natural wonder
Lake Saimaa
Finland's largest lake and Europe's fourth-largest, a labyrinth of islands and channels home to the critically endangered Saimaa ringed seal.
26 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeFinlandSouth Savo
Puumala
South Savo, Finland · Europe
About Puumala
Puumala is worth a stop: 35 minutes from Sulkava, 26km from Lake Saimaa.
Puumala is in South Savo, Finland, with about 2,700 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Sulkava, about 31 km away.
Puumala (Finnish: [ˈpuːmɑlɑ]) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the South Savo region. The municipality has a population of 2,081 (31 December 2025) and covers an area of 1,237.75 square kilometres (477.90 sq mi) of which 443.17 km2 (171.11 sq mi) is water. The population density is 2.62 inhabitants perRead more
square kilometre (6.8/sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The main road route through the region is route 62, which connects to Mikkeli to the north and Imatra to the south. Until the year 1995 a cable ferry connected the two sides of Puumalansalmi-strait. In 1995, a 781-metre-long (2,562 ft) bridge replaced the ferry. The bridge is a very dominant structure when looking Puumala town center from a distance.
Puumala has relatively good services compared to the amount of population. In the town center is situated a post office, an Alko store, a kiosk, several supermarkets and a few restaurants. The reason for the survival of these entrepreneurs is the arrival of summer inhabitants who triple the population of Puumala during the season.
In June 1788, Swedish soldiers wearing uniforms of the Imperial Russian Army, staged an attack against the town. This would allow King Gustav III to declare a defensive war against the Russian Empire, as Swedish law prohibited starting offensive wars without approval by the Riksdag.
The subject of Puumala's coat of arms refers to the local history: in the Treaty of Åbo in 1743, Puumala became a border parish, but due to its strategic location, the narrow Puumalansalmi has been the scene of several battles since the 16th century, which the flaming bombshells on the coat of arms refer to. The coat of arms was designed by Tapio Vallioja, and the Puumala municipal council approved it at its meeting on September 24, 1962. The Ministry of the Interior approved the coat of arms for use on April 18, 1963.
The Puumala virus is named after this place as it was first isolated from samples from the Puumala area.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Puumala?
Within an hour or so of Puumala: Lake Saimaa (26 km), Finnish Lakeland (51 km), Imatrankoski (51 km), Olavinlinna Castle (54 km).
Where is Puumala?
Puumala is in South Savo, Finland, about 31 km from Sulkava.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 2,693
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Finland
- Region
- South Savo
- Timezone
- Europe/Helsinki
- Coordinates
- 61.5273, 28.1749
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Finland
Winter tyres mandatory December–February.
Full driving guide for FinlandTags
Worth the detour from Puumala
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Finnish Lakeland
Europe's largest lake district with over 55,000 lakes, endless forests, and quintessential Finnish summer cottage culture.
51 km · about 60 min drive
natural wonder
Imatrankoski
Once the Niagara of Finland and the country's first tourist attraction, the Vuoksi rapids now roar to life at scheduled dam releases on summer evenings, set to music below the castle-like 1903 Imatran Valtionhotelli.
51 km · about 60 min drive
castle
Olavinlinna Castle
A dramatic island castle rising from the lake at Savonlinna, host of a renowned summer opera festival.
54 km · about 60 min drive
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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