Situated 8.5km northwest of the city centre, off Rd 9, this outdoor museum is part of the Suomen Salpa ('Finland's Bolt'). Built between the Winter War and the Continuation War, the 1200km-long defence line was constructed to prevent Soviet invasion. Concrete and timber bunkers remain today, along with defensive trenches, and weapons including machine guns, anti-tank guns and cannons. In July, volunteers dressed in military attire bring the history of the site to life.
Joensuu Bunker Museum
Karelia
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
3.54 MILES
Themed displays – on the region’s prehistory, its war-torn past, the Karelian evacuation, the importance of the sauna etc – cover both sides of Karelia's…
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Finland’s only Orthodox monastery is idyllically located on an island in Juojävi. Visitors are free to roam the site and enter the churches. The first…
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Founded in 1957, Joensuu's botanic gardens contain over 600 plant species in four separate areas: desert, tropical, sub-tropical and temperate. Highlights…
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Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
3.38 MILES
Joensuu’s most intriguing church is the wooden Orthodox church, built in 1887 with icons painted in St Petersburg during the late 1880s. Services are held…
3.63 MILES
Dominating the town centre, the art deco town hall was designed by Eliel Saarinen – the architect most famous for Helsinki’s train station – and completed…
Nearby Karelia attractions
2.27 MILES
Founded in 1957, Joensuu's botanic gardens contain over 600 plant species in four separate areas: desert, tropical, sub-tropical and temperate. Highlights…
2. Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
3.38 MILES
Joensuu’s most intriguing church is the wooden Orthodox church, built in 1887 with icons painted in St Petersburg during the late 1880s. Services are held…
3.41 MILES
The impressive collection at Joensuu’s art museum spans Chinese pieces, examples of Finnish modernism and an intriguing selection of Orthodox icons.
3.54 MILES
Themed displays – on the region’s prehistory, its war-torn past, the Karelian evacuation, the importance of the sauna etc – cover both sides of Karelia's…
3.62 MILES
Dating back over a century, these charming wooden buildings are some of the few remaining in Joensuu; some have been relocated here from other parts of…
3.63 MILES
Dominating the town centre, the art deco town hall was designed by Eliel Saarinen – the architect most famous for Helsinki’s train station – and completed…
28.45 MILES
Finland’s only Orthodox monastery is idyllically located on an island in Juojävi. Visitors are free to roam the site and enter the churches. The first…