What to do and see in Ilomantsi, North Karelia: The Best Things to do

Karelian cultural idiosyncrasies come together in Parppeinvaara Rune Singer's Village, Ilomantsi: kantele music, handicraft, orthodoxy and traditional food. On display in Parppeinvaara are also war history and Ilomantsi’s nature and its animals. The Rune Singer’s House , museum buildings of Mateli Kuivalatar and Korhonen, Border Major General Raappana’s Cottage, All Saints Chapel, Mesikkä Animal Museum and Restaurant Parppeinpirtti are all located in Parppeinvaara.

In the nightless nights of the Finnish summer, in pure silence - far from busy city lives - enjoying the safeness, clean climate and clean waters, river Koitajoki and lake Koitere offer great opportunities for both short and longer canoeing trips. Diverse nature in Ilomantsi range from pine-clad esker ridges to bald swamp. These waters have had important role for our farther and generations before him, by providing fish to eat and a mean to transfer wood and other big items, before the roads, trains and trucks existed in this rural area. Now these waters offer wilderness and quiet environment for visitors to be with nature. Both Koitere and Koitajoki are suitable even for the more inexperienced paddlers, and are also perfect for fishing.

Finland’s easternmost village, Möhkö, is situated next to Koitajoki River in Ilomantsi. The entire village was originally founded around one of Finland’s largest lake iron ore ironworks. Möhkö’s unique cultural environment includes buildings, the remnants of industrial history, memories of war history, non-indigenous plants brought in by the war and beautiful nature. The ironworks also has a unique restored canal system restored. There is the cafe, Möhkön Manta, situated in the old residential barge. Lemmenpolku (Path of Love) meanders on the vast compounds of the ironworks. The path leads travellers to Lotinankoski Rapids and Möhkö’s Aboretum.