Scenic central Pieksämäki

Pieksämäki is a city in South Savonia province, Eastern Finland.

• Tourist information, Tallikankaankatu 3, ☏ +358 44-588-2219, info@pieksamaki.fi. (updated Jun 2016)

Get in

By train

Pretty much the only reason a traveller is likely to end up in Pieksämäki in the first place is that it's a major train junction where the Jyväskylä-Joensuu and Kouvola-Kuopio lines meet. The town can thus be reached by direct train from virtually all of Finland's main cities: Helsinki (3 hrs), Tampere (2 hrs) and Turku (4 hrs).

Get around

It's under 500 meters on foot from Pieksämäki railway station to the market square. Local bus is available. Matka.fi route planner includes timetables of Pieksämäki local buses.

By taxi

• Smartphone app: Valopilkku

See

Old church.

• 1 Savo railway museum (Savon radan museo), Ratakatu 8, ☏ +358 15 613-838, perinnekerho@savonradanmuseo.fi. 6 June–8 August M–F 12:00–18:00, Sa–Su 12:00–16:00; 13–28 August Sa–Su 12:00–16:00. The museum is in the former station building from 1889. It tells about life and work at the Savo railway line. Ask for guiding (free). €3/2/2. (updated Jun 2016)
• 2 Pieksämäki Parish Old Church and belfry, Kirkkotie 31, ☏ +358 50-381-9642. In 2016 weekends only. Wooden church, one of the oldest churches in eastern Finland, built 1753 (belfry from 1746). 18th century paintings by Mikael Toppelius. In 2016, until 30.9, the church is being painted and only the interior can be seen. (updated Jun 2016)

Do

Festivals

• Savonsolmu Beach & Blues Party: 7–6 July 2018. Blues, jazz and roots rock at Hotel Savonsolmu in Pieksamäki. (date needs updating)

Buy

Freshly fried muikku at Pieksämäki

If you have half an hour or more to kill at Pieksämäki, make your way to the market (signposted as Tori), where in summer you'll find vendors of berries, freshly cooked vendace (muikku), and more. There's also a large S-Market supermarket right next to the market.