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We've compiled the best of the best in Kuopio - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
The Orthodox Church Museum possesses one of the most interesting and unusual collections of its kind. When parts of Karelia (the eastern province of Finland) were ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II, religious art was taken out of the monasteries and brought to Kuopio. The collection is eclectic and includes one of the most beautiful icon collections in the world, as well as embroidered church textiles.
Called maailman napa—the belly button of the world—by locals, Kuopio's Market Square should be one of your first stops, as it hosts one of the most colorful outdoor markets in Finland. Try the famous kalakukko (fish and bacon baked in a rye crust). Kuopio's tourist office is nearby. The Market Hall, founded in 1902, is likewise one of the liveliest in the country and is decorated with stucco images of pigs, cows, and squirrels.
The slender, 75-meter-tall tower, 3 km (2 miles) northwest of Kuopio, is best visited at sunset, when the lakes shimmer with reflected light. It has two observation decks and is crowned by a café, bar, and revolving restaurant with truly marvelous panoramic views of the lakes spreading in all directions.
Traditional lumberjack evenings take place at the Jätkänkämppä log lodge on the expansive lakeside grounds of the Rauhalahti Spa Hotel on Tuesday throughout the year and also on Thursday in the summer. These feature live accordion music, dancing, and a delicious buffet as well as log-rolling demonstrations on the lake (weather permitting). Nearby is the world’s biggest smoke sauna, with capacity for 70 bathers at one time.
If you were fascinated by the treasures in the Orthodox Church Museum, you'll want to visit the Orthodox Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi, between Varkaus and Joensuu. The original Valamo monastery remains on the Russian side of the border on islands in Lake Ladoga in what used to be Finland, but monks were transferred to these newer premises in the midst of turmoil after World War II. As a major center for Russian Orthodox religious and cultural life in Finland, the monastery church hosts daily services and is especially lively and well-frequented at Easter when important services are held. Precious 18th-century icons and sacred objects are housed in the main church and in the icon conservation center. The Orthodox library is the most extensive in Finland and is open to visitors, as is the absorbing museum containing ecclesiastical artifacts and photographs. A café-restaurant is on the grounds, and modest guesthouse and hostel accommodations are available (book ahead).
