FINLANDS SALPA LINE
After the end of the Winter War on 13 March 1940, the threat of war was still real and the construction of a new defense position was immediately started to secure the new borders of independent Finland. The name of the defensive position was Salpa, confirmed by Marshal Mannerheim. It was known as Salpa Station by soldiers and was commonly known as the Salpa Line. The main stations of the Salpa Line were built on the land axis in the Virolahti and Luumäki areas from the Gulf of Finland to Lappeenranta. On the Saimaa, the Salpa Line was built on islands From Saimaa, the line continued via Joensuu to Pielinen, fortifying endangered roads all the way from northern Pielinen to Petsamo.
Construction of the Salpa Line was at its height during the inter-war period, with at best 35,000 civilian fortifiers working on the line, plus a varying number of field army troops and also around 2,000 women who worked at supply duties. The Salpa Line is still the largest single construction site in independent Finland and is estimated to have been one of the strongest fortification chains during the Second World War. There were never fights on the Salpa Line but it had an indirect impact on peace negotiations and on the Soviet decision to not continue its once-repulsed major attack.
The Salpa line in outline numbers:
10 dams
25 caves
130 kilometers of excavated and cut slope
225 kilometers tank blocking stones
350 kilometers of battle and connecting trenches
400 observation posts (Fire directing shelter)
500 artillery stations
600 culverts
735 reinforced concrete shelters
1250 machine gun shelters
3000 wooden forts
CRUISE TICKET PRICES:
Adult/ 25,- eur
Child 2-12 years /12,50 eur
Pensioners, students, conscripts and unemployed 22,- eur/person (benefit card/proof of entitlement to benefit required)
The next Salpa Line cruises:
