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Three Kaijas Circuit

—•Hiking Trails

6.5 km

Route

P 1

Description

City of Savonlinna – Exercise and outdoor recreation+

Description

The Three Kaijas Circuit is about 6.5 km as a day hike in Niittylahti near Savonlinna, South Savo. The name follows the local trio of features: Kaijanharju ridge, the Kaijansuo mire, and Iso Kaijanlampi; together the wider patch was chosen as one of Finland’s “100 nature gems” for the centenary. For who maintains local trails, services, and contacts, the City of Savonlinna’s Liikunta ja ulkoilu hub is the practical starting point. Visit Savonlinna rounds up nature routes, campfire places, and seasonal outdoor ideas for visitors. Most walkers park at Kolmen Kaijan kierros - parkkipaikka on Niittylahdentie by Herajärvi; from there it is a short pull up onto Kaijanharju following the marked line toward Kaijansuo. Alternatively you can approach from the small Kaijanlaavu car park off Niittylahdentie via Pöntönharjuntie, roughly a fifteen-minute forest walk to Kaijanlammen laavu on Iso Kaijanlampi. Kaijanlammen laavu sits right at the lake with a fireplace; firewood and a dry toilet are stocked for visitors, and the shelter is kept comfortable with rag rugs. Simple jetties invite a dip on calm days before you climb onto the clear-cut margin and ridge trail marked with blue paint on posts. Kaijanharju gives easy, dry walking with lakes on both sides: Iso Kaijanlampi and Iso-Korteikko feature in many trip notes, and there is a sturdy bench for a pause. Where the path drops toward the mire edge, expect softer, wetter ground: Kaijansuo is a near-natural raised bog without continuous duckboards, so waterproof boots are the sensible choice if you explore the margin. Cranberries colour the hummocks into late autumn in quieter corners writers love. About 4.5 km along, the route meets the same junction used by Kievarin kierros latu and Kievarin kierroksen kävelyreitti; the last kilometre returns on a firm, wide forest road with kilometre posts tied to the long Kievarin kierros line from central Savonlinna. You finish back at Herajärven uimalaituri on the city swimming jetty at Niittylahdentie 690, a few steps from the main parking. Retkipaikka’s illustrated walk-through adds pacing notes, marker colours, and the reflector metre sidetrack near Kaijanlaavu for after-dark experimenters. Suomen Luonto mixes ecology with practicality and captures why local conservation voices promote Kaijansuo’s mosaic of mire types. Together those articles complement the municipal pages when you want more trail colour than a listings hub provides.

Length & route

The trail is about 6.5 km as one loop on our map. Terrain shifts from lakeshore and lean-to berths to dry ridge crest, then damp mire margin without full duckboard walkways, and finally a wide gravel forest-road return. Blue paint markings on posts guide the hill and cutover sections. Allow roughly two hours at a comfortable pace with photos.

Getting there

Main parking is the signed pull-off at Kolmen Kaijan kierros - parkkipaikka on Niittylahdentie by Herajärvi (address recorded for the lot matches Niittylahdentie 689). To start from Kaijanlammen laavu, turn from Niittylahdentie onto Pöntönharjuntie, follow signs a few hundred metres, then walk roughly 1.5 km of forest track to the shelter parking. Navigation works best with the signposted forest roads rather than a single street address on the last lanes.

Good to know

Carry water, a wind layer, and bog-ready footwear if you leave the ridge for the mire edge. Check City of Savonlinna and Visit Savonlinna pages before you leave for any maintenance work on shared forest roads. Firewood at Kaijanlammen laavu should be used sparingly and according to current campfire rules.

History

The Kaijansuo–Kaijanharju mosaic entered Finland’s 100 luontohelme programme for the centenary celebrations as a nationally highlighted nature pearl. When author Luontopolkumies first walked the loop there was no formal published circuit name; naming the ring helped later maps and databases converge on Kolmen Kaijan kierros as locals marketed the trio of Kaija features.

Managed by

Savonlinna

Official Maintenance

Trail info

Walkers commonly start either from Niittylahdentie parking up onto Kaijanharju or from Kaijanlaavu; both directions complete the same loop.

Route direction

blue paint marks on posts

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Retkipaikka – Kaijanharju ja Kaijansuo

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

6.5 km

Distance

About 2 hours for the full loop with normal breaks.

Est. Time

Dirt / Gravel

Surface

Loop, Single Track, Wide Track

Route Type

Partial Shade

Shade

Light Traffic

Traffic

Retkipaikka – Kaijanharju ja Kaijansuo

Location

61.97366°N, 28.84418°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

South SavoRegion

SavonlinnaCity

NiittylahtiVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Savonlinna, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.

Finland South Savo Savonlinna Hiking TrailsThree Kaijas Circuit