 Jyväskylä, charter ferry[6]
S/S Laitiala 1903 130 26,7 m 6,64 m Lahti, charter ferry[3]
M/S Meininki 1970 30 Jyväskylä, charter ferry[7]
M/S Minni Jyväskylä
M/S Päijänne 50 20 m 5 m Jyväskylä, charter ferry[8]
M/S Rhea 43 m 18,2 m Jyväskylä[9]
M/S Rosetta Lahti, charter ferry[10]
M/S Ruotsalainen 22,10 m 5,32 m Asikkala
M/S Salome 18,90 m 4,35 m Lahti, charter ferry
M/S Suometar 199 Jyväskylä[6]
M/S Suomen Neito 199 Jyväskylä[6]
M/S Suomen Suvi 1993 199 Jyväskylä[6]
S/S Suomi 1906 199 31,60 m 2,13 m Jyväskylä[6][11]
M/S Terhi 199 Heinola
M/S Tuulikki II 170 Jämsä[12]
M/S Tuulikki III 80 Jämsä[12]
M/S Wellamo 1990 190 Lahti[3]

Tourism

There are 16,000 cottages on the shores of Päijänne. Most of the cottages are private owned and have a separate sauna cottage.[13]

In addition to cottage tourism Päijänne attracts fishing, sailing, canoeing, rowing, paddling, trekking, ice-skating, snow mobile and nature tourists. The National Parks of Päijänne and Leivonmäki alone has tens of thousands of visitors every year.

The Clear and Drinkable Lake Päijänne South Association won a Tourism and Environment award presented by the European Union Commission in 1995.[14]

National Parks

Päijänne National Park (Finnish: Päijänteen kansallispuisto) is a national park in the southern parts of Lake Päijänne. It consists of 50 unbuilt islands and parts of inhabited islands. The national park has been established in 1993 and has an area of 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi).[15]

Leivonmäki National Park is situated few kilometres North East from the Northern part of Lake Päijänne. It is one of the youngest national parks in Finland.

Cities and towns upon Lake Päijänne

From North to South

A panorama from Hauhonselkä of Päijänne from Paljaspää, Jyväskylä
  • The Säynätsalo harbour
  • MS Suometar in the Kalkkinen canal between Päijänne and Kalkkinen
  • Vääksy canal between Päijänne and Lake Vesijärvi
  • View from Hill Satasarvinen in Muuratsalo, Jyväskylä
  • Kärkinen bridge in Korpilahti, Jyväskylä during the Päijännepurjehdus sailing competition
  • Tugboat pulling logs in Päijänne in 1930s
  • Narrow gulfs of Lake Päijänne, Putkilahti village in Jyväskylä
  • Päijänne from the Puolakanvuori hill in 1948
  • Rainbow in Säynätsalo
  • Passenger steam ships S/S Jyväskylä, S/S Suomi, S/S Taru and S/S Tehi in Pihlajakoski harbour, Kuhmoinen in 1938
  • Päijänne seen from Pulkkilanharju
  • Vaajakoski canal in the Northern end of Lake Päijänne

See also

References
  1. Seppälä, Matti (2005), The Physical Geography of Fennoscandia, Oxford University Press, p. 145, ISBN 978-0-19-924590-1
  2. Päijänne. Järviwiki Web Service. Finnish Environment Institute. Retrieved 2014-03-07. (in English)
  3. "TIETOA LAIVOISTA::Lahden Järvimatkailu Oy". Lahdenjarvimatkailu.fi. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-07-09. Retrieved 2011-09-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2011-09-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-09-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Merimeininki". Merimeininki.fi. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  8. "M/S Päijänne". Mspaijanne.fi. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  9. "Päijänneristeilyt Jyväskylässä - Risteilyt Jyväskylästä". Matkarhea.fi. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  12. "Päijännematkat Koskinen, Jämsä". Paijannematkat.com. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  13. Koskinen, Petri. "Täyttä mökkielämää". Talouselämä. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  14. Etelä-Päijänne, Juotavan Hyvä. "Etelä-Päijänne - majoitus, ohjelmapalvelut ja ravintolat Järvi-Suomessa". Loma-paijanne.fi. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  15. "PÄIJÄNTEEN KANSALLISPUISTO" (in Finnish). visitpaijanne.fi. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
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