Nature is our national treasure – our green gold. The diversity and purity of Finnish nature provides us with endless inspiration and a source of well-being. A great way to enjoy our magnificent nature is to explore it through our well-managed and diverse national parks.
Our county’s nature offers a wide range of national park experiences. The nature of North Karelia is a forest kingdom, characterised by dunes, swamps, coniferous forests and large lake areas. In Koli National Park you can enjoy the dune landscapes, in Patvinsuo National Park you can explore the marshlands and in Petkeljärvi National Park you can see the ridges and wilderness landscapes.
Koli National Park
Koli National Park was established on the 10th of April in 1991. It is located east of Highway 6 and on the western shore of Lake Pielinen. The distance from Joensuu to Koli National Park is about 63 kilometers. Our national landscape, formed 2-3 billion years ago from the remnants of the ancient Karelides mountain range, enchants visitors year after year. The diverse nature of Koli National Park offers sights and experiences in all seasons.
In Koli National Park, in addition to admiring the rugged Ukko-Koli, Akka-Koli, and Paha-Koli, as well as Lake Pielinen, you can enjoy traditional landscapes through meadows, groves, and forests. The rich animal, plant, and bird life in the Koli area endlessly delights nature enthusiasts. In the summer, horses, eastern Finncattle, and Finnsheep take care of the well-being of the area’s nature. Koli is also the southernmost place in Finland where you can admire trees covered in thick snow in winter. The high hills above the cloud cover also provide a great stage for observing the starry sky and admiring the northern lights.
The proximity of Lake Pielinen offers water sports enthusiasts a great playground in the summer. In Koli, you can go canoeing, boating, paddleboarding, and, of course, swimming. In winter, Lake Pielinen freezes, offering more ways to enjoy the water element. During the winter season, you can ski, skate, ice swim, and even drive on the ice of Lake Pielinen. You can delve deeper into Koli’s nature on good trails by horseback riding, cycling, or snowshoeing. The trails are varied, and everyone can find a suitable way and route to enjoy Koli’s nature. On day trips, you can explore many natural attractions: slip into the Pirunkirkko cave, admire the views from Mäkrävaara, or climb the Räsävaara observation tower. Even demanding athletes and hikers will find challenges in Koli National Park, for example, on the Herajärvi Trail, where you can experience Koli’s diverse terrain and challenge your own endurance.
Cultural offerings are available, especially in the summer, in Koli village and the surrounding area. During the winter season, the Ukko Nature Center provides nourishment for culture-hungry visitors through various exhibitions. The landscape of Koli, which has been a symbol of Finnish identity for over a hundred years, has enchanted artists and the public for decades, generation after generation, and its cultural heritage continues through contemporary artists.
It’s worth taking the time to explore the Koli area, and the abundant and varied accommodation options make it possible. Near the national park, you’ll find a wide range of accommodation year-round, from glass igloos to cottages, inns, hotels, and rental huts.
Patvinsuo National Park
Patvinsuo National Park is located east of Highway 73. The distance from Joensuu via Uimaharju is 90 kilometers and from Koli about 80 kilometers. Patvinsuo National Park was established in 1982. In Patvinsuo National Park, you can admire wilderness areas, ancient forests, and extensive wetlands.
The wetland areas of Patvinsuo National Park are diverse and particularly delightful during cloudberry season. You can admire different types of wetlands along boardwalks. You can explore raised bogs, aapa mires, and swamp forests. Over half of the park’s area is wetland. While picking cloudberries and cranberries, you can observe the life of wetland birds.
The nature in the Patvinsuo area is very diverse and provides a home for many animal and plant species. The population of large carnivores, from bears to wolverines and lynxes, is thriving. The ancient forests have been undisturbed for over a hundred years. Among the beard lichen-covered spruces, old pines, and large aspens, visitors can observe the natural cycle, as the decomposition of old trees and the growth of new seedlings are present everywhere. Beard lichens, fungi, bracket fungi, insects, and rare Red-breasted Flycatchers live comfortably in the forests of Patvinsuo.
While admiring the ancient forests, you can sink your toes into the sandy shore along the 24-kilometer shoreline of Patvinsuo National Park and even take a dip in Lake Suomunjärvi. Lake Suomunjärvi is located in an esker area formed at the end of the Ice Age, and its fish population is also diverse, making it a great spot for fishing. You can also admire the lake on the Suomunkierto circular route that goes around the lake. In the northern part of the area, there is also Iso Hietajärvi, a clear and sandy-bottomed lake. Efforts are made to keep human impact minimal for research purposes, so you can only admire the pristine Iso Hietajärvi in a limited capacity.
In addition to the natural experiences, it is worth visiting the charcoal kiln and the sacrificial tree in Patvinsuo National Park. The Suomunjärvi nature hut serves hikers near Lake Suomunjärvi, offering information, accommodation, and food services.
Petkeljärvi National Park
Petkeljärvi National Park is located about 20 kilometers from the Finnish-Russian border, east of Highway 74. The distance from Joensuu to Petkeljärvi National Park is 90 kilometers and from Ilomantsi 23 kilometers. The national park was established in 1956 and is one of Finland’s earliest national parks. The esker landscapes of Petkeljärvi were formed 10,000 years ago as the continental ice sheet of the Ice Age melted. This melting process created lakes and pine-covered eskers that we can admire today.
In addition to admiring nature, Petkeljärvi also offers excellent facilities for outdoor activities. There are several marked trails in the area. The oldest hiking trail in North Karelia, Taitajan taival, which is 31 kilometers long, also runs through the Petkeljärvi area. In addition to hiking, you can enjoy activities such as canoeing, fishing, swimming, cycling, and skiing in winter. Petkeljärvi National Park also offers a glimpse into military history. There are relics from World War II, including a bunker and trenches.
The Petkeljärvi Nature Hut offers a variety of services for hikers. At the nature hut, you can get advice, rent equipment, have coffee, buy souvenirs, and learn about the history of the national park through an exhibition. The Petkeljärvi Hiking Center offers accommodation, allowing you to explore the national park at your leisure.
As part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program, the national park is a rugged wilderness destination that offers memorable experiences.