Kuopio

Boat Cruise on Lake Kallavesi

Boat cruises

The cruise season spans May to the end of August. During the busiest season, there are over 20 boat cruises from the passenger harbour. The newest local cruise route takes you through the Saaristokaupunki ("City on the Islands") section of the city with its beautiful bridges and scenery. Saaristokaupunki hosted the Housing Fair in the summer of 2010.

Hop onboard a cruise ship and enjoy a trip to the Alahovi Vineyard to get a taste of berry wines. Or perhaps you would like to experience an old-fashioned Finnish evening at the Jätkänkämppä Lumberjack Lodge near the Spa Hotel Rauhalahti, or hike and swim on the Hietasalo island.

The traditional MS Puijo sails along the magnificent 172 km long Heinävesi Route from Kuopio to Savonlinna, famous for its annual Opera Festival. The route passes through six historic lock and open canals.

The Kuopio Wine Festival

Culture and summer events

The annual Kuopio Dance Festival in June is the largest and oldest dance festival in the Nordic countries. It features both Finnish and international performers, offering a cornucopia of modern dance, classical ballet, folk dance and music from all around the world.

The Kuopio Wine Festival in the passenger harbour is the largest annual festival in Kuopio. This June-July celebration introduces a wine country of choice with wine, food and music.

The ANTI Contemporary Art Festival in September showcases international site-specific works created for public spaces.

Kuopio is full of history with nine museums, and is the home of the VB Photographic Centre. The Orthodox Church Museum of Finland is one of a kind in the whole of Europe. The Old Kuopio Museum is a charming city block of old wooden houses, introducing Finnish living and workshops from the 1800s to the 1930s.

Finland Ice Marathon

Winter recreation and events

In February-March, Kuopio opens up its ice-covered lakes for skating. The international Finland Ice Marathon skating event in February attracts thousands of skating enthusiasts, both for fitness and competition, on the ice of Lake Kallavesi.

In March, the Puijo Ridge hosts the World Cup ski jumping competition. You simply cannot visit the Puijo region without trying Nordic skiing: the city features hundreds of kilometres of maintained skiing tracks, and 40 kilometres of them crisscross this region.

Other popular winter activities Kuopio offers for you to experience include downhill skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and snowshoeing.