UNESCO Global Geopark
Impact Crater Lake Geopark is located in the Lappajärvi area of South Ostrobothnia and is one of Finland's most geologically significant regions. The lake was formed approximately 78 million years ago when a meteorite struck the earth, and the traces of that impact are still visible in the landscape today. In 2024, the area was awarded the prestigious UNESCO Global Geopark status, recognising it as an internationally significant site of natural, cultural, and geological heritage.
Impact Crater Lake Geopark is not just geology, it is an entire living environment in which nature, history, and local ways of life are interwoven. The area offers opportunities to discover unique rock types, shoreline formations, and landscapes that tell the story of the Earth's distant past. At the same time, the geopark reveals how the Crater Lake has influenced the area's settlement, livelihoods, and culture over centuries.
Kraatteri Resort is located right at the heart of this extraordinary whole. The geopark's sites, nature trails, and scenery begin practically at the front door. Visiting the geopark requires no rush or specialist knowledge. Even simply gazing out over the Crater Lake scenery is part of the experience.
Impact Crater Lake Geopark provides the setting for all kinds of experiences. It invites you to move through nature, pause in front of the landscapes, and see the environment in a new light. On the Crater Lake shore, you can holiday in a place where time stretches back millions of years and every visit is part of this ongoing story.
Meteorite Exhibition
The Meteorite Centre, located on the ground floor of the neighbouring Forenom Hotel Kivitippu, offers a unique opportunity to learn about the formation of Europe's largest Crater Lake. The exhibition takes visitors back 78 million years to the moment a meteorite over one and a half kilometres in diameter struck the earth at the site of present-day Lappajärvi. The impact created a crater 22 kilometres wide and originally 750 metres deep, the traces of which are still visible in the landscape today.
A Virtual Journey into Space
Using virtual reality technology, visitors can experience a journey to the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars — the origin of the meteorite that caused the impact. In the shuttle room, groups of up to four people can take an approximately 13-minute virtual journey into space using 3D glasses.
At the meteorite exhibition, visitors can explore the history of the area and its various rock types in greater detail.