Top Things to Do Around Finnish Lakeland and Hillcountry

The Martinselkonen Wilds Center in Kainuu, around the same altitude as Oulu, is the dream of many hikers. Only a few miles from the eastern border you're in the home of bears, and dozens of miles from the nearest residential area. Nature here feels so untouched. In the winter you can recharge your batteries by ice fishing, which you can try out with a guide. When you ice fish, the silence of the vast wilderness calms you down and inspires you, and before you know it you've forgotten all about your daily worries. The guided ice fishing trip to the nearby lake starts in a sled pulled by a snowmobile, and you get to try your luck for about 3 hours. Visitors to the Martinselkonen Wilds Center can also enjoy the food services and the smoke sauna, which is a great place to relax after a day spent in crisp nature. These services are available all year round.

Arola Farm is located near the Russian border. They organize bear safaris where you get a chance to see the massive king of the forest close at hand. You can enjoy the wilderness atmosphere in Arola all year round, but you can only watch bears from the beginning of May until mid-August, because after that the bears start hibernating. You observe the impressive animals safely with the help of a guide from 1 of the 7 wooden booths around Arola Farm. From the booth you can observe and photograph the bears; they do different things at different times of the year. You might even get to admire little cubs born the previous summer. One booth fits 25–30 people, so you can take a larger group with you to the safari! Arola also offers safari packages with accommodations, so you can enjoy the atmosphere of the wild north for multiple days if you like.

The easiest way to explore the waters of Tampere and Hämeenlinna is by taking a Hopealinjat cruise. Lake Näsijärvi is located on the northern side of Tampere. You'll be taken there by s/s Tarjanne, which is the oldest passenger sternwheeler in the world that runs a long route. The legendary boat, built in 1908, was used for example in the First World War. The cruise takes you all the way to the north end of the lake in Virrat. The water route, called Runoilijan tie ("poet's way"), was named after Johan Ludvig Runeberg. On the way you get to admire the passing scenery with its beach villas, glistening blue lake and the rock paintings in the narrow passage of Kirnusalmi. The cruise to Virrat takes 8 hours, but there are also shorter cruises that only take a couple of hours during the day or in the evening, for example to Lake Pyhäjärvi on the other side of Tampere. On this side you can cruise down the waters all the way to Hämeenlinna or head to the south side of Tampere, to Viikinsaari Island. In the summer there's a lot to see and do there for people of all ages, from dance events and summer theater to beaches and firepits.

Located by a lake, the Petäjävesi Church was built in the 18th century, and it has been an important part of locals' lives and celebrations for centuries. The church receives thousands of visitors a year. This invaluable wooden church built by local carpenters was selected a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1994. The church has stayed in its original form; it represents the northern wooden church architecture and log building techniques. They stopped using the church in 1879, but nowadays the Finnish Heritage Agency is in charge of its upkeep and maintenance, and there are church services, concerts, weddings, funerals and baptisms organized in the church, especially in the summer. The World Heritage Site includes the church itself but also the graveyard and the Lemettilä Farm next door since it too represents traditional Finnish building techniques. The church is located on the western beach of the strait between Jämsänvesi and Petäjävesi, where it was easy to get to in the olden times when you arrived by boat or walking on ice.

Oravivuori in Korpilahti is a part of the Struve Geodetic Arc, which runs from the Arctic Ocean all the way to the Black Sea. It has measuring points in 10 different countries. The arc is a Unesco World Heritage Site; it represents the cultural heritage of science and technology. This interesting arc was invented by a German astronomer, Friedrich George Wilhelm Struve, in the 19th century, and the invention made it possible to gather a lot of important information about the shape and size of our planet The Oravuori Arc Point was drilled into a rock in 1834. You can climb into the observation tower and admire the surrounding views and the beautiful Lake Päijänne. There's a 0.6 mile path to the tower, and you can see some of the stunning views even before setting foot in the tower. It's still worth going into the tower for the gorgeous lake view. You can take a trip to the Oravivuori Arc Point and the tower at any time of the year.

The ironworks milieu in Verla was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1996 due to its well-preserved wood grindery and cardboard factory plus the surrounding residential area. The paper mass and cardboard industry of the area was successful in Northern Europe in the beginning of the 20th century. The valuable factory milieu has plenty of individual attractions that say a lot about the history of the area, and you can learn more about the lives of the workers there by exploring the fascinating stories, photos and documents. You can get in the factory museum with a guide in the summer season, when the restaurant, exhibitions and shops in the area are open as well. You can walk around the whole factory area on a history path that is located next to the Verlankoski Rapid. On the path you'll learn all about the history of the World Heritage Site from the 7,000 year old rock paintings found at the top of the rapids all the way to the board-walk built in 2015.

If you're visiting North Karelia, one of the top nature sights is Petkeljärvi National Park. This is a part of North Karelia's biosphere area, which belongs to a Unesco program. The terrain full of eskers is mostly over 150-year-old pine forest and clear water lakes. The gorgeous hiking grounds offer 6 miles worth of marked hiking trails of different lengths, which makes it a great destination for day trips. While relaxing in nature you might also see some of the wild animals of the area -- for example the North American beaver that can cut down a tree with just its teeth. In addition to paddlers, black-throated loons also hang out at the lake; their sounds are an inseparable part of the soundscape of the wilderness. Explore the eskers of Petkeljärvi that have been used as trails by humans and animals alike for thousands of years. They also offer guided tours, and if you'd like to be on the water, you can rent a row boat, kayak, canoe or a SUP board. If you'd like a longer trip, you can head to the oldest hiking trail in North Karelia, the 22-mile-long Taitajan taipale, which starts in Petkeljärvi.

Koli is on the shore of Lake Pielinen and it stretches to an area of about 19 square miles. Its fascinating views make a visitor feel welcome all year round, since you can explore the area by walking or skiing. Lake Pielinen offers a chance for kayaking when the water isn't frozen, and you can enjoy your everyman's rights in the park by picking mushrooms or berries, or by fishing. There are 50 miles worth of marked hiking trails, and on longer hikes you can stay the night in a tent, a hut or even a hotel! In the summer you can admire sheep, cows and horses along the hiking trail. You can also ride a horse to take in the gorgeous views, since they organize riding trips of different lengths in the area. The highest point of the national park is Ukko-Koli, which is 1,138 feet above sea level and the highest point of Southern Finland. From the top you'll see gorgeous views of the 4th biggest lake in Finland, Pielinen, and of valuable old forests that are covered in snow in the winter.

Located in Central Finland and founded in 2003, Leivonmäki National Park offers wonderful hiking conditions on the paths of the esker forests and duckboards in bog neighborhoods. There are plenty of trails of different lengths from an accessible 0.4 mile covered trail to over 6-mile-long hiking trails, and there's also a 12-mile-long bike trail. In the winter you get to enjoy the bog and esker views by cross-country skiing on a ski track that's over 6 miles long. You can move through the accessible Harjujärvi trail on a wheelchair or with a baby carriage, and there's a little hut, a camping area and a firepit along the way, so you can take a break easily. In the bog neighborhoods it's easy to forget your worries when you can smell wild rosemary and look at the stunning and peaceful views of forest ponds and esker pine forests.

The long Lake Näsijärvi is located on the northern side of Tampere. It's the 16th biggest lake in Finland and extends northward all the way to Virrat. There are almost 600 islands in the lake, and in addition to visiting the islands you can go bathing at several different coves and beaches. There are also plenty of trails great for cyclists around Lake Näsijärvi; that way you get to enjoy the summery lake view at your own pace. In the warm summer weather on peaceful country roads you can't help but feel at ease, and on a multi-day trip you can stay the night in one of the many inns around the lake. On the shores of the lake there are also cultural sights that say a lot about how the area has affected the lives of well-known Finnish artists. Some examples of the people who spent time here are Ellen Thesleff, who was one of the most well-known artists in the Golden Age of Finnish Art, and John Ludvig Runeberg, who was the inspiration for the name of the boat route through Lake Näsijärvi, Runoilijan tie ("poet's way"). If you go all the way to Virrat, you should definitely visit the Virrat Heritage Village (Virtain perinnekylä). In this museum you'll learn more about peasant life at the end of the 19th century.