Summer cottage in Finland – 5 reasons to spend your next lakeside holiday in Puumala

With the last snow melting in May, the new cottage season in Finland can finally begin. People from across Finland and abroad come to the Lake Saimaa region to spend their early summer until the beginning of autumn by the stunning lake in Puumala.

With the lively lake town Puumala being right at the heart of Lake Saimaa, there are many reasons why many people rent a summer cottage or own a summer cottage in Puumala.

If you’re looking to rent a summer cottage in Finland, let us share 5 reasons with you why you should definitely consider spending your next Lake Saimaa holiday in a summer cottage in Puumala! You will make many beautiful memories here!

Puumala is located in southeastern Finland, in the South Savo (Etelä-Savo) region, right in the heart of the Lake Saimaa district, which is Finland’s largest lake area. Puumala is a truly lakeside municipality with a highly fragmented shoreline, with hundreds of both small and big islands! And, many inland lakes!

Iconic scenes of Puumala’s nature include: the stunning sky reflected on the clear blue lake, an endless horizon filled with islands and forests, incredible sunsets in the west, and dark night skies glowing with countless bright stars, making you feel as if you were in space.

Many cottages in Puumala are located right by the lake. Within just a few steps, you can be at the water, ready to swim, fish, take a rowing boat out, or cool down after a relaxing and hot sauna session.

Puumala is easy to reach by car, and people from various cities love coming here to relax and to spend their summer holiday in Puumala with their family. Puumala is located between Mikkeli and Savonlinna and is easily accessible: about 1 hour from Mikkeli, 3.5 hours from Helsinki, and 4 hours from Tampere. From Mikkeli, there are public buses that bring you to Puumala.

Previously, we mentioned how beautiful and comfortable Puumala’s lakeside location is. But did you know that there are also many activities organised in Puumala during the summer too? So many things happen in Puumala that you’ll even have to choose what to do each day. Many activities are suitable for families with young kids as well.

The town centre of Puumala is very energetic and vibrant during the summer. You could for example visit the harbour market to buy fresh Finnish strawberries, join a summer yoga class, listen to a top class classical piano concert, join an archipelago canoeing trip, try spotting the rare Saimaa seal, eat at the harbour restaurant or dance in a barn in Puumala at night – many many things to chose from!

The Tourism Board of Puumala publishes every year an overview of the activities that happens each month. You can find the handy overview here: Puumala Event Calendar.

An authentic Finnish sauna experience feels the best in a traditional log cabin by the lake, where you can fully cool down after a session. Especially when no one else is around.

Heating the sauna with firewood creates a hot, soft, and refreshing steam. Once you’ve experienced a lakeside sauna in an authentic wooden building with clear lake water nearby, you’ll start craving it over and over again. If you stay at a summer cottage in Puumala, you will be able to go to the sauna every day.

If you a sauna lover, we would really recommend you to stay at the Etelä-Kalaton cottage in Puumala for an incredible and unforgettable cottage experience in Finland. This cottage, along with its private sauna, is located right on an inland lake, surrounded by a completely private forest and shoreline. With no neighbours nearby so it offers total privacy. The sauna experience at this cottage is truly wonderful. We only rent this cottage in the summer period.

Etelä-Kalaton is a very unique cottage at a location which has been previously described by one of our customers as “One of the most unique places on this planet. A completely private cottage and lake free of any neighbors. Hidden beautifully between ridges. Everything about this place was magical”.

If you are curious about the Etelä-Kalaton cottage, view the cottage and see its availability here below:

Staying at a summer cottage in Puumala gives you many pleasant options. Make relaxation by the lake your main focus, and enjoy the activities whenever the moment feels right. The activities are suitable for families, couples, solo travellers, Finnish locals, and international guests wanting to experience Finnish culture for the first time. What are some nice activities to do in the summer during your Saimaa holiday?

• Swim in the lake whenever you want: swimming in the lake feels just like being in your own private, gigantic swimming pool.

• Take the rowing boat and explore the lake! A rowing boat is available for free to all our guests at Ukonhonka Holiday Cottages.

• Improve your wood-chopping skills: grab some firewood from the cottage storage and start chopping wood for your next sauna session. The sauna will feel even more rewarding afterward.

• Sauna, swim, sauna, swim: your body will thank you for the positive effects of going to the sauna.

• Berry picking: one of the best things about staying at a cottage in the summer is having easy access to many delicious berries. Gather blueberries for your morning yogurt or bake a cake with them.

• Fish on the lake: Lake Saimaa is famous for its clear waters and delicious fish, such as “muikku” (vendace). People spend hours on Lake Saimaa to fish.

• Grill sausages on the BBQ and watch the sunset

We could go endlessly with what are some nicest things you can do at the cottage, but for now we will keep the list like this.

What about the activities to do outside of the cottage in Puumala center and in the surroundings of Puumala? Some of the most popular activities are:

– Visiting the local market in Puumala town: local vendors sell delicious food, vegetables and fruits, souvenirs, artworks and more during this summer market. Make sure you don’t miss it!

– Go on the classic Steamship S/S Wenno for a cruise: built in 1907, the steamship S/S Wenno operated as a boat transporting wood from Puumala. Now, it serves as a passenger boat and brings people on a tour for 1.5h across Lake Saimaa. Kind dogs are allowed on this boat.

– Go on a canoe trip and see the islands from the water. Did you know that Finland has total 178,947 islands? You can find many of them in the lake Saimaa area! The Hurissalo island in Puumala is the third largest one in Finland.

– Try to spot the rare Saimaa seal!

For an overview of what you could do in and around Puumala, we recommend you to visit Visit Puumala webpage for all the activities.

What you will notice when you spend your summer vacation in Finland, is that you feel peaceful, grounded and relaxed. There is so much nature and when you come to Puumala, the presence of the lake makes the experience incredible.

Puumala is known for its exceptionally clean air, quiet wilderness. By late June and July, Lake Saimaa warms up enough for comfortable swimming. The clear water and smooth rock shores make Puumala a classic Finnish summer vacation spot where whole families come and spend time together.

At the cottage in Puumala, there are no crowds, no traffic noise, and you don’t need to share your personal space. There is only the soft sounds of nature around you. Your mornings start with the singing of birds and fresh air. The summer days pass slowly with swimming, walking, or resting on the terrace, and evenings end in the warmth of a private sauna with the sun setting down in the background. An incredible way of living!

Around Midsummer (late June), Puumala experiences nearly 24 hours of daylight. The sun barely goes down the horizon, creating bright “white nights” perfect for relaxing on the terrace at the cottage till late, boating and swimming in the evening. Many people try to spend the midsummer at the cottage as it is so pleasant. Tip: If you are thinking to book a cottage stay during Midsummer week, we recommend you to book early – as this week often gets full very quickly!

The cottage season in Puumala runs from early June till late August – in these three months, you will experience the best that a cottage holiday has to offer.

We hope we were able to describe in this article how a Finnish summer at the cottage in Puumala could feel and look like.

Want to experience a pleasant stay at the cottage in Puumala too? We think you might love one of our cottages in Puumala:

Our cottages at Lake Saimaa are very suitable for families and international visitors alike. The cottages are well-equipped and are all located next to the lake.

Ukonhonka Holiday Cottages (Ukonhonka Oy) is a family business from Puumala. We offer three cottages in unique locations across different areas of Puumala, as well as a house in Puumala center. All of them are well-equipped and offer a comfortable stay. Our family has experience in cottage rentals for over 50 years. Our key values are quality, sustainability and happy customers. We hope to welcome you too in Puumala.