Finland's National Parks. -An overview of the best parts, driving directions, and videos.

What special features national parks in Finland offer, and what makes each of the 35 parks different. Find out which you may want to take trip to.

Koli National Park

Following is a description of the parks, starting from northern Finland, which has Finland's largest parks, working our way down to the south.

National Parks in Finland locations from north to south of Finland.

Lemmenjoki -uppermost north

Urho-Kekkonen -uppermost northeast

Pallas-Yllästunturi -uppermost northwest

Pyhä-Luosto -northeast of Rovaniemi.

Oulanka -near Kuusamo/Russian border.

Riisitunturi -close to Kuusamo.

Syöte -southeast of Rovaniemi.

Bothnian Bay National Park - Perämeren Kansallispuisto -northwestern coast near Kemi.

Rokua -in the center of Finland.

Hiidenportti center/eastern east of Kajaani.

Tiilikkajärvi -2 hr drive south of Kajaani.

Salamajärvi -south-central Finland.

Patvinsuo -southeast of the center of Finland.

Koli -6 hr drive northeast of Tampere.

Pyhä-Häkki -1.5 hr drive north of Jyväskylä.

Petkeljärvi -1.5 hr east of Joensuu.

Kolovesi -3 hr east of Jyväskylä.

Kauhaneva -3.45 hr north of Helsinki.

Helvetinjärvi -1.5 hr north of Tampere.

Leivonmäki -1 hr drive south of Jyväskylä.

Linnansaari -45 min northwest of Savonlinna.

Seitseminen -1.5 hr north of Tampere.

Lauhanvuori -3 hr northwest of Tampere.

Isojärvi -1.30 hr east of Tampere.

Puurijärvi -1.20 hr southwest of Tampere.

Päijänne -1.5 hr northeast of Hämeenlinna.

Repovesi -1.50 hr east of Lahti.

Kurjenrahka -45 min northeast of Turku.

Torronsuo -1hr southwest of Hämeenlinna.

Valkmusa -near Kotka.

Liesjärvi -2 hr drive south of Tampere.

Nuuksio -near Helsinki.

Itäinen -Suomenlahti out on an island not too far from Kotka.

Tammisaari Ekenäs -south coast.

Saaristomeri -south of Turku.

General Information

Most of the parks which I have listed have long and short trails. Here, I mention the shorter trails, and approximate time you may need to walk the trail.

Overnight accommodation is free when you take your own sleeping bag and are willing to overnight in a wooden shelter or one such as this Lapland like attraction in which there is no running water or standard plumbing, and no mosquito netting. Otherwise, many of the parks have shelter for rent.

Wet things you will find at National Parks in Finland. In Finland, the word suo is directly translated into the English, and means, bog, or swamp. You will notice some Finnish words end in suo. For example: Patvinsuo. (The name of one of the national parks in Finland). Or Suomi(Finland), swamp-land has the word suo in the beginning.

A swamp basically is a flooded forest, a wet area. But you can walk on it. However, most of the time you will notice wooden walking platforms "duck board" built as a walkway over wet areas, so you will not sink in.

A bog or mire: Usually wet and spongy to walk on. (I would not recommend trying) could be a wet area containing shrubs and herbs, and even contains splotches of forest in the middle of a mire.

Find out if the Visitor Center is open. Leave no room for chance!

Save time and money planning your trip.

Though I have personally driven to a handful of these parks myself, getting to the final destination might be miserable, if you have not planned out the route, or you are spontaneous soul like me. I cannot stress the amount of wasted time/fuel. :-& So, that is why...

...I have Directions Links where I use Google maps/Via Michelin to give you driving directions all the way to a hiking trail or visitor center. Use these links for a number of functions like...

• Calculate the time/fuel your trip will take to the park.
• Enter your own starting point address.
• Get a concept of where the park is on a map.
• Enter information for you navigational GPS device.(this is somewhere near the link)
• Find out what cities/towns are closest to a park.

Example of use: You can use the directions links to trace out the final two or three roads of your journey onto your hard copy map, or just print out directly from Google/Via Michelin. Why only the last few roads? Because those are the trickiest.

If you have a navigational device, the municipality of each park is listed, so please use the information provided to get you there. Otherwise for more detailed information go to www.luontoon.fi.

Note: Some parks include video links about the park or related to the park.

Pallas Yllästunturi National Park Pallas Yllästunturin kansallispuiston

Pallas-Yllästunturi - The third largest National Park in Finland. The fells unique mountainous scene of Finland are for viewing and hiking.

Fells like the ones at the Pallas- Yllästunturi National Park look like this, and they are lots of these vast cool landscapes at this park. The highest fell is called Taivaskero, which is 200 meters shy of 1000 meters.

If you have a love for trees, this is where you can see both the northern and southern tree species in Finland.

Locals recommend trying to see a series of fell landscapes. There are four visitor centers which you can visit in one day, which pretty much sums up every thing you would want to see in the area, including the history of the area. Here are the four:

1...Start your trip at the Kellokas Visitor Center in Ylläs, Address: Tunturintie 54(road), 95970 Äkäslompolo(city), which is in Kolari(region) in Finland.

Driving directions from the Kittilä airport to the Kellokas Visitor Center, or type in your own source.

2. On the next leg drive to the Pallastunturi Visitor Center: Address: Pallastunturi Visitor Center, FI-99330 Pallastunturi, Finland, or navigate to Pallaksentie(road), Muonio(city), Lappi(region), Finland.

3. Then drive to the Skierri, Fell Lapland Nature Center. Peuratie 15(road), Enontekiö(city).

4. 99490 Kilpisjärvi, or navigate to Käsivarrentie(road), Enontekiö(city).

To get a concept of for this stretch, here are the four stops in Google maps. Use street view if needed.

Recommended scenic driving route to Kilpisjärvi from southern Finland in the summertime:

Helsinki-->Tampere-->Seinäjoki-->Kokkola-->Kuopio-->Oulu--> Tornio-->Muonio-->Kilpisjärvi.

Pyhä-Luosto National Park Pyhä Luoston kansallispuisto

Pyhä-Luosto National Park is located near Kemijärvi, Pelkosenniemi and Sodankylä(Lapland). The highest area is called Ukko-Luosto, with a 514 meters peak. What is interesting is that Sami people lived in this area in the 1600 century, and trees are over 400 years old.

Things to see and do: Visit Europe's only small-scale operating amethyst mine, where you can dig up some amethyst with your own shovel. It is an easy walk to the mine in the warm season, and possible to visit in the wintertime aswell.

See: http://www.amethystmine.fi/indEN.htm

Here are driving directions to the Amethyst mine in Sodankylä/Luosto. Follow Ukko-Luostontie until the end and you can park at the end of the road and hike to the Lampivaara Amethyst mine. From there, hike for 2.5 kilometers to the mine.

Address: Ukko-Luostontie 200(road name 200 meters from the intersection, Sodankylä/Luosto(city) 99555(zip)

Other things to do: If you like bird-watching, nearby to Pyhä-Luosto is the Sakkala-Aava bird watching tower.

Video During the winter this is what it's like to go cross-country skiing at Luosto.

Oulanka National Park Oulangan kansallispuisto

This national park is located in Kuusamo, Salla, further south than the above parks, but still in Lapland, so you get to enjoy similar Lapland look and feel. It is 270 square kilometers in area, with one of the best hiking trails in Finland.

The park is very diverse, having high peaks(fells) and low rivers, including mires like other parks have. -a unique Finnish park.

See the Oulanka Canyon, the Jyrävä Water-falls, streams that gently swerve in between pine and spruce, and swinging bridges.

Go white water rafting, take a 6 day hiking trip on an 80 kilometer stretch at the large Bear trail Iso Karhukierros. The trail has 7 open, 'under the sky' wilderness shelters, over ten areas to pitch tents, a few touristy sights, and places to build campfires.

Or...

...choose to go on a shorter 12 kilometer hiking trail at the small Bear Trail pieni Karhukierros. The trail starts at the village of Juuma, takes hikers past the Jyrävä water fall (8 - 10 meter drop), then circles back around. A good one day hiking experience for intermediate level hikers.

If you do not have a chance to see the Oulanka Canyon by hiking on the Karhukierros, no worries. While driving on the Käylä-Salla road, there is a stop called Savilammi or Savi Pond. From this stop it is a three kilometer hike to the canyon.

Most people first go to the visitor center which is in Kiutaköngäs to view the waterfalls. Type in your own source for driving directions to Kiutaköngäs.

Or navigate to this address: Liikasenvaarantie 132(road),Kuusamo(city), Pohjois-Pohjanmaa(area), Finland

Things to do: Pick mushrooms in the fall or walk to the Niskakoski rapids where there is a hanging bridge. Video- whitewater rafting in Oulanka with professionals.

Riisitunturi National park Riisitunturin kansallispuisto

The Riisitunturi National Park is in Posio(Lapland) - This park is particularly interesting since it has open areas for viewing the pine and spruce forests against the lower lake level. Most of the park is around 300 meters above sea level.

This park has a very exceptional view over the Kitkajärvi lake. The shortest hiking trail is 4 kilometers and the longest over 30 kilometers making this park ideal for longer hiking and camping trips.

Recommended: Go on the round-trip hike, or circular trail called the Riisin Rääpäsy Trail. This 4 kilometer trail takes three hours. Most importantly, it takes you up high for a magnificent view over the lakes below.

Driving directions to the entry point of the Riisin Rääpäsy Trail, where you will also find a hut for trail information. Navigate to a city called Viitaranta(city), which is Lappi. From there you are 3 kilometers away from the entry point of the park.

Directions to Viitaranta in Google maps. -3 kilometers from the park.

Video- One musher takes his sled-dogs out for a ride.

Syöte National ParkSyötteen kansallispuisto

This park contains old-growth forests. Meaning: there are plant species which thrive within the forest unique to that region, and would normally not grow if the forest had been logged.

The park contains rare animal species such as the golden Eagle aquila chrysaetos, or the Siberian flying squirrel pteromys volans.

At Syöte there are a series of forests, located at nearly 300 meters in altitude, some even contain bogs. In fact, a very large percentage of the Syöte National Park contains mires and even occasional springs.

Basic driving directions:

Syöte is located in Lapland and the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. Coming from direction Oulu, take road 20 past Pudasjärvi and drive about 30 kilometers. At the 30 kilometer mark there will be signs to the park.

Coming from Kuusamo, which is located northeast of Syöte, drive to Taivalkoski. Then get on road 863 to Posio. After driving for 19 kilometers, get on road 862 at the village of Virkkunen. Keep driving 19 kilometers until you see signs to Syöte.

Walk for a day or do some more extensive hiking at Syöte. Of the 120 kilometers of marked trails, short trails range from 500 meters to 4 kilometers like the Ansapolku trail. This trail starts at the visitor center where you can also see wooden sculptured animals.

Michelin recommended driving directions to the visitor center from the Helsinki Vantaa airport(or type in your own source). Drive all the way to Pärjänkievarintie where you will find a sign for the visitor center.

Need information about the old growth forests? About 3 kilometers north of Syöte, is the Vattukurun luontopolku, a 2 kilometer trail starting at the Syöte Tavalkoski road 862.

Video - A panoramic view at the top of Iso-Syöte while skiing.

Rokua National Park Rokuan kansallispuisto

Located smack in the middle of Finland - If you are looking at a map of Finland, and fix your gaze at the middle of the country, that is where Rokua National Park is located.

Lichen -a combination of a fungus and algae abundantly grow in this park. So do watch your step, when you walk on a soft forest floor -bed of lichen combined with moss, as the bed can easily tear apart. That is why Nordic walking, and off-roading is a 'no no' at this park.

The same goes for the moss a plant, usually green in color. Types of mosses: Iceland moss Cetraria nivalis, and Porojäkälä reindeer moss.

Attractions: Fishing and swimming at the sandy bottomed lakes, such as lake Saarinen. The following video shows what underwater ice-diving at lake Saarinen in Rokua is like. Frreeezzing!!

Perhaps you want to get a scenic photo to take home with you, then go to the Pookivaara hill, the highest point in the park, where there is a sheltered hut lookout tower, 200 meters above sea level.

120 km's southward of Rokua...for those who like old forests with a decent hiking trail nearby for the family or a group. Try walking at the over 150 year old forest in Talaskangas. Careful, these are small roads.

Navigate to Talaksentie 1000(road, 1 km from an intersection), Vieremä(city), 74200(zip), drive to the end of the road.

Here are driving directions between Rokua and Talaskangas.

Hiidenportti National Park Hiidenportin kansallispuiston

Hiidenportti is located around 90 km's southeast of Kajaani in a municipality called Sotkamo. The park area covers 45 square kilometers.

Best parts...In this park, there are many ravines which are up to 20 meters tall, so if you like heights in the middle of the forest, Hiidenportti just might be a place to go for a hike.

More: For pine tree lovers, this park is for you. See some 400 year old tree species at this park, and pick berries and mushrooms in the early fall.

The 1 km long Hiidenportti gorge, shoots water toward the northwest end flows westwards towards the Gulf of Bothnia.

At the gorge and around the forest area there are several dark ponds Mustalammi in Finnish which are interesting sights to see.

Hiidenportti Trails are an easy walk, since the scouts use em. The one trail to hike is a short 3 to 4 km trail called the Hiidenkierros. This is a circular trail taking you through the Hiidenportti gorge.

Access the parking area to see the main attractions of the park, starting your walk at the Palolampi parking place. Begin walking east from the parking lot and follow the path toward Hiidenportti. From there, the path turns downward toward the ravines. You will notice the stairs, then the path curves back around.

Address of Palolampi information center for navigational purposes: 86 Hiidenportintie(road), Sotkamo(city).

Here are the driving directions from the city of Kajaani to the Palolammi entrance.

Get a preview of the park and take a walk with someone who has been there in the fall by watching this video/slide show.

Tiilikkajärvi National Park Tiilikkajärven kansallispuisto

Travel west to east between Iisalmi and Nurmes on road 87 after Rautavaara, head north on road 5850. This gets you to the Tiilikkajärvi National Park.

The park is characterized as having the landscape combination of both northern and southern Finnish nature. If you are looking for a real swampy Finnish lake, two thirds of the entire park area consists of swamp.

A historical attraction at lake Tiilikkajärvi, is a stone memorial monument called the Täyssinän rauhan rajapyykki. Here is a short video/slide show about the Täyssinän Rauhan rajapyykki monument

This huge old stone was set at the peace Treaty of Täyssinä 400 years ago, when lake Tiilikka served as the border between Russia and Sweden.

Plan to spend 3 to 5 hours hiking the nature-lover's Uiton kierto, a 7 km trail which circles around two lakes. This trail gives you access to a scenic beach called "Russian Sand" or Venejänhiekka

Caution:

Bring snake bite antidote with you, just in case. There are only two kinds of snakes in Finland. The one spotted at this beach is poisonous.

By car, get to the Uiton kierto hiking trail from the Sammakkotammi parking place and information center. Also accessible in the winter. Address: Valtimontie 1038(road), Rautavaara(city). This address is approximate. You should see signs for the park near this address.

Here are the driving directions from Kajaani to the Sammakkotammi entrance.

Salamajärvi National Park Salamajärven kansallispuisto

Salamajärvi is in central Finland, Keski Suomi. Looking at the map, this park is located south of the center of Finland, 115 km's southeast of Kokkola(west coast). Or drive 15 km's from Kinnula heading southwest toward Salamajärvi on road 7520.

Salama is the word for lightning in Finnish. In, English, Salamajärvi means lightning lake. Yep, see trees struck by lightning. -one of the attractions. On the other hand, for nature lovers, the pine forests and swamps along with a bird-watching tower are a must-see.

The largest Reindeer species are in this park.

In the 1980's, specialists re-introduced the Finnish Forest Reindeer Rangifer tarandus fennicus into this area. The adult sometimes weighs over 100 kg. The best time to view these animals is at the end of may.

To get information about the trails and how to find the southern entrance of the park drive to the Koirasalmi nature information hut from Kinnula like this.

Or drive 2.5 hours from Seinäjoki to the Koirasalmi information hut like this

And if that is not enough nature for one day, you may want to take a six kilometers drive southeast of the Salamajärvi National Park to the Salamaperä Nature Reserve Salamaperän luonnonpuisto.

Patvinsuo National Park Patvinsuon kansallispuisto

Patvinsuo is located in northeastern Finland (Karelia) about 30 kilometers from the border of Russia, 80 kilometers northeast of Joensuu, or 40 kilometers, southeast of Lieksa.

The attractive features of the Patvinsuo National Park are: Swamps, old forest wood, sandy beaches with clear water of lake Suomu Suomunjärvi, over 27 meters deep lake with good fishing. There are bears in the park which may be hard to spot since they usually avoid people.

When walking about 200 meters west of the Suomu Nature Information Hut, you will find a pine tree over 100 years old. This special tree is historically attractive, since it contains the dates of the deaths of various forest rangers carved out into the tree.

This park contains 80 kilometers of trails. Start either short or long hiking trips from the Kurkilahti parking place.

Driving directions to the park from Lieksa(city) Urheilukatu 3(road), to Suomuntie(road), 81650 Lieksa. Once at Suomuntie after entering the park, from the border of the park, drive about 700 meters to get to the Kurkilahti parking area.

Here is a 5 minute video of a series of hiking trips, the first one is at Pyhäselkä(also in northern Karelia), and about half way through are photos of Patvinsuo.

Koli National Park Kolin kansallispuisto

The park is 30 square kilometers (12 square miles) in size, and located west of the Patvinsuo National Park, 50 kilometers north of Joensuu.

A hilltop viewing experience. -Koli has a famous view by a lake not to miss.

Be on top of the Ukko-Koli hill during sunset on a clear day in July looking to the east across lake Pielinen. Enjoy seeing and touching white quartz rock. Explore Pirunkirkko. -a 34 meter (112 feet) long and averages 1 to 7 meters (3.3 to 23 feet) high cave. How about snowboarding in Loma-Koli in the winter.

Ukko-Koli, Akka-Koli and Paha-Koli are photogeneric areas of Finland, so be sure to bring a camera along to take lovely photos of scenic sunset in August from a height of 250 meters above sea-level.

Koli contains the highest point in Southern Finland, which is 347 meters above sea level.

Most who visit the park start off hiking at the Ukko-Koli parking place, close to the scenic view across lake Pielinen. This is where you can find short hiking trails starting at 2.5 kilometers all the way up to 40 kilometer hikes.

Driving directions to the Ukko-Koli visitor center in Lieksa/Koli from Tampere or use your own source, or navigate to: Ylä-Kolintie 39(road), Lieksa/Koli(city) Zip. 83960

More about Koli. See a video of a drive to Koli. Get a view over lake Pielinen at over 300 meters above sea level.

Pyhä-Häkki National Park Pyhä Häkin kansallispuisto

Pyhä-Häkki is located in the lower central part of southern Finland. This is a small 13 kilometer(5 square miles) park -a 70 kilometer drive north of the city of Jyväskylä.

Finnish Virgin Forest -See forest where no man has laid an ax to fell trees. The park contains the oldest forest in southern Finland with trees dating back 250 years when Finland was still under Swedish rule.

The old forest attracts rare insects, birds, and plant species. The Pyhä-Häkki National Park is remote, and the grey color of the ancient dried standing canopyless pines and spruces makes walking in the forest a romantic experience.

The oldest trees are about 500 years old and have survived countless generations and forest fires.

Two types of mires worth seeing are the herb-rich hardwood-spruce swamps, which is mainly comprised of spruce, and the Dwarf-shrub pine bog, -mainly pine trees. If you want to see spruce mires, this is your park.

Go sightseeing in the woods to see a very large Finnish pine tree. According to Finnish standards, the 26 meter (85 foot) tall, 288 centimeters (113 inches) circumference ancient pine tree, is one of the tallest in Finland. The tree started growing upward in 1518.

Although this ancient tree died in 2004, the park has another largest tree for viewing.

Start off a short one hour walk at the 3 kilometer long Maastomäki Nature trail. Along the trail is where you will see the old forest and large trees.

Driving directions from Jyväskylä to the trail at Viitasaarentie.

For navigation devices use: Viitasaarentie 2119(road), Saarivjärvi(city) 43100(zip)

Petkeljärvi National ParkPetkeljärven kansallispuisto

Drive east about 90 kilometers of Joensuu to get to the Petkeljärvi National Park. It is 15 kilometers southeast of Ilomantsi in northern Karelia and 5 kilometers from the Russian border.

Petkeljärvi is good for short day hikes with trails and ridges for easy walking. The pine forests contain sparse vegetation and two-thirds of the park is water.

If it is water you like then...at the Kuikkalampi area there are lakes which have clear water. The lakes are best seen while hiking on the 6.5 kilometer circular trail called Kuikan Kierros, leading through forest and duck board paths above the soft miry ground.

Driving directions for use with a navigator: Petkenjärventie 61(road), Ilomantsi(city). Navigate to the end of the road, and park at the parking lot to get more information.

Here are the Michelin recommended driving directions from Joensuu to the end of Petkenjärventie, where you can park your car and walk to the trail.

Kolovesi National Park Koloveden kansallispuisto

Good for one day trips with families, and canoing trips for up to 7 days.

This is a 3.5 hour drive east of Jyväskylä, or an 80 kilometer 1.5 hour trip southwest of Joensuu.

Kolovesi National Park has a scenic and peaceful canoing area, since no motorboat traffic is allowed in the park. That is rare even in Finland.

If you want to get a peek at the Saimaa ringed seal Saimaannorpa, this is your chance. It is best to see the seals by boat in June, since this park is closed from March to the end of May.

The Ukonvuori, Havukkavuori and Vierunvuori cliff paintings are an attraction in the park. The cliffs are best viewed by sailboat, canoe, or kayak. The ancient dwellers of the area painted images of people and monsters on the cliffs.

Here is map for canoing routes at Kolovesi called Norppakartta to help with planning your trip. Right click on your mouse to zoom in.

Drive to the Kirkkoranta boat launch parking area by navigating to the following address: 6910 Enonkoskentie(road), Savonlinna(city). At this address you will be at he road junction to the Kirkkoranta road. Follow the road to the edge of the water. (with your canoe)

If all you want is to hike, go on the 3.3 kilometer long Nahkiaissalo Nature Trail, located in the southeastern park area.

Here are sample driving directions from Joensuu up to 3 kilometers from the starting point of this trail. Once at 6308 Enonkoskentie(road), Savonlinna(city), follow the signs to get there. (Type in your own source if need)

Video -Dawn, dusk, and night shots at Kolovesi.

Kauhaneva- Pohjankangas National Park Kauhanevan- Pohjankangas kansallispuisto

The Kauhaneva-Pohjankangas Park is 57 square kilometers (22 square miles), located in Karvia western Finland. The park is 140 kilometers northeast of Pori(2.5 hour drive), 130 kilometers northwest of Tampere(over 2 hour drive), and 105 kilometers northeast of Seinäjoki.

The landscape around Karvia has hills, swamps, lakes and forest.

See the contrast between a clean pine forest and bogs where thick vegetation grows on top of water. In the case of the Kauhaneva-Pohjankangas park, the soft turf is deep, so remember to walk on the paths instead of on top of the vegetation, or you will sink in.

For a safe short day hike, use the 2 kilometer long wooden duck board path around the Kauhalammi pond. Access this walk at the Nummikangas northern, or the Salomaa southern parking lot. Both lead to the walking trail.

Why not overnight at the park while traveling nearby? Set up a tent or camper near Kauhalammi or Salomaa where there are dry bathroom wc's,(outdoor toilets you can use) and wells for drinking water.

Entering the park from the south -from Tampere or Parkano. Drive to Karvia(city) which is in Satakunta. Drive through Karvia on road 274 for 8 kilometers towards Kauhajärvi heading northwest. After this look out for the Kyrönkaan kesätie. This road is a south to north road, and will lead you to the Salomaa parking area.

Tip: Visit two parks in a day! The Kauhaneva-Pohjankangas National Park is close to the attractive Lauhanvuori National Park, which has the highest peak/hill in western Finland, and unique quartz stones. Here are directions for driving between Kauhaneva and Lauhanvuori.

Helvetinjärvi National Park Helvetinjärven kansallispuisto

Helvetinjärvi is located in Ruovesi. -a 50 square kilometer area in the Pirkanmaa region, near the Seitseminen National Park. You can see both parks in the same day.

Facts which makes this park an attraction: The park has deep crevices in its bedrock, narrow opening that resembles a gorge (EU, Canyon U.S.), plus, there are forest ponds and small and lakes with sudden drop-offs.

The Helvetinkolu Gorge, which is located northeast of Lake Iso Helvetinjärvi, is what is most attractive, since it's opening is only a few meters wide. The gorge has a steep downward slope into the lakeside.

Here is a 10 minute video in Finnish of a tour through the Helvetinkolu gorge.

North of the Helvetinkolu gorge, is another fault formation. Lakes Kovero, Luomajärvi, Iso Helvetinjärvi: large Hell's lake Pikku Helvetinjärvi: small hell's lake and Pitkä Helvetinjärvi: long hell's lake, form a narrow, with high cliffs in the deepest fault, with high points 190 - 200 meters above sea-level.

What is there to see: Helvetinkolu and Haukanhieta.

Driving directions to the Helvetinjärvi National Park:

Here is a trail which starts in Kankimäki, goes to Helvetinkolu gorge and back. Simple and easy 4 km trail you can take your kids to. There is even a kiosk(for a snack) in Kankimäki a place for making an open fire and a hut in Helvetinkolu.

While you are driving in that area, get on route 66 toward Virrat, and along the side of the road just before getting to Virrat see the Toriseva attraction, which are 30 meter cliffs beside a series of lakes. A 6 kilometer walking path, is around the lake(s) and along the path is a cafe on a hill.

Watch a video of a father and daughter taking a day to walk around Helvetinjärvi(In Finnish) This also shows the drive to the park.

Drive and see 4 nature points in one day:

Start at...

...1. Seitseminen at Seitsemisentie 116, Ylöjärvi, Suomi--->

2. Riuttanen --Torttilantie, Ylöjärvi, Suomi--->Drive through Virrat then turn back south to...

...3. Toriseva --Torisevajärventie 493, Virrat, Suomi--->Finally end the trip at the

4. Helvetinjärvi National Park --Helvetinkoluntie 775, Ruovesi, Suomi

See driving directions for this whole trip from Orivesi to Seitseminen all the way through Toriseva to the Helvetinjärvi national park.

In September, as nighttime comes earlier, fewer visitors frequent the parks. When you sit around an outdoor fire, it is easy to sense that "around the campfire" atmosphere. You find yourself surrounded by dark woods.

Leivonmäki National Park Leivonmäen kansallispuisto

The Leivonmäki National Park is around 30 kilometers southeast of Jyväskylä, located northwest of Leivonmäki.

It's a simple park, broken up into two parts. Lake Rutavjärvi separates the upper part, which is comprised of pine forest, and the southern part, more boggy is called Haapasuo.

It is significant to see lake Rutajärvi because the water level of this lake has dropped 4 meters between 1890 and 1894. Yes, one meter per year, within four years.

Because of the drop in water-level, over 200 islands up-merged all over the lake, creating long rocky shorelines around the lake.

28 kilometers of trails, marked in blue, are good for taking the family on a day hike. Stay in an overnight shelter while roasting hot dogs over a fire.

One trail worth walking is the 1,5 kilometer long scenic Joutsniemi ridge trail. A walk way projects out into lake Rutajärvi where the lake is visible on both sides of the path.

Getting to the trail is easy. Hike on either the Mäyränkierros or Harjunkierros trails which start from the Koskikara school in Rutalahti, or the Harjunlahti swimming grounds.

To get on the scenic Joutsniemi trail first enter the Mäyränkierros trail at Selänpohja parking lot, then connect to the Joutsniemi trail from the larger trail.

Directions to the Selänpohja entrance from Jyväskylä using. The address is: 1248 Kivisuontie(road), Joutsa/Levonmäki(city), western Finland.

Linnansaari National Park Linnansaaren kansallispuisto

Ideal for camping and boating, the Linnansaari National Park covers a 96 square kilometer (15 square miles) area, located in southwestern Finland 45 kilometers northwest of Savonlinna. Linnansaari Castle-Island is both the name of this national park, and respective island.

The park consists of a large open lake area called Haukivesi, with over 120 islands which are best seen by boat. Each day between June 28 - August 15, a boat runs from either Oravi or Porosalmi to the island of Linnansaari. For boat rides, time schedules, and prices see Saimaaholiday.net

See the Saimaa Ringed Seal- Saimaannorppa or in Latin: phoca hispida saimensis. This area is a breeding ground for these seals, and the view promises to be good.

Get information about trails at the Sammakkoniemi camping ground. -a choice, 7 kilometers long, medium difficult day hike trail starts at this camping ground.

For more information about the park, please drive to the Oskari Linnansaari Visitor Center, or drive straight to the Oravin Melontakeskus for information about canoe rental or accommodations. Here are the driving directions to the Oravin Melontakeskus from Savonlinna.

Navigate to: Kiramontie(road), Savonlinna/Oravi(city).

Seitseminen National Park Seitseminen kansallispuisto

The park's nature center is located in Parkano at the Address: Seitsemisentie 110, Länsi-Aure (Kuru). Once in Kuru head toward Kaidankylä on road 332 and drive to Länsi-Aura, where you will see signs for park entrance.

This is your park, if you are interested in both young and old pine forest vegetation; some of the pine trees are over 400 years old. Swamps cover over half of the area, as well, there are many interesting ridges.

What makes this an attractive Finnish sight? -you get a genuine 'forest-like feeling' while hiking on the moss- covered old Multiharju forest floor.

Getting to the park by car...Here are the driving directions to the Seitseminen Visitor center from Orivesi. (or type in your own source)

See three Finnish nature parks in one area, and one cliff attraction (Toriseva) A total of four nature sights to see in one day. What fun!

Once at Setseminen National Park, assuming you want to see more, why not drive to Riuttanen right off of road 3351. There you will find a place for day trip/camping at Riuttaskorpi, which is in Kuru.

If you are coming from road 332 Kuru - Parkano there are signs which direct you to the southern part of Riuttaskorpi.

At Riuttaskorpi, use the outside fire places, sheltered cooking, and go bird watching at a nature tower. After a few hours hiking in the woods, drive from Riuttaskorpi to the Helvetinjärvi national park

To give you a visual image of this tour, here are all four nature sights with driving directions.

Lauhanvuori National Park Lauhanvuoren kansallispuisto

Lauhanvuori, is 230 meters above sea level, making it the highest hill in southwestern Finland. Though located in the south, the park looks like fell hills found in Finnish Lapland. The park area is 53 square kilometer (20 square miles), and is easy to walk through in a day.

Upon approaching the park, it is difficult to perceive the rise of 200 plus meters of land level. This is due to gradual ascents around the perimeter of the park.

Located in Isojoki(city), Pohjanmaa(region), about 140 kilometers northwest of Tampere. Once in Isojoki, head south toward Kortteenkylä, and take the first possible road toward Sarviluoma.(east)

Use these driving directions to get from Tampere to the the eastern entrance of Lauhanvuori Here's where you will also find the Muurahainen nature visitor center. Navigate to Kauhajoki(city), Lauhanvuorentie 1(road), 61960(zip)

The park's unique attraction, is an open 800 meter long field of large bolder quartz sandstone rocks called Kivijata Pirunkiuas. Normally these rocks are found under the very outer surface of the earth. However, these happened to be exposed due to the lifting of the land's surface.

See the Aumakivi granite boulder, located at the southwest end of the park. These are the two attractions at Lauhanvuori. Also be sure to see the natural springs, and bogs with puddles of water.

Help, the ground is moving up! An educational tour for students.

Rising of the ground created this natural attraction for those interested in Geo-Tourism.

Take an educational excursion and see the results of the 'up-raising' of ground, which is occurring in Lauhanvuori at a rate of 80 centimeters every one hundred years.

Isojärvi National Park Isojärven kansallispuisto

Isojärvi is located in south-central Finland, about 100 km's east of Tampere off of route E63/9 toward Jyväskylä on the southern side of lake Isojärvi. After driving past the city of Orivesi for about 30 km's, there is a sign for the park.

The attractive features include: 30 meter high spruce trees and large Aspens populus tremula which are in the middle of the spruce forest. The many lakes of Isojärvi are narrow, have clear water, and rocky shores.

Since Isojärvi is good for kayaking and canoing, there are row boats for rent at the Heretty Loggers Cabin(main information center). Please type in "heretty opening hours" into your favorite search engine for the latest opening hours.

Park your car at the Heretty Loggers Cabin where you can get more information about trails. Start hiking at the 3km Heretty Nature Trail. Along the trail you will find a place to make an open fire for cooking. Like most parks, there are sheltered areas for overnighting.

If you like mountain biking, there is a trail up to 10 km's long which connects to a few point at the perimeter of the park.

Getting to Isojärvi: Here are the driving directions from Tampere to the southeast entrance near the Heretty Loggers Cabin information center.

For your navigator: Kylämäntie 1335(street), 17800(zip) Kuhmoinen(city), which is in Keski-Suomi central Finland.

Puurijärvi-Isosuo National Park Puurijärven Isosuo kansallispuisto

Puurijärvi-Isosuo large swamp is located in the Pirkanmaa and Satakunta regions. The park is 27 square kilometers in size (10 square miles).

While on the Helsinki-Pori road, if you happen to be traveling north on road 2 to Kokemäki, or north on road 12 toward Äetsä via Huittinen, the Puurijärvi-Isosuo national park is accessible from either roads.

See the Isosuo, a large open wetland area which is connected to one of Finland's longest rivers. Most of the park consists of shallow swamp.

The unique attraction of this park are the large variety of insect species it contains. -35 different bird species, 38 types of butterflies and moths, and 24 different dragonflies.

At the park you can hike on short 1 and 6 kilometer trails, go bird watching at one of the highest capacity (fits 50 people) bird watching towers in the Nordic countries at the Kärjenkallio Rock. Get a nice view over the lake, and see what a vast swamp looks like in Finland.

Bird watching tips: The best time to go bird watching is during the morning or evening, especially when birds are migrating moving from location to next. Use high power binoculars and a tri-pod, bring a packed lunch, and expect to spend time in the lookout tower.

Access Kärjenkallio, which is on Lake Puurijärvi from road 2481. The main hiking trail cuts clear across and between the two large swamps, Korkesuo and Isojuo. This is where you can view the swamps on either side of the path.

It takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive to the park from Tampere. (74 kilometers). Driving directions from Tampere to the Puurijärvi-Isosuo northern and eastern entrance.

Or navigate to the following address: 1008 Yttiläntie(road) Kokemäki/Yttilä/Kauvatsa(city), western Finland.

Video: Kokemäki attractions. This one minute video has a few clips of the Puurijärvi-Isosuo park.

Päijänne National Park Päijänneen kansallispuisto

Päijänne National Park is located east of Padasjoki(town). Lake Päijänne, is also the second largest body of water in Finland, with 400 kilometers of water route, and with unusually deep lakes (100 meters).

Looking at Lake Päljänne on a map, you see its great size: length: 112 kilometers; width, in some areas up to 30 kilometers.

Are you thirsty. If you ever need extra drinking water, try gulping down the water from lake Päijänne. Many years ago, a long water supply pipe was built to deliver water to larger cities from this lake.

Tomi drinking straight from the lake.

The Päijänne National Park, covers a far smaller area than the vast Lake Päijänne. Located at the southern part of the lake, the park is a 14 square kilometers(5.4 square miles) area which consist of a series of 50 deserted islands, mainly rock, moraine ridge formation with some cliffs.

The Päijänne National Park is best experienced by boat...

...Bring your own canoe or kayak for a boat trip out to the park. You can even go on a boat trip to explore the large body of water over many days.

Getting to the park by boat is easiest from the Padasjoki Harbor. This is also where you can find boat trip services like the M.S. Elbatar (www.elbatar.fi), which gets you to the Kelvenne Islands.

Want to get a super view of Lake Päijänne, including the park? Start driving from Padasjoki toward Asikalla. In Asikalla get on road 314 also called Pulkilantie and drive past Iso Kohilo. Drive across the bridge while driving on Pulkilantie. After entering the bridge, you can see the park off to the left.

Example route from Google maps from Hämeenlinna across the scenic bridge to Vanha-Naumi, Sysmä(the region) in Finland. Select your own source.

Getting to this scenic drive across lake Päijänne for navigation devices.

Type in: Asikalla(city), then Pulkilantie(road). There is no road number. Just follow your navigator until you see the lake coming up on the navigator's screen, then drive across the lake.

Getting to one of the many island of Päijänne by car.

In Padasjoki, head northeast on Kellosalmentie, around 1 kilometer after Kellosalmi, the road branches to the right, go over the bridge,(stay on Kellosalmentie) You have arrived at Virmaila Island.

Take a right onto Virmailaintie. Follow it until you hit Höysniementie, take a right. Drive to the end of Höysniementie where there is a place for making an open fire.

Repovesi National Park Repoveden kansallispuisto

This park is near Lappeenranta. It's attractive cliffs are up to 60 meters tall, making hiking ideal for advanced hikers, with hiking trails up to 40 kilometers in length. Take a walk over a 50 meter hanging bridge called the Lapinsalmen riippusilta, or go on a berry-picking trip.

Video -a walk across the Lapinsalmi bridge.

Do nature photography over lake Olhavanlampi on a clear morning. Capture the view of the cliffs of Olhavanvuori as the sun is rising, and the wind is calm. Watch the sun reflect against these cliffs in variable colors. When the lake is calm, the cliffs reflect in the lower water.

Another photography spot is on top of the 50 meters high Olhavanvuori Rock, located above lake Olhavanlampi. From on top, the lake looks very small compared with the surrounding forest. Go in late May-June to see the Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata), cackling, as it is flying over the lake. it makes a eerie piercing "key-ka" sound.

A set of steps rises almost vertically to the top of Katajavuori Hill. -one of the most scenic places in Repovesi National Park.

A one minute video of Finnish lakeside landscape at Repovesi.

Here are the driving directions to the Lapinsalmi entrance from Lahti, where you can walk over the Lapinsalmi hanging bridge. From this point you can also hike to Mustalampi where there is a lookout tower with a view of the park. The drive will take between 1.5 to 2 hours from Lahti.

Navigate to: Valkeala(city), or use the zip code 47910, Riippusillantie 70(road). This will get you 200 meters close to the bridge.

Kurjenrahka National Park Kurjenrahka kansallispuisto

Kurjenrahka is located 80 kilometers southeast of Rauma, 120 kilometers west of Forssa, and 40 kilometers north of Turku.

The popular hiking trail paths of the Kuhankuonon retkeilyreitistö are where you can hike peacefully for many days. Hike for up to 300 kilometers if you want. The Kurjenrahka park area has 29 square kilometers (11 square miles) of woods with old growth forests and swampy areas.

The swamp section contains bogs which are elevated in the center, and dry around the sides. These special bogs receive water from the rainwater due to lack of water supply surrounding the lower perimeter of the bogs.

See old dead spruce trees, petrified trees, and old logs lying in the forest of Pukkipalo. Want to go on a short hike, to get a taste for the park? Here are sample driving directions from Turku to a 2 kilometer Karpalopolku circular trail starting from lake Savojärvi nature hut, which circles around back to the hut.

Go trekking for a day or two at the Kurjenrahka National Park, since there are free or rental shelters for wilderness accommodation.

Navigate to the the northern information hut from road 204(also called Säkyläntie or Turunväylä) like this: Pöytyä(city) which is in varsinais-Suomi, Savojärventie 92(road)

Or use this address: Yläne(city), 92 Savojärventie(road) 21930(zip).

Video: How locals use Kurjenrahka for a mountain biking trip.

Torronsuo National Park Torronsuon kansallispuisto

Torronsuo National Park is located 55 kilometers northeast of Salo, 62 kilometers southwest of Hämeenlinna, or 130 kilometers northwest of Helsinki. The closest city would be Forssa, which is 10 kilometers (6.5 miles) from the park.

Torronsuo's 26 square kilometer of park includes mainly open mire. The wet soggy area of the park is encompassed by trees and rocks, while in the center there are patches of pine trees. Small pines.

The parks unique attraction is it dates back to the stone age. At some points the top turf is 10 meters (30 feet) deep giving proof of the park's antiquity. Just count how thick the turf is and add up the years. Scientists have interesting data like that written down for your information at some points in the park.

The wet swamp area is known to contain rare pegmatite minerals.

If you happen to travel from Helsinki to Pori, or Turku to Hämeenlinna, and would rather drive smaller roads between these routes, on the way, stop to see this park along road 2.

Plan your trip wisely! See two parks with one visit. There are two national parks along road 2, Torronsuo, and Liesjärvi national park.

If in need of familiarizing yourself with southern Finland wetlands, near the park is a visitor center at the following address: Härkätie 818(road), 31380 Letku(city), where you can watch a video presentation about the area and even get a guided tour.

Go straight to exploring the park! If you want to drive directly to the park, here are driving directions to the Kiljamo entrance from Hämeenlinna. -A one hours drive.

Road 282 runs between Somero and Tammela. Use this road to get to the Kiljamo parking lot. When entering the park on road 282 from the north, you will see a sign for the park. Keep driving a bit further until you see a sign for the parking lot.

For navigator use: 680 Somerontie(road), Tammela(city). Or use Forssa as an alternate city, 30100(zip)

Valkmusa National Park Valkmusan kansallispuisto

Drive 125 kilometers (1 hour 40 minutes) to the east of Helsinki to get to Valkmusa. The park is closest to the city of Kotka, which is 25 kilometers or a 35 minutes drive northwest of Kotka.

You can easily see the park while visiting Kotka. The park is along side of road E18/7 which stretches west to east from the capitol city towards Porvoo. Driving further east brings you to Kotka.

About 5 kilometers before Kotka, there is a small town called Pyhtää. In Pyhtää road 3561 connects to 3562 toward Metsäkylä (north), which gets you to the park.

If you want another look at miry wetlands of southern Finland, at Valkmusa you can see a large 15 square kilometers (5.7 square mile) area of mire in contrast with only 2 square kilometers (.77 square mile) of forest. The contrast between forest and mire is significant.

The park has both raised bogs, with trees, and softer, more wet mires where the color of the water is transparent green. Go walking on a 2.5 kilometer circular trail, and see birds from a birdwatching observation tower at the Valkmusa parking area.

Plan a 2 day trip to see Kotka

Day 1 - Hike and visit the birdwatching tower at Valkmusa

Day 2 - Visit Kaunissaari Island - a sparsely inhabited island.

If you happen to travel to Kotka from Valkmusa, there is a small island worth visiting called Kaunissaari beautiful island, located 15 kilometers southwest of Kotka, the island is 2 kilometers wide and 3 kilometers long.

Video-a ten minute about a man who visits Kaunissaari.

You can get a boat to the island in Kotka from the Sapokka line with the M/S Vire or M/S Tekla 1. The large boats sit there on the dock, and there is an ice-cream stand real close. Ahh!

Drive to the beginning of the trails like this from the city of Kotka.

Address: Vastilantie 400(road), Pyhtää(city) 49220(zip). This road runs along the western perimeter of the park, this is where you will find the northern entrance with a parking place.

Liesjärvi National Park Liesjärven kansallispuisto

Liesjärvi is situated 125 kilometers south of Tampere. It takes about an hour 45 minutes to drive to the park from Tampere.

Liesjärvi is one of the places in Finland you could see a flying squirrel Pteromys volans, is in the old forests of this park. Look around the shores at the base of the aspens, to see if you can spot yellow droppings left by the squirrel.

The Liesjärvi National Park has lots of thick, spruce forests, and mires containing patches of woods. The park has ridges and over 50 kilometers of shoreline to enjoy. For example the sandy shore ridge which separates lake Kyynäränharju, Kyynärä and Lake Liesjärvi from each other.

With 22 square kilometers (8.5 square miles), this is another one of Finland's small parks. While visiting, you may want to hike in the virgin forests, which have been protected since the 1920's. These are located at Ahonnokka and Isosaari large island.

See the estate of a forest ranger from 1910 in Korteniemi. -An almost exact representation of how land and farm was maintained long time ago. For example: In the summer, see the Finnish farm animals like...horses, cows, sheep, chickens.

At the Korteniemi heritage farm you will also see the traditional Finnish farming methods, like cutting rye with a scythe, drying and threshing methods.

Directions to getting to Korteniemi from Tampere. Address: Korteniementie 270, 31350 Tammela

Nuuksio National Park Nuuksion kansallispuisto

Camp, fish, hike in nature close to the big cities of Espoo and Helsinki. Nuuksio is located north of the Turunväylä, in north west Espoo, or 35 kilometers from the center of Helsinki. -the capitol. Catch road E18 in Vantaa or Espoo and travel west toward Turku on highway E18(road 1).

The landscape: birch forests, pine, and old growth trees; over forty lakes, some of which have clear water, swampy areas, gentle hills, granite bedrock for walking, and a high lookout rock found on the 4 kilometer long Haukankierros Trail.

The Haukankierros Trail is marked with blue signs, and starts at the Haukkalampi information hut, where you can also get water, make an open fire for cooking, and stay under a sheltered area.

Example driving directions to the Haukkalampi information hut from Helsinki. Address: Haukkalammentie 32(road), Espoo(city).

See these 3 'how-to Videos' getting to Nuksio National Park from Helsinki by public transportation.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Eastern Gulf National Park Itäinen Suomenlahden kansallispuisto

Located 30 kilometers south of the city of Kotka, this park area includes a 60 kilometers long stretch of over 60 islands off the eastern coast of Finland. The eastern boundary of the park touches the border of Russia.

Since, the Eastern Gulf National Park consists of small islands across a 60 kilometer stretch, the land base is only a very small 6.7 square kilometers (2.6 square miles).

What you will find out there: Migrating birds flying into Finland during the spring, rocky islands without trees with the exception of small pines which grow on the larger islands.

For a summer weekend trip, travel from Helsinki through Kotka to the city of Hamina, by car. Catch a passenger boat in Hamina out to the Ulko-Tammio Island, which is a 1 hour and 45 minute trip. See the Finnish website (www.meriset.fi) for departure details, and prices.

Once at Ulko-Tammio Island, there is a 3 kilometer walking trail and a bird observation tower. Take a puptent and go camping and then return by boat to Hamina the next day.

Here are driving directions to the Tervasaari boat landing dock from the center of Hamina. The Tervasaari dock is one kilometer south of the city center.

Eastern Gulf - Itäinen Suomenlahti location

Video - A boat trip out to Haapasaari, with a walk around the island.

Ekenäs Archipelago National Park Ekenäs kansallispuisto

Islands off the coast of Tammisaari, more popularly know as the Ekenäs Archipelago National Park. This park is located about 80 kilometers west of Helsinki, and 18 kilometers south of Ekenäs (Tammisaari).

In Helsinki, begin driving on road 51 toward Ekenäs or Tammisaari. Once in Tammisaari, drive toward Sommorö, which is in Skärlandet. This is the closest you can get to the largest of the islands, Älgö.

At this point, if you are an experienced kayaker, it's around a 9 kilometer boat stretch to the Rödjan Nature Information Hut in Ä lgö. Once in Ä lgö there is a campsite and a dry toilet(outdoor toilet).

Find out about charter boat rides to the islands at the Ekenäs visitor center. Address: Ekenäs Visitor Center, Rantapuistikko, 10600 Tammisaari, Finland

Directions to the Ekenäs Visitor Center from Helsinki located 100 kilometers west of Helsinki. This trip takes about 1.5 hours by car.

Video of a Finnish nature photographer taking pictures at Ekenäs. The video included two parts showing what the archipelago nature looks like above and underwater.

Archipelago National Park Saaristomeren kansallispuisto

Saaristomeri off of Turku is also called the Archipelago National Park -Located in the southern Turku archipelago of the Baltic Sea, between Turku and Hanko. The park covers a vast area of 500 square kilometers and contains over 2000 islands.

The type of land and seascape is like nothing else in Finland. Most of the lone rocky outer islands have very few trees. The islands are between the size of a football field, while others host small villages, like Kasnäs.

Why take a trip to Kasnäs? At the very end of road 1830 there is a visitor center called Luontokeskus Sinisimpukka which is located in Kasnäs. At the visitor center you will find exhibits and DVD presentations (also in English) of what life is like on the Finnish Archipelago.

2011 Opening times for the Sinisimpukka Nature Center

February 2nd to May 8th. Fridays 10 am to 3 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm.

May 10th to August 31st, daily from 10 am to 6pm

September 1st to November 27th. Tuesdays through Fridays 10 am to 3 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm.

Getting to Kasnäs:

From the Tammisaari Salo road number 52, once at Pernio exit towards Kemiö on road 183 due southwest. Drive through Kemiö towards Dragsfjärd and Taalintehdas. Before branching off to Dragsfjärd you will notice a blue sign on the right: Sinisimpukan luontokeskus 21 km. Turn right toward Kasnäs after the sign.

Use a navigational device to get to Kasnäs, since there is a 5 kilometer ferry ride to get there. No worries the ferries are free of charge. Just type in Kasnäs, Dragsfjärd, Finland into your navigator.

Driving directions to the Sinisimpukan luontokeskus in Kasnäs.

Interestingislands at the Archipelago National Park to see by boat. These islands are nice for walking and enjoying the seascape.

Jurmo Island - a video slideshow at the island of Jurmo

The island of Jurmo in Korppoo has a beach containing round thumb and fist-sized rocks, and is treeless. This is one of the best places to go birdwatching in the Turku area. You can buy fish and sip coffee at a cafe. Remember to go there before April and after July when it is permitted to walk around on the island.

3.5 kilometer long Nötö Island. Video of the island (in Finnish)

The Nötö island is located between Nauvo and the Jurmo island. Nötö is the largest island in the Archipelago National Park. On the island you can see the remains of what a village used to look like. See some old buildings like a chapel from the 16th century, or an ancient wind mill.

Ferry boats such as the MS Eivor and MS Fiskö, see routes and timetables (in Finnish) at portal.fma.fi. These ferries sail through Nötö and Jurmo islands.

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