Martimoaapa Reserve Watch, Finland

Today we visit the Martimoaapa Mire reserve in Finland, a place where extensive wetlands and cold-climate peatlands stretch over a landscape shaped over thousands of years. During the Prohibition era in Finland (1919-1932), smugglers transported sacks of liquor from Sweden through these bogs along the so-called "liquor" route, and some sections of that route can still be followed today.

Archaeologists have discovered brackish pits that were used to store meat and a mysterious stone circle about 10 meters in diameter, the purpose of which remains unknown. The Saunasaari, which was part of a log cabin, recalls how workers in the boreal forests found warmth, rest, and a place to dry off. Wildlife completes the landscape: nearly 100 species of birds, from swans and cranes to owls and kestrels, nest here. The trails, ranging from 3 to 13 kilometers, invite you to explore them on foot or on skis in winter.