Photo. Watching bears in their natural habits along the Finnish-Russian border is a rewarding experience.
The region’s endangered wildlife also includes the unique freshwater seals found in Finland’s Lake Saimaa and Russia’s Lake Ladoga. It covers a 1,250 km long area along Russia’s frontiers with Finland and Norway, all the way from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Ocean.
According to Helsinki Times (www.HelsinkiTimes.fi) on Friday, 11 July 2008 in an article, with the title "From iron curtain to green belt", Finland and Russia are working together on a unique nature conservation project that aims to enhance and extend a chain of nature reserves along both sides of their common border.
There are great opportunities for exciting wildlife adventures in the region. Many hikers, nature-lovers and adventure-seekers have already discovered beauty spots on the Finnish side of the border, including Oulanka National Park near Kuusamo and other parks in eastern Finnish Lapland and the Lake District. Outdoor activities that attract tourists from Finland and abroad to the borderlands include white-water rafting, ski-trekking and bear-watching safaris.
One such zone is the former frontier between East and West Germany, and more green belts could be created along other parts of the iron curtain that divided Europe for almost half a century during the bad old days of the cold war.
Stein Morten Lund, 18 July 2008
(based on information from Helsinki Times)
Additional information
Read the full article in Helsinki Times about the nature conversation project between Finland and Russia (click on the link): From iron curtain to green belt!
Read more about wildlife adventures in Finland on our global travelguide Travel Explorations: www.TravelExplorations.com
E-mail this
Print this
