Tag: Nature Destinations in Finland

Nature Destination: Nuuksio National Park

Would you like to visit a Finnish national park, but don’t have time to travel very far from Helsinki? Don’t worry. Nuuksio National Park is just around the corner!

Would you like to visit a Finnish national park,
but don’t have time to travel very far from Helsinki?
Then look now further.
Nuuksio National Park is just around the corner!

Facts About Nuuksio National Park

National Park in Helsinki Region

Nuuksio National Park really is a green oasis almost in the middle of the city. It is located in Espoo, which is right next to Helsinki. If you start your journey from the centre of Helsinki, it takes just little over half an hour to get there by car. So it’s very easy to reach.

But don’t let the short distance fool you. This isn’t just a small forest area inside the city. Nuuksio is so much more. Once you arrive to the hilly landscape of Nuuksio, you would think that you have traveled much further from the city. It’s so different in here.

In addition to the vast forest areas, there are over 80 little lakes and ponds in Nuuksio. There are also some rocky hills, which some of them can reach up to 110 metres above the sea level. So Nuuksio isn’t just about wandering through the forest. You can climb to the rocky hills to enjoy the amazing views and descend down the gorges. Just choose the trail of you own liking. But remember to follow the marked trails. Nuuksio is so large you can even get lost in here.

What to do in Nuuksio

Nuuksio offers wide range of possibilities how to enjoy nature. Most popular activity is of course hiking in the forest. There are a number of marked trails ranging from 2 km to over 10 km. And if you want to walk all the way from Helsinki, there is a 110 km long hiking trail starting from Laakso district in Helsinki which goes through the Nuuksio National Park.

There are also 30 km of cycling routes and 22 km of paths for horseback riding. Or why not explore the Lake Pitkäjärvi or Lake Haukkalampi by renting a canoe. And remember to take a towel with you, if you decide to take a dip in one of the lakes.

One popular attraction in Nuuksio is the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia. Haltia showcases local flora and fauna so it’s very easy way to learn about Finnish nature. In addition to the exhibitions, the Haltia building itself is interesting as it presents modern architecture combined with ecological solutions. It is the first public building in Finland built entirely of wood, while the heating and cooling of the building are powered by solar panels and geothermal pumps. Learn more about haltia by visiting www.haltia.com.

Nuuksio is Very Popular

As Nuuksio is located close to Helsinki it is easy to reach by over a million people in the Helsinki region. This means that Nuuksio has become a very popular destination. With over 300 000 visits a year, Nuuksio is Finland’s third most popular national park.

And its popularity is also its only bad things. It is great that people have found it, but unfortunately it can get a bit crowded sometimes. Especially on a weekends if the weather is fine. So if possible, try to schedule your visit for a weekday. Or perhaps visit in the evening. Summer evenings are warm and bright in Finland.

And even if you have visit during weekend, that’s no problem either. Once you have cleared off from the crowded parking lot and avoided most popular campfire sites, the trails are hardly ever very crowded. Here you get to enjoy the nature in peace and quiet, just as you planned!

Visit any Time of the Year!

But summer isn’t the only time to visit Nuuksio. Nuuksio offers completely different experience depending on the season. It looks amazing during autumn when you can experience the beautiful autumn colors. Or visit in winter and have an interesting experience hiking in the snow.

So whether you live in the Helsinki region or you are just visiting, Nuuksio is definitely one of the must-visit nature destinations! But before you go, check our guide to national parks!

Lake in Nuuksio National Park

Sources:
Metsähallitus/National Parks

Beauty of Finland – Landscape of Koli

The view from the top of the Koli hill to Lake Pielinen is probably the best known national landscape of Finland. And with these images, it’s easy to see why it is so musch loved and appreciated by the Finns…

The landscape of Koli is probably the best known national landscape of Finland.
When you climb to the top of the Ukko-Koli hill and enjoy the view opening up to the Lake Pielinen, it is easy to see why this landscape is so loved and highly valued by the Finns…

View from Ukko-Koli hill
View from Ukko-Koli hill to Lake Pielinen
View from Koli towards south

Nature Destination: Koli National Park

Koli National Park is best known for it’s hills and breathtaking views. But the hills aren’t the only thing Koli has to offer.

Koli National Park is located in North Karelia, in eastern Finland. This national park is best known for it’s hills and breathtaking views. The view from the top of Ukko-Koli hill to Lake Pielinen is one of the best known landscapes in Finland. And is therefore also a very popular tourist attraction. Koli is one of the Finland’s national landscapes and has been inspiring both artists and tourists who have captured this amazing view in numerous paintings and photographs.

Facts About Koli National Park

Things to See in Koli National Park

As Koli is known for it’s hills, visiting Koli National Park requires a bit of climbing to. But let me assure, it will be worth it. The views from the peaks are amazing!

The best known of the Koli’s many hills is the Ukko-Koli. From the peak of Ukko-Koli opens up a amazing view to Lake Pielinen. The peak of Ukko-Koli reaches 354 metres above sea level and is 253 metres above the surface of Lake Pielinen. Ukko-Koli isn’t the only hill at Koli. There are also many others peaks worth visiting. For example Paha-Koli, Akka-Koli, Vesivaara and Mäkrävaara.

Although the breathtaking views are the best of Koli, they aren’t the only reason to visit. There is a Koli Nature Center Ukko, which is located close by the peak of Ukko-Koli hill. Koli National Park is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Pielinen, which is the fourth largest lake in Finland. And as this this a national park, it perhaps goes without saying that Koli has also many hiking trails to enjoy.

One of which is the Sataman polku (Koli harbour) nature trail. If you like climbing, this is the one for you. It is known to be the oldest marked nature trail in Finland and takes you from the shores of Pielinen up to the peak of Ukko-Koli.

Other interesting places to visit are the small waterfall called Tarhapuro, 33 metre long Z-shaped boulder cave named Pirunkirkko (Devil’s Church) and an ancient sacrificial site named Uhrihalkeama (Sacrifice Cleft).

Places to Visit in Koli

  • Breathtaking views from the peaks of the hills Ukko-Koli, Akka-Koli, Paha-Koli, Vesivaara, Mäkrävaara, Paimenenvaara, Jauholanvaara, Hirvivaara
  • Koli Nature Center Ukko
  • Tarhapuro waterfall
  • Uhrihalkeama (Sacrifice Cleft) ancient sacrificial site
  • Pirunkirkko (Devil’s Church) boulder cave
  • Lake Pielinen
  • Sataman polku (Koli harbour) nature trail

For more info visit Koli National Park website

These are Finland’s 10 Most Popular National Parks

Finnish national parks are very popular

Finnish national parks are very trendy. In 2021, Finnish national parks were visited over 4 million times. Here is a list of the 10 most popular national parks in Finland (in 2021).

Top 10 Most Popular National Parks (2021)

  1. Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park – 699 200 visits
  2. Urho Kekkonen National Park – 446 300 visits
  3. Nuuksio National Park – 314 500 visits
  4. Koli National Park – 256 900 visits
  5. Oulanka National Park – 253 300 visits
  6. Pyhä–Luosto National Park – 232 700 visits
  7. Repovesi National Park – 172 900 visits
  8. Sipoonkorpi National Park – 146 400 visits
  9. Syöte National Park – 117 800 visits
  10. Hossa National Park – 112 900 visits

Top 10 Not So Crowded National Parks (2021)

  1. Bothnian Bay National Park – 6 300 visits
  2. Hiidenportti National Park – 15 000 visit
  3. Gulf of Finland National Park – 16 300 visits
  4. Kolovesi National Park – 17 200 visits
  5. Patvinsuo National Park – 20 200 visits
  6. Lauhanvuori National Park – 20 500 visits
  7. Pyhä-Häkki National Park – 21 400 visits
  8. Päijänne National Park – 21 600 visits
  9. Puurijärvi and Isosuo National Park – 21 700 visits
  10. Salamajärvi National Park – 22 400 visits

Source:
Metsähallitus

These are Finland’s 41 National Parks

Finland has 41 national parks. The first one opened in 1938. The latest addition is Salla National Park.

Finland has 41 national parks. The first one opened in 1938. The latest addition is Salla National Park opened in 2022. Here are the Finland’s 41 national parks from largest to smallest.

Lemmenjoki National Park

  • Area 2858 km²

Urho Kekkonen National Park

  • Area 2549 km²

Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park

  • Area 1023 km²

Bothnian Sea National Park

  • Area 916 km²

Archipelago National Park

  • Area 527 km²

Syöte National Park

  • Area 302 km²

Oulanka National Park

  • Area 285 km²

Bothnian Bay National Park

  • Area 149 km²

Pyhä–Luosto National Park

  • Area 144

Hossa National Park

  • Area 111 km²

Patvinsuo National Park

  • Area 105 km²

Salla National Park

  • Area 100 km²

Linnansaari National Park

  • Area 97 km²

Riisitunturi National Park

  • Area 76 km²

Kauhaneva-Pohjankangas National Park

  • Area 67 km²

Salamajärvi National Park

  • Area 65 km²

Kolovesi National Park

  • Area 61 km²

Lauhanvuori National Park

  • Area 59 km²

Nuuksio National Park

Ekenäs Archipelago National Park

  • Area 55 km²

Helvetinjärvi National Park

  • Area 50 km²

Seitseminen National Park

  • Area 46 km²

Hiidenportti National Park

  • Area 45 km²

Tiilikkajärvi National Park

  • Area 35 km²

Teijo National Park

  • Area 34 km²

Leivonmäki National Park

  • Area 31 km²

Kurjenrahka National Park

  • Area 31 km²

Torronsuo National Park

  • Area 31 km²

Koli National Park

Puurijärvi and Isosuo National Park

  • Area 28 km²

Sipoonkorpi National Park

  • Area 24 km²

Isojärvi National Park

  • Area 22 km²

Liesjärvi National Park

  • Area 21 km²

Valkmusa National Park

  • Area 19 km²

Rokua National Park

  • Area 17 km²

Southern Konnevesi National Park

  • Area 16 km²

Päijänne National Park

  • Area 16 km²

Repovesi National Park

  • Area 16 km²

Pyhä-Häkki National Park

  • Area 13 km²

Gulf of Finland National Park

  • Area 9 km²

Petkeljärvi National Park

  • Area 7 km²

Check the map of the locations from www.nationalparks.fi/nationalparks

Sources:
Metsähallitus
National Parks