Iisalmi
Iisalmi is a city in North Savonia.
Map of Iisalmi
Understand
Formerly a fairly important railway junction, nowadays Iisalmi is probably mostly associated with the Olvi brewery and its products.
Get in
By plane
Iisalmi doesn't have an airport, the closest ones are in Kuopio and Kajaani, 80 km south and north, respectively.
By train
Trains on the line between Kuopio and Kajaani, including trains from Helsinki to Kajaani, stop at Iisalmi.
By bus
Buses along highway 5 stop in Iisalmi.
By car
As with most other towns in Finland, arriving by car is always an option.
Get around
See
- 1 Olvi brewery museum (Olvi Panimomuseo), Luuniementie 2. Mo-Fr 10AM-3PM. One of Finland's largest breweries, Olvi, is situated in Iisalmi. They have a museum where you can learn about beer and soft drink manufacturing. free.
- 2 Koljonvirta. A strait a few kilometers northeast of the city centre connecting lakes Iso-Ii and Porovesi. The bridge over Koljonvirta was the site of a battle between Swedish and Russian forces during the Napoleonic wars in 1808.
Do
- 1 Runni Spa, in Runni village (20 km west of central Iisalmi). Healthy baths and outdoor activities in one of the oldest spas still in use in Finland.
Buy
Eat
- 1 Ravintola Olutmestari, Veikonkatu 1. Beer restaurant next to the harbour and near the Olvi brewery. In the summer you can also eat at Ravintola Kuappi, a small yellow cottage on their yard that reportedly is the smallest restaurant in the world with a table for two — unsurprisingly you need to reserve beforehand.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Sokos Hotel Koljonvirta, Savonkatu 18, ☏ +358 10 7856 100, fax: +358 17 812 012, sales.iisalmi@sokoshotels.fi. Like any hotel in the Sokos chain, this is an upper mid-range hotel downtown. Average rooms with tv, private bathrooms, some rooms have their own small sauna. The hotel has a restaurant and a couple of places to drink. rates from €140 including breakfast.
- Runni Spa, mentioned in the Do section, is also a hotel.