The cliff
Rising from the lake.
EerikLehto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · EerikLehto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mikkoau — CC BY-SA 4.0 · EerikLehto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Guillaume Baviere from Copenhagen, Denmark — CC BY 2.0
The Värikallio rock paintings are ancient figures on a cliff near the eastern end of Lake Somerjärvi, inside Hossa National Park in the Kainuu region of northeastern Finland. They are the oldest rock paintings in northern Finland, dating from 1500 to 2500 BC, and lie about 51 km in a straight line from Kuusamo. Two skiers found them in 1977. They are among the northernmost rock-art sites in Finland and one of the largest, with more than 60 figures identified. Most show animals, including what may be the only bear in Finnish rock art, alongside human figures with triangular heads. Hossa National Park was founded on 17 June 2017 as Finland's 40th national park, to mark a century of independence. The figures are painted in reddish brown on a grey-pink granite cliff rising straight from the dark lake water, framed by pine forest. A wooden floating walkway and viewing platform lead to the foot of the cliff. The park has about 90 km of marked trails, mostly easy, between ridges and lakes. Do not touch the paintings; view them from the platform.
Rising from the lake.
Animals and people.
At the cliff's foot.
Lake Somerjärvi, Hossa National Park, Suomussalmi, Finland
1500 to 2500 BC.
No, view from the platform.