Salpausselkä Unesco Global Geopark

The aspiring Salpausselkä Geopark is situated in the City of Lahti and the surrounding region, in southern Finland, about 100 km northeast of Helsinki, the capital. The area can be reached in less than hour by train from the country’s main airport, Helsinki-Vantaa.



Salpausselkä ice-marginal formations and their feeder eskers are central features in the region. Päijänne National Park, located in the southern part of Finland’s second largest lake, forms an important part of the geopark.



Lahti University of Applied Sciences launched the Salpausselkä Geopark project in 2017, with the goal of applying for UNESCO Global Geopark status. The Geological Survey of Finland and Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services work as project partners.



Seven municipalities situated along the Salpausselkä formations or around Päijänne National Park, with some 182 500 inhabitants in total, form the area of the aspiring geopark and are the main stakeholders. The project is carried out in cooperation with these municipalities (Asikkala, Heinola, Hollola, Kärkölä, Lahti, Padasjoki and Sysmä) and a wide range of other regional actors.