JOURNEY TO FINNISH ANCIENT HISTORY IN RISTIINA
Nature trail and rock paintings in the traditional Finnish landscape
Astuvansalmi rock paintings
Astuvansalmi rock paintings are located on the shore of Lake Yövesi in Ristiina, Mikkeli. The paintings are about 4 500-6 000 years old and are among the largest in Northern Europe.
More than 65 images have been painted on the rocks: for example animals, people, paws and boats. On the cliff it is possible to see the landscape very much like it was when the paintings were made – without visible human traces.
NB! The cliffs of the area have very high drop-offs of several meters, so you have to take special care of small children on the rocks.
The paintings can be accessed through a forest trail that is less than 3 km long. You can leave the car at the parking lot next to Suurlahdentie. The route is also suitable for children.
There is a rest area and a dry toilet and a boat dock in the area.
You can also visit the paintings by boat or you can take a cruise that takes you to the paintings.
Contact information
Name of the attraction: Astuvansalmi rock paintings
(Astuvansalmen kalliomaalaukset in Finnish)
Address: Suurlahdentie 2039, 52360 Ristiina (Mikkeli)
Open: All year round
Additional information
Province, location and region: Etelä-Savo (Southern Savonia), Mikkeli, Ristiina, Hirssaari (village)
Address: Suurlahdentie 2039, 52360 Ristiina (Mikkeli)
Target group: Families with children, seniors, hikers
Distance from the center of Lake Korpijärvi: Approximately 49 km (approx. 45 min.) by car
Open: Open all year round, but nature trails are not open during snowy days
Trail length: Under 3 km/direction
Duration: 2-3 h
Difficulty: Moderate, part of the trail is not suitable for young children
Equipment: Hiking boots, rain gear in the rain, campfire equipment
Please note: You can’t use prams or pushchairs in the nature trail.
More information:
More information about the site can be found at Visit Mikkeli website: Astuvansalmi.
The destination can also be found on the outdooractive website and in the outdooractive app (available for download from app stores), where you can find a map of the destination.
See the Outdooractive website for a description of the Astuvansalmi rock paintings.
The Astuvansalmi rock paintings are also presented on the Saimaa Geopark website.
There is also a written description of the destination on the Retkipaikka hiking website (website in Finnish, use e.g. Google Translator for translation):
https://retkipaikka.fi/astuvansalmen-kalliomaalaukset-ristiinassa-ovat-mykistava-kokemus/
Make sure the information is correct on the spot.
Maps and coordinates
Coordinates
karttapaikka.fi / National Land Survey of Finland – MapSite website:
N = 6814146.802 E = 528823.748 (ETRS-TM35FIN)
Apps
Download the Outdooractive app from the app stores
Google Play
Apple App Store
Keywords: Attraction, activity, hiking, families with children, adults, seniors, outdoor activity, winter, spring, summer, autumn
Image copyright owners:
Astuvansalmi: Copyright @ Päivi Noroaho.
All rights reserved. The images on this website have been edited.