Lake Pyaozero

Pyaozero, or Pääjärvi, is a great lake in the forested north of Karelia. Its name means the head or main lake, a reference to the many rivers that enter it. The Poncha and other streams gather water from the surrounding lake country, while the Kuma system carries it towards the White Sea. Numerous islands and deeply indented shores divide the broad water into bays and channels amid the northern forests.