Lake Saimaa

Finland's largest lake and the fourth-largest in Europe by surface area, a vast labyrinthine waterway in southern Finland whose shoreline is so intricate that it would take many days of paddling to explore even a fraction. The lake system is home to the critically endangered Saimaa ringed seal, a subspecies that became isolated after the last ice age. The surrounding lakeland of birch-covered headlands, islands, and channels defines the popular Finnish conception of summer.