Country: Finland
Area: about 3,000 km²
Of which water: 71 %
For most German sailors, a trip to the Baltic Sea probably ends at Stockholm. However, those who take on the admittedly long journey to the northernmost tip of the sea are rewarded with a unique natural spectacle.
Where land grows out of the sea
The Kvarken archipelago is located at the narrowest point of the Gulf of Bothnia, between the Finnish town of Vaasa and the Swedish town of Umeå. With almost 6,000 islands, this area is not an official national park, but has been a transboundary World Heritage Site since 2006. It is considered a unique example of post-glacial land uplift. Here you can observe how the land mass rises by eight millimetres to one centimetre every year. This increases the land area by one square kilometre per year, which is equivalent to around 150 football pitches. This rapid rise in geological terms is constantly changing the landscape. For example, old boathouses that were once in the water now stand on dry ground. The newly formed land areas, known as De Geer moraines, form shallow lagoons.
A challenging sailing paradise
The archipelago, known as Merenkurkku in Finnish, is a real sailing paradise. However, the area requires navigation skills as it is characterised by rocks, shallow waters and narrow fairways. Most of the sights can be reached by boat, and each of the rocky islands is unique. In the centre of Kvarken, on one of the Valsörarna islands, stands a red lighthouse designed by the architect of the Eiffel Tower. Today, like most lighthouses in Finland, it is automated. For many visitors to the island, the exploration tour begins in Replot, near the longest bridge in Finland, where the World Heritage Visitor Centre is also located.
Travelling by boat
There are numerous attractive anchorages. However, anchoring is prohibited in certain protected areas during the breeding season. At Wasa Segelförening, Vaasa's official guest harbour, visitors will find excellent infrastructure and a 40-metre-long floating dock. In addition to supply facilities and a modern service building, there is also a restaurant and, as in many Finnish harbours, a sauna.
General information on national parks
National parks are retreats for plants and animals where nature is left to its own devices. At the same time, they attract millions of visitors every year precisely because of their unspoilt nature. And that is the intention: As part of the conservation objectives, people should experience nature here and thus recognise its value and worthiness of protection - a constant balancing act between nature conservation and tourism. National parks are divided into two zones. The core zones may not be utilised commercially or in any other way; humans are not permitted to intervene here. Visitors may only enter the marked paths. There are also restricted areas on the water and rules for sailing, mooring and anchoring. In the other parts of the national parks, you can usually move around freely. This second zone is to be preserved in its existing form through special care and utilisation, such as grazing with sheep.
