Parikkala is a municipality in South Karelia, in Southern Finland.

Understand

Orthodox chapel in Parikkala

Parikkala is a municipality located in southeastern Finland, near the border with Russia. It has a population of around 5,500 (as of 2021) and covers an area of 850 km². The municipality is known for its natural beauty, including numerous lakes and forests.

Parikkala is primarily an agricultural municipality, with crops such as barley, wheat, oats, and potatoes being grown. Livestock farming is also common, with cows, pigs, and chickens being raised. Forestry is another important industry in the municipality, with many residents working in the logging and paper industries.

Tourism is a growing sector in Parikkala, with visitors attracted to the municipality's natural beauty and outdoor activities.

Get in

1 Parikkala railway station is located in the municipality centre. There are direct train connections to Parikkala railway station from Joensuu, Helsinki and Savonlinna from the municipality's central station.

Highway 6 from Helsinki to Joensuu passes by it, and highway 14 leading to Juva via Savonlinna branches off from it in Parikkala.

Onnibus offers bus service from Tampere and Turku.

Parikkala's nearest airport is 60 km away in Savonlinna.

Get around

Parikkala has a dial-a-ride service.

By taxi

• Smartphone apps: 02 Taksi, Valopilkku

See

Parikkala Church is one of the peculiar wooden double-cross churches called kahtamoinen in Eastern Finland.

• 1 Parikkala Church (Parikkalan kirkko), Kirkkokatu 1 (in the southern part of the centre of Parikkala). (updated Jul 2024)
• the Orthodox tsasouna (1979)
• Koitsanlahten Hovi
• Eastern Finland Dairy Museum
• Honkakylä Trade Museum
• Ateljee-koti Saukkonen
• 2 Parikkala Sculpture Park, along Valtatie 6. A somewhat eerie park with 550 sculptures by Veijo Rönkkönen.  

Parikkala's most significant natural attractions are Siikalahti, famous for its birds on Lake Simpelijärvi, and Mykkiin kivit, in the village of Kesusmaa, which is a rare large group of huge boulders.

In 2015, a 160-cm-tall Maiden statue cast in bronze was unveiled in the Municipal Centre. It was erected in the market area along Parikkalantie, where it looks towards Lake Simpeläirve. The statue was designed by artist Marjaana Tykkyläinen from Rautjärvi with the help of Jyrki Roivainen, Kirsi Siponen and Tuomas Huhtakallio.

Do

Siikalahti Wetland

• 1 Siikalahti Wetland (2.5 km east of the centre, reachable from the centre by car, foot or bike along Kaukolantie, or by ski along the Siikalahti track starting at Kaukolantie in the centre), ☏ +358 20-639-5929 (Saimaa Nature Centre Riihisaari). The birdwatching season is from April into October; spring migration peak is early to middle May. Nature reserve; Finland’s most valuable inland bird wetland, a significant bird wetland also internationally. The area is an overgrown bay of the lake Simpelejärvi. It has a 1-km nature trail, birdwatching towers and a tent site. Bring binoculars.  

About 70 bird species nest in the area. Some 100 species can be seen in a single day, some 200 can be seen sometimes during the year. Spending the night here, you can hear the chorus of nocturnal songsters.

Kaukolantie with the Lintuinmaa biking route lead from the centre through the area. The Siikalahti skiing track leads to the southern end of the area (3 km) and circles the southern part of the area, via the information hut (6 km).

There are two parking areas by the road. The nature trail starts from the main one and leads by the Siikalahti Nature Information Hut. When it is closed, information can be got from Saimaa Nature Centre Riihisaari. The trail has duckboards, birdwatching platforms and a birdwatching hide. The small tent site is by the nature hut: well (water to be boiled before drinking; bring water in dry summers), cooking shelter, picnic table, toilet by the road, no other services. The other parking is on the dam and has a birdwatching platform.

Camping in the area is restricted to the tent site. Drone flying is subject to specific permissions. Keep to the marked routes. Dogs must be on a leash.

The toilet at the main parking is accessible by wheelchair, as is the platform at the other parking.

Sleep

• 1 Oronmylly, Oronmyllyntie 250, ☏ +358 400 793 441, toimisto@oronmylly.fi. Hostel class accommodation. single €60, double €90. (updated Nov 2022)