Guesthouse to Guesthouse Karelia à la carte Sauna Tour
Experience a true sauna escape in the world of Finnish saunas. During the sauna adventure, there are five unique sauna experiences with different "löyly" (feeling of steam). In addition to feeling the gentle steam on your skin, you can enjoy the outstanding sauna menus in the sauna adventure, these vary daily. You can transfer from Guesthouse to Guesthouse by your own car, or you can enjoy a bike ride between the guesthouses.
During this sauna adventure, you will get to know:
- Finnish log sauna
- Traditional smoke sauna
- River bank sauna
- Traditional summer cottage sauna
Day 1. Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki sauna trail to the log sauna.
Arrival at Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki in Valtimo at 14:00. The sauna trail starts with a greeting from your hostess Anni, we go through the program of the day together.
The sauna experience
Before the sauna, Anni leads the guests to nature's own treasure trove. She guides you to different ways to utilize healing wild herbs during the sauna session, meanwhile, you will hear stories about the Karelian sauna tradition. Fresh wild herbs are picked up for the sauna experience together from the surrounding nature. The collected herbs are made for a refreshing foot bath. In the log sauna of Puukarin Pysäkki, fragrant spruce branches await the bathers, secreting an essential oil that cleanses the lungs. Sauna gear consists of a linen towel, bathrobe, traditional sauna hat, and sauna seat covers. During the sauna session, you can cool off in the sauna terrace and enjoy the mouth-watering sauna delicacies and local drinks brought to you in a basket.
Delicacies of the sauna food basket:
Dried root vegetables of the Guesthouse with two different dips
Spring water, our own berry juice, and a herbal drink extracted from the sap
Hand-brewed beers from Honkavuori Brewery are also available at an additional cost, such as Puukarin Pysäkki Ruislaakeri (rye lager) beer.
The sauna evening culminates in the Karelian dinner. The menu consists of pure local organic food which is prepared following the methods of Karelian cooking.
Puukari sauna trail menu
Keitinpiirakka (traditional pastry), organic rye bread, seed butter
Wild mushroom salad, cabbage salad
Smoked lamb and spruce syrup
Wild vegetable salad
Lake fish cooked in the guesthouse oven
Nettle sauce, baked potatoes
Parsnip casserole, beetroot funnel ragout
Uunirahka (oven quark) with berry jam
Guesthouse spring water, and homemade beer
As an additional service - a drink package:
The union of food and drink has always been important to us connoisseurs. At Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki, we thrive to match memorable flavours of Karelian food with drinks of our own region. The evening menu offers a unique experience where you can taste the best flavours of the season on your plate, enjoy award-winning beers and biodynamic wines from local breweries, and get inspired. We recommend trying snaps of Kalevala Distillery Vodka or Vuokatti Wine Pontic with both sauna basket snacks and dinner. Desserts are served with dessert drinks from our local berry farm winery. Drink package 28€.
Overnight stay at Puukarin Pysäkki
After delicious breakfast guests transfer to Guesthouse Laitalan Lomat
Day 2. Laitala sauna trail to the River bank sauna
The day begins with a greeting from the hostess Henna, we go through the day program together and hear stories about Laitala's history and saunas. Guests move to the forest for relaxation. We bring hammocks with us and enjoy taking forest baths. Our guests choose their own place for hanging the hammock and we relax by listening to the sounds of the forest and the singing birds. After relaxation, we collect ingredients for the sauna hair rinse and prepare our own rinse.
For lunch, we enjoy "an experience lunch" that Henna has prepared for us. This includes handmade karjalanpiirakka and egg butter, leipäjuusto (Finnish squeaky cheese), salad, lingonberry jam, sea buckthorn jam, glazed egg halves, rice rolls, chanterelle-filled rye buttons, whipped cream with berries, coffee, tea, homemade cheesecake.
The sauna experience:
The sauna program begins with a tarry welcome snaps drink (non-alcoholic), which is enjoyed in the terrace of the Main House. Next, we move along the path across the field to the sauna. The sauna is on the banks of the Karhujoki River, it is a peaceful experience to take a swim off the pier. In the sauna, our hostess Henna tells us tricks and tips on how to heat the sauna properly for a magical experience. At the same time, we prepare the sauna ready together for the sauna session. After receiving a sauna spell from Henna, guests enter the smooth steams of the sauna. We wash ourselves in the sauna with local handmade natural soaps. Guests may choose their favourite soap to keep, perhaps it would be Hillan hurma or Pakurin mahti. These charming ecological Sola soaps are organic and natural soaps, the raw materials are collected from pure Finnish nature. While cooling off, we enjoy the delicacies of the sauna basket and refreshing drinks.
Delicacies of the sauna food basket:
Laitala's sparkling blackcurrant leaf drink. Natural fish mousse with rye bread, and local delicacy marmalades.
The sauna evening is highlighted by a hut dinner, which is enjoyed by the open fire in an atmospheric hut of Laitala.
Laitala sauna trail hut dinner menu
Laitala perunarieska (potato rieska), rye bread from a local bakery, butter
Organic cheese salad and root salad
Vegetable-potato dumplings by the campfire, meatballs made of local ranch meat.
Dessert includes nokipannukahvi (soot pot coffee), herbal tea, campfire crepes, whipped cream, berry jam
Homemade beer, berry juice, water.
Overnight stay at Laitalan Lomat
After a tasty breakfast, transfer to Guesthouse Pihlajapuu
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Day 3. Pihlajapuu sauna trail to the smoke sauna
The sauna trail begins with a greeting from hostess Minna. We go through the program of the day together. Minna takes guests canoeing on Lake Viemenjärvi. We paddle with relaxed strokes in stunning lake scenery and later take a stop for a picnic lunch. Alternatively, you can also take a tour to sauna by bicycle. The cycling distance to the ground sauna is 6.5 km. In case of bad weather conditions, we take the journey by car.
The sauna experience:
Before the sauna session, guests prepare different sauna branches together: traditional birch, rowan, and juniper. Which one would you choose? The sauna experience includes OleHyvä washing detergents, a sauna cap, linen bathrobes, towels, and sauna seat covers.
In connection to the savu sauna, there is the hut where you can enjoy the delicacies of the sauna basket.
Delicacies of the sauna food basket:
Kukkonen (traditional pastry) with wild fish cream cheese. As a drink, Guesthouse Pihlajapuu's own rowan leaf drink
- Kukkonen is made with Grandma Anna's traditional recipe with barley porridge filling.
Cream cheese for kukkonen is made from buttermilk and whole milk itself. The wild fish of Pielisen Kalajaloste has been fished from Lake Pielinen.
After the ground sauna session, we return to Guesthouse Pihlajapuu.
Pihlajapuu sauna trail menu
Juniper forest menu
Appetizer drink: Arctic Blue Gin schnapps with rowan berries
Elk goulash with a juniper taste (vegetable option is horse bean goulash)
Oven potatoes
Wild mushroom stew
Beetroot casserole
Harvest season carrot-zucchini gratin
Green salad and house salad dressing
Lingonberry purée
Apple chutney
Rowanberry jelly
Handmade karjalanpiirakka and egg butter, malt bread and butter
Homemade beer, berry juice, water
Mustikkakukko (blueberry pie) and vanilla sauce with the taste of spruce spring growth
Coffee, Pihlajapuu's own mint tea blend
Overnight stay at Pihlajapuu.
After filling breakfast, transfer to Guesthouse Männikkölän Pirtti.
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Day 4. Männikkölän Pirtti sauna trail to the summer cottage beach sauna
A traditional Finnish cottage sauna where you can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
The sauna experience: Heating the beach sauna is a nice and relaxing endeavor. Together we carry the water to the sauna and fill the water tanks. We light the fire in the stove and while waiting for the sauna to warm up, we sit at the pier in front of the sauna and hear stories about Lake Pielinen and Finnish summer cottage life.
We prepare the sauna for the sauna session, hop on the sauna benches enjoy the gentle steam of the sauna, and admire the scenery of Lake Pielinen. It is a magical experience to take a swim in the clean waters of Pielinen during the sauna session. After the sauna, you can enjoy the summer cottage sauna menu.
Männikkölä sauna trail menu
Sorted Karelian traditional pastries dinner
Karjalanpiirakka and vatruska, egg butter
Fresh salad and house salad dressing
Wild mushroom salad
Potato salad
Smoked salmon
Meatballs
Homemade beer, juice, water
Berry cake
Coffee, tea
Overnight stay at Männikkölän Pirtti
Day 5. Breakfast and morning sauna and swimming in Männikkölä's sauna. Have a refreshed journey back home!
Total price: 790€/person, 4 nights, 5 days
The price includes: Full-service sauna trail from Guesthouse to Guesthouse: overnight stays in double rooms with full board (breakfast, sauna trail menu, dinner), services according to the program.
Option: Have an extra night at Karelia style Spa and saunas in Karelian village shore of Lake Pielinen.
For groups: 2-14 people
Availability: May-September 2023
On request and extra charge: Passenger transfers.
Extra day in Bomba Karelian spa
- Price from: 105€/person. Includes accommodation/ standard double room, breakfast and spa.
Presentation of the Guesthouses:
www.puukarinpysakki.fi
www.laitalanlomat.com
www.aksytammat.fi
www.mannikkolanpirtti.com
