Places to Visit in Jakobstad (Pietarsaari), Finland, Europe

Places to Visit in Jakobstad (Pietarsaari), Finland, Europe

Jakobstad or Pietarsaari (Finnish) is a town and municipality in the region of Ostrobothnia in Finland covering a total area of 396.25 square Kilometers.

The major landmarks in Jakobstad include:

  • Chicory Museum
  • Jakobstad City Hall
  • Jakobstad Museum
  • The Skolparken Botanical Garden

 

Geography of Jakobstad:

Jakobstad is geographically positioned between 63°40′ N latitude and 022°42′ E longitude, about 475 km north-northwest of the national capital, Helsinki.

 

History of Jakobstad:

Ebba Brahe (wife of the military commander Jacob De la Gardie) was the founder of Jakobstad, founded in 1652 and the literal meaning of the name of Jakobstad in the Swedish language is ‘Jacob’s Town’ or Jacob’s City. Jakobstad was one of the major trading centers in Finland during the 18th century.

 

Connectivity to Jakobstad:

Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport is serving with good air connectivity to Jakobstad and other neighboring cities and towns by by Flybe Nordic with scheduled flights to Helsinki. It is located around 30 km away from the centre of Jakobstad.

There are buses regularly available at the airport or tourists can take taxi for comfort journey.

Also the town of Jakobstad is available with many travel agencies that offer car or bike for rent on hour and day basis. It is advised for tourists to book vehicles prior to reach the town.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Jakobstad:

Football is a very popular sport in Jakobstad and also the town is home to many museums, theatres and churches. Jakobstad is the birth place of many renowned artists, poets and novelists including Johan Ludvig Runeberg and Joanna Linden.

There are shops plenty in Jakobstad and the major food corners in Jakobstad include:

  • Musikcafe After Eight
  • Asian Garden
  • Saigon Diner
  • Faboda cafe & kitchen

 

Things to do in Jakobstad:

  • Visiting parks, churches and museums
  • Shopping
  • Walking

 

Tourist Attractions in Jakobstad:

Jakobstad City Hall:

Jakobstad City Hall was initially constructed in 1875 and the current structure of the building dates back to 1890.

 

Jakobstad Museum:

Jakobstad Museum showcases on the ship building and maritime history of Jakobstad. It was built in 1904 and Malmska Garden is the major structure of the museum.

 

The botanical garden Skolparken:

Being an identity of Jakobstad, the botanical garden Skolparken is famous for its classical park architecture and is home to around 1,000 different plant species. The formation of the garden began in 1915 and was finished in 1932, funded by the Schauman family. The famous Finnish garden architect Bengt Schalin was the designer of the garden.

 

Other places of interest in and around Jakobstad include:

  • Galeas Jacobstads Wapen
  • The Arctic museum Nanoq
  • Chicorymuseum
  • Skata
  • Aspegrens Rosenlund
  • The Evangelical-Lutheran Church
  • K H Renlund Museum
  • Tankar Island
  • Natural History Collection Kieppi
  • Kaarlelan kotiseutumuseo
  • Bloomit Kokkola
  • Vanha kaupunki
  • Museum of History in Kokkola
  • The Toivonen Animal Park and Peasant Museum
  • Old Wooden Town Kokkola

 

Ideal time to visit Jakobstad:

From June to September is the ideal time to travel Jakobstad to enjoy different outdoor activities and to visit historical sites.

 

Accommodation options in Jakobstad:

There are fewer well known hotels in Jakobstad, so, tourists can reach neighboring Kokkola town to enjoy better hospitality services. In below list, the first 5 accommodation centers in Jakobstad and the remaining options are in Kokkola (around 40 km):

  • Jugend Guest Home
  • Stadshotellet
  • Hotel Epoque
  • Westerlund’s Inn
  • Hotel Vega
  • Hostel Lilja
  • BEST WESTERN Hotel Kokkola
  • Finlandia Hotel Seurahuone
  • Hotelli Nukkumatti
  • Original Sokos Hotel Kaarle
  • Sokos Hotel Kaarle
  • Lomakyla Trullevi
  • Villa Juliaana
  • Picante Hostel
  • Jugend Home Hotel

Tourist Places to Visit in Kokkola, Finland, Europe

Tourist Places to Visit in Kokkola, Finland, Europe

Kokkola is a city as well as municipality belonging to the province of Western Finland in the Central Ostrobothnia region. The Chydenius-Institution of Kokkola is the prime educational institution and the chemical industry is the major pillar of Kokkola’s economy.

 

Geography of Kokkola:

Kokkola is placed on the coast of Gulf of Bothnia, around 120 km southwest of Vaasa, 200 km northeast of Oulu and 485 km south of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Kokkola coordinates with 63°50.2′ N latitude and 023°08′ E longitude.

 

History of Kokkola:

The literal meaning of Kokkola is ‘place of eagle’ or ‘place of bonfire’ which is derived from the two Finnish words, ‘Kokko’ denotes white-tailed eagle and bonfire and ‘la’ meaning place.  Surrounding Kaarlela municipality merged with Kokkola municipality in 1977 and other three municipalities Lohtaja, Kalvia and Ullava merged into Kokkola in the year 2009. Currently the municipality of Kokkola spans over a total area of 2,730.81 square kilometers.

 

How to reach Kokkola?

Kokkola is served by Kruunupyy Airport which is situated about 20 kilometers from the heart of Kokkola and has scheduled flights to the national capital Helsinki and seasonal flights to major holiday destinations in Europe.

Kokkola is directly connected with Helsinki by train, served by Pendolino train which takes around 4 hours.

Kokkola is located on the European route E8 as it receives frequent buses from the different regions of the country.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kokkola:

Kokkola houses the internationally recognized Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra which performs in Kokkola and other regions of the country and in foreign too. Juha Kangas was the founder of this orchestra, founded in 1972.

Kokkola is home to both larger shopping centers and small traditional shops and market. Other than traditional dishes, the restaurants in Kokkola offer different Mexican and Chinese eateries.

The prime food corners in Kokkola are listed below:

  • Opetusravintola Kokkolinna
  • Vohvelikahvila ja Taideleipomo
  • Vanhankaupungin Ravintola
  • Ravintola Wanha Lyhty

 

What to do in Kokkola?

  • Swimming
  • Hockey
  • Wall-climbing
  • Ice-skating
  • Bowling
  • Festival celebrations

 

Tourist Attractions in Kokkola:

K H Renlund Museum:

K H Renlund Museum conducts some typical cultural shows and also home to the museum shop. This museum is dedicated to Karl Herman Renlund who contributed his important art collection to Kokkola town.

 

Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Kaarlela:

The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Kaarlela is a major landmark as well as tourist attraction in Kokkola, with history dating back to 1550 and is also the major site for concerts and weddings. Tourists can also find local history museum next to the church that boasts a tannery, a threshing barn and a tannery.

 

Tankar Island:

Located about 18 km from Kokkola, Tankar Island is home to a white lighthouse, a bird-watching tower, a museum and many accommodation options as well. It can be reachable by ferry m/s Jenny.

 

List of other places of interest in Kokkola includes:

  • Pedagogio
  • Natural History Collection Kieppi
  • Vanha kaupunki
  • Museum of History
  • Kaarlelan kotiseutumuseo
  • Fire museum
  • Old Wooden Town
  • Bloomit Kokkola
  • The Toivonen Animal Park and Peasant Museum

 

Best time to visit Kokkola:

Generally the winter months are best to travel Kokkola while the different outdoor activities such as skiing, ice hockey and ice skating tourists can enjoy.

 

Accommodation options in Kokkola:

Kokkola is a pleasant city housing plenty of well facilitated accommodation centers that welcomes tourists from the different regions of the globe throughout the year. Internet connectivity, conference hall, doctor on call, AC, food on request and 24 hour room service are some common facilities available in the hotels of Kokkola. The prominent hotels in Kokkola are as follows:

  • BEST WESTERN Hotel Kokkola
  • Original Sokos Hotel Kaarle
  • Finlandia Hotel Seurahuone
  • Hotelli Nukkumatti
  • Villa Juliaana
  • Picante Hostel
  • Hiskiantupa
  • Haapakallio
  • Jugend Home Hotel
  • Sokos Hotel Kaarle
  • B&B Lumitähti
  • Suntinsuu camping
  • Lomakylä Trullevi

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kittila, Finland, Europe

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kittila, Finland, Europe

Kittila is a municipality in the region of Lapland in the northern Finland covering a total area of 8,262.67 square kilometers. It is a famous holiday resort (Levi) offers downhill and cross-country skiing and snow shoeing which draws adventure sport lovers from all around the country. Kalervo Palsa, Reidar Sarestoniemi, Reijo Raekallio and Einari Junttila are the famous artists from Kittila.

 

Geography of Kittila:

Kittila is geographically positioned between 67°39′ N latitude and 024°54.5′ E longitude, around 975 km north of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Kittila experienced the lowest recorded temperature in the history of Finland, 51.5 °C.

 

How to reach Kittila?

Kittila is served by its own airport which is located around 6 km from the town centre and has scheduled flights to Helsinki and Ivalo and seasonal flights to Zurich, Manchester,  Copenhagen, Paris, Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Newcastle and many other major European destinations.

The major airlines serve Kittila Airport include Edelweiss Air, Finnair, Thomson Airways, Transavia.com France, Scandinavian Airlines and Jet2.com.

There are buses regularly leaving the airport to the centre of Kittila and taxis are also available. Also the coach services are accessible from the rest of Finland during high season. Booking private vehicles through online will be better.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kittila:

Kittila is rich in culture and is the hometown of many renowned artists, musicians and novelists such as Arto Paasilinna, Jari Kujala, Reidar Särestöniemi and Einari Junttila.

Kittila houses both traditional and modern shopping centers and most of them accept cards for tourists’ convenience. List of the major food corners in Kittila is as follows:

  • Levin Panimon Kellari
  • Saamen Kammi
  • Arran
  • KingCrab House
  • Kahvila-konditoria Herkkutupa

 

What to do in Kittila?

  • Canterbury Tales – Day Tour
  • Hiking
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Shopping

 

What to see in Kittila?

The ski resort Levi:

The ski resort Levi is the identity of Kittila located on Levi Fell which hosts slalom event offering different skiing and snowboarding activities for tourists in the winter months and hiking in the summer months.

 

Kittila Town Hall:

Situated at Valtatie 15 in the heart of the town, Kittilan Kunnantalo or Kittila Town Hall is open for tourists from 8.00 to 11.00 and 11.45 to 16.00. Tourists can get local maps and tips for outdoor activities at information desk of the town hall.

 

Levi Husky Park:

Levi Husky Park or Kittilan Kunnantalo is home to a wide range of animals such as Arctic foxes, spits dogs, rein deer and Siberian Huskies. Tourists are allowed between 11:00 – 16:00. Take guided tours for easy exploration.

 

List of other places of interest in and around Kittila include:

  • Wolverine Fell Wilderness and Nature
  • Gold Prospector Museum
  • Keski-Luosto
  • Santa Claus Village
  • Rovaniemi Church
  • Pilke Science Centre
  • Ounasvaaran Hiihtokeskus Oy
  • Korundi House of Culture
  • Lapland Forestry Museum
  • Rovaniemi Local History Museum

 

Ideal time to visit Kittila:

Throughout the year is best to visit Kittila, especially the winter months are ideal to trip Kittila to enjoy skiing and snowboarding.

 

Where to stay in Kittila?

Kittila is home to plenty of accommodation centers welcoming tourists with different facilities and services throughout the year. It is advised for tourists to book hotel rooms well in advance to avoid difficulty in getting hotel during peak season as per their requirement and budget. The major hotels in and around Kittila are as follows:

  • Hotel Kittila
  • Lainio Holidays
  • Guesthouse Golden Goose
  • Kittilan Lomamokit
  • Villa Pirkkalinna
  • Huoneisto a 8
  • Huoneisto a 7
  • Casa levi
  • Immelkotsa 7 e
  • Valkonen pohjonen b
  • Kätkänlinna a1
  • Villa satumaa
  • Hotel K5 Levi
  • Crazy Reindeer Hotel
  • Lapland Hotel Sirkka Star
  • Sokos Hotel Levi
  • Hotel Levi Panorama

Kitee Tourist Places to Visit in Kitee, Finland, Europe

Kitee Tourist Places to Visit in Kitee, Finland, Europe

Kitee is a town as well as municipality in the province of Eastern Finland in North Karelia region in Finland, located about 185 km northeast of the provincial capital, Mikkeli and 400 km northeast of the national capital, Helsinki. Beautifully constructed Kitee Church is the major landmark as well as tourist attraction in Kitee.

Kitee is the hometown of many renowned artists such as Tuomas Holopainen (songwriter and keyboardist), Jukka Nevalainen (drummer), Emppu Vuorinen (guitarist), Tarja Turunen (vocalist) and Sami Vanska (bassist). Because of its licit and illicit moonshine manufacturing, Kitee is generally called as the ‘Moonshine city of Finland’.

 

Geography of Kitee:

Lying between 62°06′ N latitude and 030°08′ E longitude, Kitee is spread over an area of 1,141.31 square kilometers.

 

How to reach Kitee?

Flybe Nordic and Joensuu Airport with flights to Helsinki, catered by Finnair are the closest airports to Kitee, located about 85 km and 80 km from the heart of Kitee respectively.

There are buses and taxis generally available at the airport; otherwise tourists can take rental vehicles for comfort journey.

Kitee is connected to its neighboring cities and towns by both luxury and general bus services, served by many prominent bus companies.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kitee:

Kitee is the birthplace of several famous artists such as Emppu Vuorinen, Jukka Nevalainen, Tuomas Holopainen and Tarja Turunen.

Shops are fewer in Kitee compared to other towns of Finland, so tourists can reach nearby Savonlinna or Joensuu for more comfort. Pajonka is a restaurant in Kitee offering pizza & pastas.

 

What to do in Kitee?

  • Visiting historical sites and churches
  • Hiking
  • Shopping

 

Tourist Attractions in Kitee:

Kitee Church:

Kitee Church is a major religious site in Kitee known for the grand construction with beautiful architecture. It is also very well known among surrounding regions for its holiness.

 

Medieval Olavinlinna:

St. Olaf’s Castle or Olavinlinna is the medieval period castle which was constructed by Danish knight Erik Axelsson in the year in 1475 to defend Swedish-Danish Kalmar Union’s eastern border. It derives its name from the patron saint of knights, St. Olaf and the castle is home to Castle Museum and Orthodox Museum. St. Olaf’s Castle is located in Savonlinna, around 85 km away from Kitee.

 

World biggest wooden church:

Situated about 60 km away from Kitee, the biggest wooden church in the world is located in Kerimaki which is a must see site. Don’t miss it.

 

List of other places of interest in Kitee includes:

  • Savonlinna Provincial Museum
  • Art Centre Retretti
  • Lusto – Finnish Forest Museum
  • Linnansaari National Park
  • Kirkkoniemen Kellotapuli
  • Savonlinna Cathedral
  • Pikkukirkko
  • The Bunker museum
  • The North Karelian Museum
  • The central church of Joensuu
  • Evangelical-Lutheran Church
  • Botanical Garden and Tropical Butterfly Garden in Joensuu
  • Joensuu City Hall
  • Orthodox Church in Joensuu

 

Best time to visit Kitee:

Kitee can be visited throughout the year, especially the summer months (June to August) are best to travel Kitee.

 

Accommodation options in Kitee:

Well facilitated hotels are less in numbers in Kitee but it houses many vacation rentals that are good in facility and budget. Tourists can also reach nearby cities for better hospitality services. The prominent hotels in and around Kitee include:

  • BEST WESTERN Hotel Kievari Kitee
  • Hotel Kiteenhovi
  • Keskimökki
  • Laitamokki
  • Aurinkoniemi
  • Majavamokit
  • Aurinkoniemi
  • Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
  • Hotel-Restaurant Aada
  • Summer Hotel Elli
  • Scouts’ Youth Hostel
  • Original Sokos Hotel Kimmel
  • Apartementos Joensuu
  • Finnhostel Joensuu
  • Holiday Linnunlahti
  • Karelia Cottages Oy
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