About 78 million years ago, a meteorite with a diameter of 1.5 kilometres hit the site of present-day Lappajärvi. The impact created Lappajärvi, Europe’s largest crater lake, with an area of 22 square kilometres. Upon impact, the crater’s edges were pushed 500–750 metres above the crater bottom, and they still rise about 100 metres above the lake surface. Such craters with unworn edges are rare. The route runs along the raised crater edges on Lakeaharju in Vempeli and Pyhävuori in Alajärvi. The region boasts rich folklore, which you can learn more about by exploring old relics along the route, such as a sacrificial stone, the remains of a hermit’s cabin, and rock paintings thought to date back to the Stone Age.
