Paijanne is the longest and second largest lake in Finland. It extends with numerous headlands over 400 km from Lahti and Heinola in the south to Jyväskylä and Viitasaari in the north and east to the North Savo. It has an area of 1080.63 km², is 140 km long and 28 km wide. The length of the coastline is approximately 3700 km including islands. It reaches a maximum depth of 93 m and lies at an altitude of 78,3 m. It’s situated in a basin of old glacial origin, the shores are mostly high and the coastline is strongly indented.
The islands of Lake Paijanne
There are 1 886 islands on the lake. The largest are Virmaila (Padasjoki municipality) 35 km², Judinsalo (Luhanka) 25 km², Salonsaari (Asikkala) 17 km², Haukkasao (Kuhmoinen) 12 km², Onkisalo (Luhanka) 10 km², Muuratsalo (Muurame, Säynätsalo) 10 km², Vehkasalo (Sysmä) 9 km².
Water regime
The largest tributary of the lake is the Jämsänjoki River, which flows from Lake Petäjävesi and is 60 km long. Kymijoki River, which is 180 km long and has the largest catchment area of any Finnish river (37 235 km²), drains into the Gulf of Finland. The lake also serves as a water reservoir for Helsinki, which is supplied by an aqueduct. The lake freezes from December to April.
Uses
Päijänne is a very popular cruise area. Steamboat rides are offered here. There are also countless holiday cottages on the shore where Finns spend their free time fishing, picking strawberries and blueberries, swimming and barbecuing. It is also an important area for plants and animals. The cities of Lahti and Jyväskylä lie on the shore.
