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Know Maaninka and Keitele regions!

Visiting Korkeakoski waterfall and canyon, Keitele forests and lakes.

17 August 2022

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When I lived in Finland, I thought it was incredibly boring and nothing to see here. After covid began, people started to travel more in their countries and began to discover new unexpected places and realize that there is always something interesting close to their homes. Over time, it became my habit – to find remarkable places on my way. This time, when I went to visit my friend, who literally lives in the forest, I discovered some kind of fairy tale world.

Korkeakoski waterfall and canyon

Korkeakoski in Maaninka region has been a natural landmark since the beginning of the 1800s. This heavenly place, which forms a part of the village of Tuovilanlahti, has been attracting travelers from all over the country since then. In 1820-1840 a famous collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry, Elias Lönnrot, visited Korkeakoski and Zacharias Topelius, Finnish poet and journalist, wrote about his travels.

The Finns have always been integrated into the Finnish nature and they could take advantage of its power better than anyone. The locals installed a mill in the waterfall that provided their houses with electricity until 1890, when it was swept away by flood and its millstone can still be found in its waters. 

Kuopio Tourist Association creation in 1887 contributed to tourism revival in Korkeakoski, then it declined and revived again. Since 1947, the waterfall and the canyon have been included in the National reserve. The waterfall is the highest waterfall in Finland.

Korkeakoski canyon is easily accessible from the main road. The park offers to its visitors hiking routes suitable for both experienced hikers and persons who come for a quick visit. This is an ideal place to stop along the way, have barbecue, take a walk and continue the trip.

Tuovilanlahti

Tuovilanlahti is a small village with a population of 250 people. It is famous for its natural heritage Korkeakoski waterfall and canyon. Thanks to the shipping organization between 1864 and 1949 many travelers had an outstanding opportunity to discover this natural wonder. 

Presently, the village´s inhabitants are not indifferent about their home´s tourist attractiveness. Although Tuovilanlahti can be discovered in five minutes, there are curious places that make you stay longer. 

Historically known port of Tuovilanlahti is a picturesque location where a traveler can enjoy a cup of coffee and contemplate countryside views. Kalapuro is a former 1800 year farm, which works as a museum nowadays and introduces us to a small part of old Finland’s history.

Hamula

Summer Finland offers plenty of activities to fully enjoy life, the only hassle to consider – thousands of mosquitoes that bite you as soon as you stop moving! Fortunately, there are different options of protection from creams to clothes.

Hamula, no matter how small it is, surprises with a diversity of things to do. The forests are rich in mushrooms and berries, incredible landscapes and clean air, and rivers and lakes have a large amount of fish of various breeds and sizes. In one spot of the river you can try your luck and catch up to five types of fish! 

Hamula is definitely for active people, the locals are not used to lie on the couch, the only recognized way to rest for them is a sauna! The village visitors will certainly want to:

1) Swim in the lake

2) Ride a bicycle through the fields

3) Fish in rivers and lakes

4) Go to the sauna

5) Have barbecue

6) Ride a horse

7) Walk in the woods, pick blueberries and wild strawberries

8) Go kayaking down the river

You can ride a horse in Hamula at Wanhan Koulun Talli by booking on their website. The owners also rent lakeside cabins with a private sauna and jacuzzi on the Airbnb platform for just 95 € per night. Sounds like a perfect holiday!

Did you know that 70% of forests in Finland are privately owned? Despite this fact, every person has the right to walk freely in the woods and gather its gifts. The main rule to follow is – not to break the integrity of the forest, not to cut down trees, not to make fire and not to hunt wild animals without license and permissions.

Keitele Hiekka cemetery

In the depths of the woods of Hamula, you can find a small piece of history – an old cemetery

where monks from the Konevitsa monastery were buried. The cemetery tells us a sad story about people who were forced to run away from war and to leave their homes and to stay in a foreign country until their death. Almost all of the buried were Russians and Karelians – almost thirty inhabitants of the monastery: abbots, hieromonks, ordinary monks, as well as some “civilians” who stayed or worked in the monastery.

Despite the fact that nobody visited the graves and the cemetery remained abandoned for decades, the cemetery is official and cannot be destroyed. The locals respect the peace of people who rest here. Today, everyone can visit the cemetery, although it is not easy to find it, and only locals can guide you here.

Some artifacts evacuated from the monastery can be found in the Orthodox Church Museum of Kuopio.

Fishing in Finland

Finland is a land of more than 187 000 lakes and more than 600 rivers. Fishing is undoubtedly one of the essential things to do in summer Finland, but the government has restricted some types of fishing that require licenses that can be purchased for one day, one week or one year. However, angling and ice fishing in winter are free types of fishing that don’t require permission. 

Other fishing types require a fishery management fee paid before fishing and in some water areas permission issued by the area owner is necessary as well. Travelers who want to enjoy this summer activity must inquire about fishing authorization from the locals.

Fishing on the Nilakka lake, Hamula

Every corner of our boundless planet is worth discovering. Finland has perfectly preserved its natural and historical heritage thanks to its people´s conscience that has been implemented to them since birth. When visiting Finland a traveler becomes aware of how respectfully united a person with nature is here. Finns know to perfection how to benefit from nature gifts and how to care for the environment in order to restore its resources.

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