The Pyynikki Esker (or the Pyynikki Ridge; fi, Pyynikinharju) is the tallest longitudinal esker in the world, located in Pyynikki, Tampere, Finland.Tutustu Tampereen luontoon
(in Finnish) The ridge rises to a height of 160 meters above sea level and 80 meters above the surface of

Lake Pyhäjärvi A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

. The Pyynikki Esker belongs to the ridge formation that extends from

South Ostrobothnia South Ostrobothnia ( fi, Etelä-Pohjanmaa; sv, Södra Österbotten) is one of the 19 regions of Finland. It borders the regions of Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa, and Satakunta. Among the Finnish regions, South O ...

to Salpausselkä. The ridge formation continues west of the Pyynikki Esker as a rocky ridge known as the Pispala Esker (Pispalanharju) and Tahmela. To the east, after the settlement of Tampere, the ridge becomes the Kalevankangas esker, where there has been a cemetery by same name for almost 150 years. In Kangasala, the ridge formation continues as the four ridges called Kirkkoharju, Kuohunharju, Keisarinharju and Vehoniemenharju. The Pyynikki Esker, like longitudinal ridges, is mainly

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

and sand. There are still some old European red pines growing in Pyynikki, whose roots are partly in the air, as the sandy ground rolls down towards Lake Pyhäjärvi over the years. Vegetation on gravel ridges has not only pines but also junipers that are protected. However, juniper berries can be picked when you remember that the branches should not be folded or the juniper should not be removed from the ground. There also grows Norway maples, which give the ridge a beautiful color in

autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...

Mountain currant ''Ribes alpinum'', known as mountain currant or alpine currant, is a small deciduous, dioecious shrub native to central and northern Europe from Finland and Norway south to the Alps and Pyrenees and Caucasus, Georgia; in the south of its range, ...

s also grow on these ridges. In the middle of the heathers you can find golden chanterelles and in the autumn a few other edible mushrooms.

Lingonberries ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'', the lingonberry, partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or cowberry, is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Nor ...

also thrive on the southern slopes.PYYNIKKI - Tietokantatunnus: TUU-04-005
- Ympäristö (in Finnish) The Pyynikki observation tower, built in 1929, is still in use. It has a ground-level café. There are wooden stairs at several points on the slopes of Pyynikki, along which you can reach the top of the Pyynikki Esker from the shore of Lake Pyhäjärvi. Biese, Talvinen näköala Pyynikiltä

References

External links

Panorama picture near the Pyynikki observation tower
– Virtual Tampere (in Finnish) Eskers Isthmuses of Europe Landforms of Finland Pyynikki Scenic viewpoints Tourist attractions in Finland {{WesternFinland-geo-stub

See also

References

External links