Things to do in Kuopio
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Jätkänkämppä Smoke Sauna
There are different types of saunas, but the smoke sauna is the original and, some say, the best. This, the largest in the world (although few other countries have made an attempt on the record), is a memorable and sociable experience that draws both locals and visitors.
The lakeside Jätkänkämppä sauna is at a former loggers' camp near the Rauhalahti Tourist Centre. The 60-person, mixed sauna (record capacity is 103 people) is heated a full 24 hours in advance with a big wood fire, hence the name 'smoke sauna'. Guests are given towels to wear but bring a swimsuit for a dip in the lake. The technique is to sweat it out for a while, cool off in the lake, then repeat the pro…
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Lake Cruises
During summer there are daily departures for several different types of lake cruises. Standard two-hour cruises from the harbour depart hourly from 11:00 to 18:00. Special theme cruises include dinner and dancing, wine tasting or a trip to a local berry farm. There are also canal cruises and a monastery cruise to Valamo.
There are cruises to Rauhalahti tourist centre Tuesday to Saturday in summer (and Sunday in July); the best one is the smoke-sauna cruise on Tuesday and Thursday at 17:45 and 20:30.
Tickets for all cruises are available at the passenger harbour. Schedules are available at the harbour or from the tourist office.
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Rauhalahti
Rauhalahti is an estate converted into a year-round family park. The whole area is full of activities for families including boating, cycling, tennis and minigolf in summer, and skating, ice-fishing, snowmobile safaris and a snow castle in winter. You can rent bikes (per day from €10), rowing boats, canoes, in-line skates and even Icelandic ponies for gentle trail rides. Take bus 7 from the town centre or a ferry from the passenger harbour in summer (adult/child return €12/6, 30 minutes, five daily Monday to Saturday from early June to early August). There’s also a variety of accommodation here.
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Jätkänkämppä Smoke Sauna
Jätkänkämppä Smoke Sauna is by the lakeside near Rauhalahti resort south of town. The 60-person, mixed sauna is heated 24 hours in advance with a large wood fire (ie there’s no sauna stove). Guests are given towels to wear, but bring a swimsuit for a dip in the lake. Sweat it out for a while, cool off in the lake, then repeat the process several times – devoted sauna-goers do so even when the lake is covered with ice. Then buy a beer and relax, looking over the lake in Nordic peace.
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Kuopion Korttelimuseo
This block of old town houses forms another of Kuopio’s delightful museums. Several homes – all with period furniture and decor – are very detailed and thorough and the level of information (in English) is excellent. Apteekkimuseo in building 11 contains old pharmacy paraphernalia, while in another building it’s fascinating to compare photos of Kuopio from different decades. There’s also a cafe serving delicious rahkapiirakka (a local sweet pastry).
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Rauhalahti Tourist Centre
Rauhalahti Tourist Centre has grown around Rauhalahti Manor (Kartano Rauhalahti), an area converted into a year-round family park. The whole Rauhalahti area is full of amusements and activities for children and families including boating, cycling, tennis and minigolf in summer, skating, ice-fishing, snowmobile safaris, snowshoeing and a snow castle in winter. Take bus 7 from the town centre. There are also lake ferries from the passenger harbour in the town centre in summer.
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Musta Lammas
One of Finland’s best restaurants, the ‘black sheep’ has a golden fleece. Set in an enchantingly romantic brick-vaulted space, it offers delicious gourmet mains with Finnish ingredients and French flair. Roast reindeer with morel mushrooms was one of the highlights when we last visited, but the €32 vegetarian menu also caught our eye. The standard wine list is OK, but get the credit card out for some of the handwritten choices, which include some of the world’s finest reds.
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Kuopion Museo
The town museum in a castlelike art-nouveau mansion has wide scope. The top two floors are devoted to cultural history, with household objects, a boat builder’s workshop, coffee shop and a recreated wooden house among the attractions. But the real highlight is the natural history display, with a wide variety of beautifully presented Finnish wildlife, including a mammoth and an ostrich wearing snowboots. The ground floor is devoted to temporary exhibitions.
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Puijo Hill & Tower
In a country with few hills, Puijo Hill is the pride of Kuopio - the spectacular panoramic lake and forest views from the 75m Puijo Tower are said to represent 'the national ideal of Finnish scenery'. There's a revolving restaurant on the 12th floor, a café on the 13th and an open-air viewing deck at the very top.
Unfortunately there are no public buses to Puijo, but it's a nice walk through the trees, or a short drive or cab ride.
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Suomen Ortodoksinen Kirkkomuseo
A fascinating, well-presented display, the Orthodox Church Museum holds collections brought here from monasteries, churches and tsasounas in occupied Karelia. Today it’s the most notable collection of eastern Orthodox icons, textiles and religious objects outside Russia. The oldest artefacts date from the 10th century. There are summer exhibitions on particular aspects of Orthodox art or symbolism.
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Musta Lammas
The 'Black Sheep' is one of the few truly gourmet restaurants in this part of Finland, set in an enchantingly romantic brick-vaulted space opposite the Scandic Hotel. The menu is mainly French in inspiration, but with some Finnish ingredients and dishes. Duck breast, roast lamb and monkfish take their places alongside oysters and some sinful chocolate desserts. The set menu is a veritable feast.
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Lounas-Salonki
This charming wooden building west of the city centre is warm and friendly, with little rooms sporting elegant imperial furniture. They do a salad buffet and daily hot lunch featuring traditional Finnish fare (on last visit sausage soup and liver ’n’ onions) as well as coffee and à-la-carte options including vegetarian choices like crêpes filled with blue cheese and vegetables.
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Spruce Forests
Surrounding Puijo Hill is one of the best-preserved spruce forests in the region. It's a popular local spot for walks and picnicking. Also here is an all-season ski jump and chairlift. Even in summer you can often see ski jumpers in training.
Unfortunately there are no public buses to Puijo, but it's a nice walk through the trees, or a short drive or cab ride.
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Kummisetä
The sober brown colours of the ‘Godfather’ restaurant give it a traditional and romantic feel that’s replicated on the menu, with country pâté, pike-perch, chanterelle sauces and berries all making welcome appearances alongside chunky steaks. Food and service are both excellent. There’s also a popular back terrace and an attractive bar that is open longer hours.
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Pikku-Pietarin Market Alley
Just off Puistokatu, Pikku-Pietarin Market Alley is an atmospheric narrow lane of renovated red wooden houses converted into quirky shops stocking jewellery, clothing, handicrafts and other items. Halfway along is an excellent cafe with cosy upstairs seating and a great little back deck for the summer sun.
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Puijon Torni
Revolving restaurants usually plunge on the culinary altimeter, but the food atop Puijo tower is pretty good – although the decor won’t feature in Finnish Design Monthly anytime soon. Choices focus on Suomi specialities, including reindeer, Arctic char and pike-perch, and there are a couple of set menus (€32/38). The view is magnificent.
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VB Valokuvakeskus
Excellent summer exhibitions grace the Photographic Centre, devoted to Victor Barsokevitsch, one of the pioneers of Finnish photography. His studio is now a gallery, but there are enough old cameras and photos to call this a museum. In the garden you can enjoy a coffee in summer and check out the camera obscura.
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Kauppahalli
At the southern end of the kauppatori is this classic Finnish indoor market hall. Here, wrapped in foil, stalls sell local speciality kalakukko, a large rye loaf stuffed with whitefish and then baked. It’s delicious hot or cold but you’ll probably have to buy a whole one (around €20), enough for several picnics.
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Vapaasatama Sampo
This is the spot for a truly local taste. It's the town's oldest restaurant - it's been in Kuopio for almost 70 years - and is famous all over Finland for its muikku (small whitefish), served in various forms, especially fried. It's delicious and the restaurant is cosy and typically Finnish.
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Kuopion Taidemuseo
The art museum features mostly modern art in temporary exhibitions, but also displays permanent works. Look out for paintings by the local artist Juho Rissanen (1873–1950), whose realistic portraits of Finnish working people were a contrast to the prevalent Romanticism of the time.
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Pikku-Pietarin Torikuja
Just off Puistokatu, about 200m west of the kauppatori, Pikku-Pietarin Torikuja is an atmospheric narrow lane of renovated red wooden houses converted into quirky shops stocking jewellery, clothing, handicrafts and other items. There's also a good little café with a terrace.
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Puijon Torni
The views from the top of the 75m Puijon Torni are very impressive; the vast perspectives of (yes, you guess correctly) lakes and forests represent a sort of idealised Finnish history. Atop the structure is a revolving restaurant, cafe and open-air viewing deck.
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Isä Camillo
Set in a beautifully renovated former bank – look out for the old strongroom – this is an elegant but informal spot for a meal, offering fair prices for Finnish specialities. There’s a good enclosed terrace at the side and a decent pub, Pannuhuone, downstairs.
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Kreeta
This Cretan restaurant near the kauppatori is a good bet, with spacious interior and big windows. Meze for two (€49 to €59) gives you the chance to try a range of dishes, there’s retsina and Greek coffee to wash it all down, and a play area for young kids.
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Ale Pupi
Kuopio’s nightlife is conveniently strung along Kauppakatu, running east from the market square to the harbour. Here, grungy but likeable AlePupi has a huge interior, surprisingly classy decor and big drawcards of cheap beer and karaoke.
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