Salpausselkä ridges and eskers were formed of sand and gravel transported by glacial meltwaters at the end of the last Ice Age. The continental ice sheet and its meltwaters have shaped also our rocky terrain into the form it is seen today.
Salpausselkä (free translation: “Blocking back”) ridges block in the waters of the Finnish Lakeland - hence the name: salpaus = to block. Hundreds of lakes ranging from small kettle ponds to Finland’s largest lake Saimaa offer stunningly beautiful views and excellent opportunities for recreation for residents and visitors alike. In Ruokolahti area Salpausselkä 2 is more prominent than the southernmost Salpausselkä 1. In total there are 3 of them, but the 3rd is smaller and in bits.
Ice Age potholes (hiidenkirnu), also called Giant’s cauldrons or Devil’s churns, exist in the area because of Ice Age. Kummakivi Erratic Boulder, one of the famed Ruokolahti attractions, has been transported to where it now rests also by the Ice Age, some 12 000 years ago.
Top Quality Ground & Tap Water
Salpausselkä ridges and eskers hold massive reserves of high-quality groundwater filtered by thick layers of gravel and sand. The groundwater is mostly hidden underground but becomes visible in the area’s natural springs and groundwater-fed lakes and brooks. These springs are key biotopes in out nature, as they often have a unique variety of plant species habiting in and around them.
Around 25% of Finns get their drinking water from this region and our tap water is often researched to be cleaner than most, if not all, bottled water. Enjoy!
