Lemmenharju nature trail
Experience the enchantment of clear lakes and beautiful eskers.
Salpausselkä geopark
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished - LAO TZU
Vierumäki partners with Salpauselkä Geopark
The companies Salpausselkä Geopark co-operates with provide information on the nature, geology and the origins of the region in their own areas. In Vierumäki, the magnificent nature with its clear lakes and the heathlands, steep eskers and trail networks of the Second Salpausselkä connect to a wide range of educational, sports, restaurant and accommodation opportunities.
From gravel to esker and ice to lake
Vierumäki is located on the Second Salpausselkä ridge and bears the marks of the Ice Age. The narrow and steep-sloped ridges of the Lemmenharju esker, lined with small lakes, offers a view over Finland's most internationally renowned geological heritage. The ice-marginal formations of Second Salpausselkä formed about 12,000 years ago.
As the continental ice-sheet receded, the Lemmenharju esker, located on the north side of the current Sports Institute, was formed from the gravel and sand carried by the stream. The receding ice left behind enormous blocks of ice that were buried under the sand and gravel. As the ice blocks melted, some of the kettle holes left in the ground were filled with water. One such kettle lake is the greenish, rapidly deepening Valkjärvi lake.
Our history in a nutshell
Vierumäki’s natural surroundings attracted attention already in the early 1920s, when the future location the Finnish Sports Institute was only just being sought. At the time, the existence of the beautiful esker landscape and clear lakes remained undiscovered, however.
Later, rumours began to spread that the Finnish military had a waterside camping field in Vierumäki. The future management of the Institute followed the rumours to the area in question and was enchanted by its beauty, enchanting lakes, stunning views and the tranquility of nature. There could not have been a more perfect place for the Institute, nor will there ever be one.
Traces of the Ice Age in Vierumäki
Explore the route
Salpausselkä Geopark and Vierumäki
More information about Salpausselkä Geopark in Vierumäki
Paavo Heinonen,
Outdoor Activity Instructor
paavo.heinonen@vierumaki.fi