Guesthouse to guesthouse summer tour
The route goes around North Karelia. The main attractions are the small villages and forested hills of Karelia, as well as wonderful sights such as one of our national landscapes, Koli. Meet locals and learn about Karelian culture and lifestyle. Welcome to Eastern Finland.
Arrival Joensuu: Railway Station. Car rent: www.avis.fi, www.hertz.fi
1. Day
Arrival in the evening at guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki. About 1,5 hours driving time from the airport.
- Getting to know the surrounding.
- Sauna and dinner.
- Accommodation and overnight stay.
2. Day
After Breakfast. Tour to Murtovaara museo.
The House Museum of Murtovaara is an attraction in Valtimo’s Halmejärvi. Murtovaara is the only museum in Finland focused on inhabitation on tree-covered hills. The site is located in the wilderness far away from main roads and 22 kilometres away from the Valtimo parish village. The yard of the museum is not accessible by car: the rest of the way must be walked on an old cartway (500m)
The house museum is a nationally valuable culture historical destination. The museum consists of 16 log houses built in different centuries. The oldest house marked with a year, ”Ikäpirtti” (”Old Cottage”), dates back to the 18th century. The museum presents a clear picture of the development of the peasant house from the 18th century to modern day. Here the different developmental stages of the farmhouse livingroom and oven can be clearly seen in one place.
- Lunch at Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki
- Tour to Valtimo village or city of Nurmes
Tips: Visit at the Valtimo local museos, swimming tour at beautiful Lokkiharju area nearby village centre, Shopping at local small shops.
Karelian eveningdinner at Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki
- Sauna
- Accommodation and overnight stay
3.Day
After breakfast drive to Guesthouse Laitalan Lomat at the village of Karhunpää
- Getting to know the area
- Lunch
- Canoeing trip on The Bear River
- Sauna and swimming
- An experiential hut dinner
- Accommodation and overnight stay
4.Day
After breakfast drive to at Nurmes.
- Boat trip to Pielinen Iceland: swimming, relaxing and openfire lunch
- Driving to the Guesthouse Männikkölän Pirtti
- Dinner, accommodation and overnight stay
5.Day
After breakfast.
- The Karelian Pasty Workshop
- The delicious Karelian pasties are famous throughout Finland. These unique pies are an important part of the region’s food culture, and at this workshop you get the chance to prepare them together with the hostess of a Karelian guesthouse. At the same time you can experience the local culture.
- Lunch
- Free time in the afternoon.
- Tips: tour city of Nurmes Old Town and Bomba house and Karelian Village. Have a lunch at Bomba Restaurant, Spa Bomba, shopping in Nurmes.
- Driving back to Guesthouse Männikkölän Pirtti
- Karelian dinner and sauna.
- Accommodation and overnight stay at Guesthouse Männikkölän Pirtti
6.Day
After breakfast.
- Excursion to Koli National Park. On the way visit to Nunnanlahti, Kivikeskus and Juuka, Puu-Juuka.
- Puu-Juuka (Puinen Juuka) is the old center of Juuka village. The oldest buildings in the area are from the turn of the 20th century. Puu-Juuka contains many protected buildings and is a culturally and historicallysignificant area.
- Koli: Guided tour for the best landscape view.
- A visit at Nature Centre Ukko.
Tips for lunch: Kolin Keidas, Koli Hotel, Kolin Ryynänen at Koli village.
- Visit a Koli Sculpture Garden
- Koli Sculpture Park is a unique art attraction in Finland, which fills a park area of almost a hectare with its works. The varied area according to the seasons is crowned by the magnificent sculptures made by Lasse Martikainen, a garden entrepreneur and self-student in Koli.
In the park you can see dozens of works of art of different sizes inspired by mythology and the nature of Koli. The materials of the sculptures are versatile and weatherproof, such as metals, stone, fiberglass and recycled materials. Both old greenhouse gutters and heating pipes have given the park new life.
- Driving to the city of Joensuu.
- Accommodation and overnight stay at Lietsu Boutique Aparthotel at city of Joensuu.
7. Day
After breakfast. Time to say hei, hei
Price: 1390€/person. 6 nights, 7 day. Children 4-14 year - 50 %.
Incl.
- Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki: Accommodation at double room/two nights, breakfast, Luch, Karelian Dinner, Entrance fee to Murtovaara museo.
- Guesthouse Laitalan Lomat: Accommodation at double room, breakfast, luch, Kota dinner, canoeing trip, An experiential hut dinner. Boat trip to a local summer cottage incl, Fishing, sauna and swimming, relaxing and openfire luch.
- Guesthouse Männikkölän Pirtti: Accommodation at double room, breakfast, luch, Karelian Pasty Workshop, Dinner.
Koli: Guided tour at the top of Koli. Entrance fee to The Nature Centre Ukko. Entrance fee to The Koli Sculpture Garden.
• Groups for 2-12 person.
• From 1st May to 30th September
Please note, that because we are saving nature, we take the bed linen with us from the first guesthouse to be used in all the other guesthouses, too. The bed linen bag will be carried by the luggage transfer. You will get clean towels in every guesthouse.
Links to car rental:
www.hertz.fi
www.avis.fi
www.carflexi.com
