LuontoVilkku showcases interesting local nature sites around Kuopio that are easily accessible by public transport or city bikes.
Currently, you can find our LuontoVilkku -stops in Väinölänniemi, Pölhö and Katiskaniemi. You can identify the stops by the LuontoVilkku -sign.
So, jump on board and head out to enjoy nature!
- Väinölänniemi - A taste of history in a famous urban park
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Väinölänniemi, more commonly known as Vänäri, is a large, recreational park and sports oasis that looks south towards the Kallavesi archipelago. It's just a five-minutes away from Kuopio's market square.
The history of Vänäri dates back more than 450 years to the founding of Kuopio. History of the park area dates to the mid-19th century, making Väinölänniemi one of the oldest parks in Finland and a nationally valuable cultural environment.
Landscape-wise, Väinölänniemi is special because of its long cape. The area offers views to the lake in many directions, and as far as Puijo.
On Vänäri you can visit historical monuments and buildings, traditional park landscapes, the coastal boulevard around the peninsula and the Peräniemi area, where the Peräniemi Casino is also located.
Väinölänniemi is easily accessible from the city center by bus number 1 or with Vilkku -city bikes.
- Pölhö - Island atmosphere within a short distance from the city center
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Pölhö is located along Saaristokatu, about 10-minute bus ride from the city center of Kuopio.
The island's nature consists mainly of light, mixed pine forest. Along the main path you will find some old decaying wood with kääpä -mushrooms.
Pölhö's beautiful rocky hills and high rocky shores can be explored along a nature trail of about one kilometer, with steps and wooden structures to make walking easier. You can also admire the island's nature on a 300 -meter path, which is accessible with an assistant.
There are many ways to spend your time on Pölhö, such as cooking in the barbecue shelter and at the fireplaces marked on the map, picking blueberries, admiring the lake scenery, or watching the diverse birdlife.
You can get to Pölho by buses 5 and 6.
- Katiskaniemi - In the peace of a nature reserve
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Katiskaniemi is located in Rauhalahti, about 25-minute bus ride from the center of Kuopio. It is a 14-hectare protected area, almost entirely a nature reserve.
The purpose of preservation is to protect the area's diverse forest habitat, deciduous vegetation, fauna, and landscape.
The nature trail in the Katiskaniemi area is a two-kilometers-long route, marked with signposts and landmarks, which winds along the shores of the area, through magnificent coppices and pines growing up from rocky outcrops. Along the way, you will find signposts with information on both the flora and fauna of the area.
In addition to the forest and lake landscapes, Katiskaniemi has traditional grazed landscapes, as well as a logger’s cabin dating from the 1950s, the Jätkänkämppä.
Katiskaniemi can be reached by bus 7 or with Vilkku -city bikes.
