The 800m long Kukonharju canal was partially quarried from mica gneiss rock and partially formed with embankments. The canal aptly illustrates the need for canals in the Saimaa area: there are lots of bedrock faults in the area all running in the same direction and forming long valleys and bays in the terrain, with the isthmuses between them forcing boaters to take very long routes. The canal was of great significance to water traffic in the 18th century in particular, when the waterways were primarily transport routes.