Kuopio – a Lakeland harbour town

Summer market – a central hub

Kuopio’s Town Hall forms one side of the city’s central Market Square, a focus for the annual dance festival and a colourful, thriving source of fresh Finnish produce – vegetables, berries and mushrooms – over the summer months.

From fish to sauna mats

The Market Hall in Kuopio is a compact one-stop source of fresh fish, meat, bread, vegetables and other Finnish essentials – such as sauna items. Built in 1902, the quaint pink-painted building is one of the city’s longest-established, most iconic fixtures.

The market alley of Pikku-Pietari

Pikku-Pietari – a true hidden treasure of Kuopio – is situated in idyllic old stables just a few paces away from the Market Square. The log building includes a cafe, with its own terrace, charming shops which sell hand-made items and gifts, antiques and rural furniture. It is open from June to end to August.

The heart of Lakeland

The late summer sun gradually sinks over Puijo Tower and the nearby ski jumps. Kuopio’s easy-going, welcoming air crystallises the charms of the provincial Finnish summer.

Best views in Finland

The Puijo Tower, topped with a restaurant, offers fabulous views of the surrounding lake district. It is also the starting point for good summer trekking trails and ski routes in winter.

Magical winter

In winter the landscape is covered with a blanket of shimmering white snow.

Photo: Atacan Ergin

Lakeland passenger harbour

One of Kuopio’s main attractions as a summer destination is as a hop-on point for Lakeland cruises. During the peak season, as many as 20 daily cruises can be found on the expansive waters of Lake Kallavesi. Some of the passenger boats – such as MS Ukko – are built in the late 19th century and can carry almost 200 passengers. They are an impressive sight.

Lumberjack traditions preserved

Traditional log-rolling skills are demonstrated near the Jätkänkämppä logging lodge at Rauhalahti, some five kilometres from Kuopio.

kalakukko – Fish and pork at their best

Karelian pies are at their best from Hanna Partanen’s bakery in Kuopio, but the real speciality is kalakukko, a combination of vendace fish and pork baked in a rye bread crust and wrapped in foil. Kuopio is the spiritual home of this unique Finnish delicacy.

elegance away from the city

The elegant Koivumäki Manor Restaurant, 12 kilometres south of Kuopio, makes a pleasant excursion from the city. The family-run restaurant is a good place to sample local berry liqueurs made by Kuopio’s Lignell & Piispanen distillery.