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Sights
Discover spectacular views, enchanting nature, and vibrant cities.
Sights of Kuopio
Kuopio is famous for its magnificent and unique lake scenery, but that’s only one side of the story. As well as the majestic scenery Kuopio also invites you to explore the traditional and diverse modern sights of the region.
One of the most famous scenic points is Puijo Tower, which rises 75 meters above ground level and 306 meters above sea level. At the top, you’ll find a unique restaurant that rotates around the clock for a full 360-degree view of the spectacular landscapes below.
Kuopio is proud of its iconic Market Square and lively harbour where many events are held throughout the year. Kuopio City Theatre and Kuopio Music Centre will be praised by architects and music lovers alike. In Kuopio there are plenty of remarkable museums that are worth a visit. The most famous are VB Photography Centre and RIISA, one of the most notable Orthodox church museums in Europe.
Of course, nature is always nearby and Kuopio is surrounded by beautiful parks and one of the most stunning ponds in Finland, Valkeisenlampi, which is located only a few blocks away from the city centre. Traditional Finnish evenings are held weekly in Jätkänkämppä, Rauhalahti, an authentic lumberjack lodge from the 1950s.
These evenings include a traditional Finnish dinner featuring local delicacies, live music and a lumberjack´s live demonstration on water. Complete your traditional Finnish evening by bathing in the world´s biggest smoke sauna and swimming in lake Kallavesi. For the shopaholics, Matkus Shopping Center is the biggest shopping center in Eastern Finland.
View on the top of Tahko
In Tahko, the postcard landscape can be admired from the top of the slopes at a height of 296 meters above sea level. The entire peninsula opens up at a glance with sunrise and sunset from the top, a truly memorable experience both in winter and summer.
Syväri Lake with its hundreds of islands is delightful not only for its landscape but also for one of Finland’s most beautiful waterways to Kuopio and further to the Gulf of Finland. Tahko peak and its selection of restaurants can be reached in winter by skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, and by car. In the summer season, you can head to the top by stairs, hiking, by car or by the scenic ski lift.
One of the many hiking trails leading to the top of Tahko is the 1.5 km long Huutavanholma route, which runs through the nature reserve in the middle of a magnificent forest. Also worth a visit within half an hour’s drive from Tahko is Pisa, a nature conservation area, where the tower offers views all the way to Kuopio on a clear day.
The picturesque lakeland full of experiences
Numerous nature sites in the Capital of Lakeland, as well as spectacular national parks nearby, are all freely available for everyone.
Tiilikkajärvi national park, about an hour’s drive to the north from Tahko, is one of the most spectacular sites in the area. Its sandy shores, rivers, and forests invite you to be present and relax in nature.
Another magnificent national park is located about one hour’s drive to the southwest of Kuopio. Etelä-Konnevesi national park is the area where the lake meets the mountains. Behind the rocky shores you’ll find green grove forests with the area perfect for hiking, kayaking and boating.
In the south of Kuopio, the Orinoro gorge on Leppävirta was born around 10,000 years ago by the water from melting icebergs. Snow and ice remain there until June every year and during the winter, there is no path to the valley, but you can forge your own with snowshoes. There is also a seven kilometer long nature trail in the area complete with a relaxing spot by the pond.
To the north of Kuopio, in Maaninka, there is Finland’s highest rapid stream, Korkeakoski, a popular destination, especially during the spring, when the melting snow makes it even more magnificent. Nature attractions worth visiting are also Rautavaara Pumpulikirkko – the cotton church – and the Rotkolaakso valley in Tuusniemi.
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