马蒂莫阿帕沼泽保护区泥炭地鸟瞰图, 芬兰 Aerial view of peatland in Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland (© romikatarina/Shutterstock)

马蒂莫阿帕沼泽保护区泥炭地鸟瞰图, 芬兰 Aerial view of peatland in Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland (© romikatarina/Shutterstock)

芬兰的活泥炭地 Finland's living peatland

马蒂莫阿帕沼泽保护区，芬兰

芬兰的沼泽大多是由泥炭地组成，它们源自大约 12,000 年前上一个冰河时期结束后，沉积物与苔藓不断堆积、分解而成。

这仅仅是个开始。考古学家在这里发现了曾用来储存肉类的半咸水坑，以及一个约33英尺宽的神秘石圈——仿佛源自北方神话。它的用途？至今仍是谜。更近代的历史则留存在萨乌纳萨里桑拿屋中，它曾是伐木工小屋的一部分，为在这片北方森林中劳作的男人们提供温暖、休息，以及烘干身体的地方。

在这里野生动物随处可见，为这片土地增添了生机。近百种鸟类在此筑巢，从天鹅、鹤到猫头鹰和红隼。保护区内设有多条长短不一的步道，长度从 1.9 英里到 8 英里不等，沿途散布着小屋与篝火点，邀请人们夏日徒步探索，或在冬季滑雪穿行。

Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland

Today, we step into the Martimoaapa Mire Reserve in Finland, where wide, cold-climate wetlands and peatlands stretch across a landscape shaped over thousands of years. This reserve is more than just mires—it carries layers of history. During Finland's Prohibition era (1919–1932), smugglers hauled sacks of liquor from Sweden across these bogs, following a 'spirits' route that passed through Martimoaapa. Parts of that path can still be traced today. Imagine trekking with a heavy pack over soggy ground—would you have made it?

This is just the beginning. Here, archaeologists have discovered brackish pits once used to store meat, and a mysterious stone circle about 33 feet wide—like something out of a northern myth. Its purpose? Still unknown. More recent history lives on in the Saunasaari sauna, once part of a logging cabin built for men who worked these boreal forests. It gave them warmth, rest, and a place to dry off.

Wildlife, ever-present, completes the picture. Nearly 100 bird species nest here, from swans and cranes to owls and kestrels. Trails ranging from 1.9 to 8 miles, dotted with huts and campfire sites, invite you to explore—on foot or on skis in winter.