Kuopio — a tourists' perspective | Finland beyond Helsinki and Lapland

Where is it?

Kuopio is a town around 400 km north of the Finnish capital Helsinki in the Northern Savonia region. This region is also called Lakeland due to the numerous lakes present here. Kuopio, the seemingly capital of Lakeland, almost seems like an island with water bodies on all sides.

How to reach?

Kuopio is connected to Helsinki by European route E63. Busses and trains are also available at regular intervals. Finnair flies in atleast once a day from Helsinki.

Where to stay?

Airbnb is a popular option to find accommodation here in Kuopio. There are quite a few hotels in the town. For budget or solo travellers, Hostel Hermanni and Hostel Matkustajakoti are also an option.

What to see?

  • Kuopion kauppahalli (kuopionkauppahalli.fi): This translates to market hall. It is a beautiful yellow building that represents the centre of the town. The hall and the surrounding areas used to be places where local farmers came to sell their produces. Even today, the hall offers some truly local products.
  • Kuopio city hall: Located just opposite kauppahalli at the city centre is another impressive old building built in the 1880s. It is currently the administrative centre of Kuopio. In 2009, the building was voted as one of the three most beautiful municipal buildings.
  • Kuopion tuomiokirkko: It is a stone Neoclassical-style Evangelical Lutheran church dating back to the early 1800s. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Kuopio.
  • Kuopio Museum Center (kuopionmuseo.fi): The Kuopio Museum of Cultural History, the Kuopio Museum of Natural History and the Kuopio Art Museum together form the Kuopio Museum Center. (Tip; if you plan to visit multiple museums in Finland over a period of upto one year, get a museum card to save on entry fee.)
  • Puijo tower (www.puijopeak.fi): The highest point of the town is the Puijo hill and on top of it sits the Puijo tower. One can get a panoramic view of Kuopio town and the lake that surrounds it. Apart from Google maps, this is where you can understand what Lakeland is all about. The tower also houses a cafe and a restaurant.
  • Kuopion korttelimuseo (kuopionkorttelimuseo.fi): If you are particularly interested in the lives of people of Northern Savo during the nineteenth and the early twentieth century, this is the place to be. The museum was created to preserve some of the old wooden buldings of the city. In fact, several buildings have been moved from other parts of the city to form this museum cluster. Among the eleven structures here, the oldest dates bact to late 1700s.
  • VB photographic center (vb-valokuvakeskus.fi): This was the first regional photographic centre in Finland. It hosts several national and international photographic exhibitions throughout the year.
  • RIISA-Orthodox Church Museum of Finland (www.ortodoksinenkirkkomuseo.fi/en/)
  • Kuopio automobile Museum (www.kuopionautomuseo.fi)

What to do?

  • Sauna: Finland is synonymous with the sauna. In Kuopio, the Kuopion Saana and Spa Hotel Rauhalahti offer public sauna. A more traditional smoke sauna is also available at Spa Hotel Rauhalahti.
  • Nature trails: In today's world where forests are inside cities, Kuopio is still a place surrounded by forest. It is said that there is a forest just 500m from your doorstep and that is true. The Finnish everyman's right allows anyone to explore this forest at any time provided they do not harm them. The nature trails are accessible throughout the year. Find maps and more info here.
  • Water sports: Being surrounded by water, Kuopio offers a variety of possible water sports including kayaking, rowing, SUP boarding, etc.
  • Cruise: During the summer months, one can explore Kallavesi on a cruise. The short cruises for about two hours take a trip around the archipelago. Longer cruises all the way to Savonlinna are also available from Kuopio.
  • Skating and skiing: In winter when the lake freezes, Kuopio hosts the Finland ice marathon - one of the first ice-skating events on a natural rink. About 12 km of track for skating and skiing are maintained on the lake. Apart from this, there is a wide network of skiing tracks within the city with the Puijo area being one of the favourites. A map of maintained ski tracks can be found here.
  • Snowboarding: Kasurila, 18 km from the city centre is a snowboarding destination. It can be easily reached by bus 31, 35 and 40.

Equipment rentals for outdoor activities

Where to eat?

The region of Northern Savonia and Kuopio has been adjudged the tastiest province in Europe for the year 2020-21. So there is no dearth food to try. The market square and kauppahalli is the best place to start experiencing the food Kuopio has to offer. Especially during summer, the market square is is filled with numerous eateries offering the best of Kuopio. Yet when asked about what is unique to Kuopio, you might be directed to Kalakukko. This is a fish rooster. Apart from this muiku fritter, deep fried small fish rom the surrounding lakes is also a great snack option. Another place to try local food would be the Puijo tower restaurant. According to its website, they source all their raw materials from the area that is within the range of sight of the tower.

How to get around?

Kuopio is a really small town where you can get around walking or cycling. Separate pedestrian cum cycle paths are available throughout the town. During summer, app-based cycle rent is available for the commute. If you are not fond of either of these or have to cover a longer distance, public buses are the best option. Hop-on-hop-off bus and ferry connecting the major sites in Kuopio operate in summer. Last but not the least, taxis are available on call or through app booking.

Next stop?

Check out my clicks from Kuopio on Instagram

If you are a history buff, you might also be interested in some before and now pics from kuopio. Click here to see them.

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