Rautalampi
Rautalampi is in North Savonia. Its vast forests and numerous lakes make it a very beautiful area.
Understand
[edit]
Rautalampi is the west-most village in Eastern Finland. It has about 3,500 inhabitans. In the summer there is a significant increase in the population as people come to their summer cottages. The whole municipality can be travelled around by water and also the town centre is surrounded by lakes.
Rautalampi has a rich cultural history; many authors, musicians and artists, such as the Finlandia Prize awarded author Kari Hotakainen, have their roots in Rautalampi.
- Tourist Information, Kuopiontie 13, ☏ +358 40-647-5277.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]The nearest railway station is in Suonenjoki about 20 km east of Rautalampi. There is a bus connection from there.
By plane
[edit]The nearest airports are Rissala in Kuopio, 70 km north-east of Rautalampi and Tikkakoski (near Jyväskylä) 90 km south-west of Rautalampi.
By car
[edit]National road 9 between Jyväskylä and Kuopio passes near the town.
By boat
[edit]The Rautalampi waterway (draught 2.4 m, height 5.5 m) from Pielavesi to Laukaa, connected to Päijänne, passes through the municipality, at Kiesimä, Kerkonkoski and Vaajasalmi. Konnekoski is reachable from it by an official boating route (1.8 m).
The parish village is surrounded by lakes of the Rautalampi route, but the navigable waterway bypasses it by the Kiesimä Canal by the village Kiesimä, also part of the municipality. The parish village is still reachable by canoe from Konnekoski and Vaajasalmi.
The Rautalampi route is suggested as a national water route because of its beauty and the combination of wilderness-like landscapes with old parish villages and cultural landscapes. Because of this (and the popularity of boating overall), there are significant services for boaters and canoeists along the route, including on side trips.
Konnekoski lies on southern Konnevesi, 7 km from the parish village by road or by canoe, over 1 Hankavesi. Most islands in southern Konnevesi (south of the bridges of road 69) belong to Southern Konnevesi National Park (see Do below).
Kerkonkoski and Vaajasalmi lie on Niinivesi, 18 and 11 km from the parish village by road
Get around
[edit]Public transportation is only available on the main roads. To get around and see something else than the main village, a car or bike is strongly recommended.
By taxi
[edit]- Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi
See
[edit]
- 1 Rautalampi Lutheran Church, Kirkkotie 4. The church of Rautalampi is one of the biggest wooden churches in northern Europe. It was designed by C.A. Engel, who also designed the cathedral and many other buildings in Helsinki.
- 2 Rautalampi Museum, Kuopiontie 26. The Rautalampi Museum hosts an extraordinarily wide collection – over 50,000 objects and recordings – giving a good overview of local history. There are also changing exhibitions.
- 3 Orthodox Church, Nikolaoksentie 1. After World War II, a lot of Karelian evacuees have treasured the Orthodox tradition in Rautalampi. The church building, sacralized to honour Saint Nicholas the Worker, is near the library.
- Mansions. There are expectionally many old mansions in Rautalampi. Most of them are now privately owned, but you can find a restaurant on reservation in both the Ropola Mansion and the Korhola Mansion. Korhola also offers B & B.
- Liimattanharju Esker. Road number 543 winds from the town centre of Rautalampi all the way to Kerkonkoski. This beautiful scenic route runs between four lakes on Liimattalanharju esker.
Do
[edit]- 1 Riding school, Palolahdentie 25, ☏ +358 40 0507189. Rautalampi has a riding high-school, the only one in Finland.
- 2 The library, Rautalammintie 4. Rautalampi Library serves tourists and local residents. Besides normal library services there are WiFi and computers with free internet connection available. A local speciality is the Finnskog collection of Forest Finns (the king had Finns from the Finnish forests move across the Gulf of Bothnia to put those forests to use).
- 3 Sahala Health Manor (Elämysten ja Ystävyyden kartano), Sahalantie 41, ☏ +358 40 838 5599, info@sahalaherbs.fi.
- 4 Kalakuja Beach, Kalakuja 10.
Southern Konnevesi National Park
[edit]2 Southern Konnevesi National Park (Etelä-Konneveden kansallispuisto), ☏ +358 20-639-5270 (M–F 09:00–15:00), sisasuomi@metsa.fi. The park covers most of southern Konnevesi, which is shared with Rautalampi's neighbour to the west, Konnevesi. Part of the park is on the large islands between Hankavesi and Konnevesi, reachable by car via Konnekoski. 
The park features open waters and labyrinths of rugged islands and offers possibilities for canoeing and boating as well as hiking. The trails are often steep and rugged, but a not-so-smooth 300-m trail is accessible by assisted wheelchair in season (ask for the lock code to access the parking) and there is an accessible jetty on Lapinsalo far out in Konnevesi.
Suggested canoeing routes range from 3 to 20 km, hiking trails likewise.
The information boards at the parking lots are in Finnish and English.
Camping is allowed according to the Right to access in the Nordic countries, but camping by infrastructure, such as cooking shelters, is recommended. Some of the shelters are suitable for overnight stay. Bring your own toilet paper. Water from lakes and rivers should be boiled before consumption.
There is firewood at the rest spots of the park. At most of them it needs to be chopped (saw and axe provided). There are also rest spots on adjacent protected private or municipal land, where you mostly should bring your own. Carry out your waste (small amounts of clean paper can be burnt, food scraps can be put in the composing toilets).
Events
[edit]- Runon ja laulun Rautalampi. Culture event in June.
- Pestuumarkkinat. Pestuumarkkinat market fair is Rautalampi's biggest annual event. It is held during the second weekend of September.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Artteli, Kuopiontie 28. Artteli, in the village center, sells all sorts of handicrafts.
- [dead link] Myllyni Makasiini, Kuopiontie 46.
- Pestarin Valinta, Kuopiontie 17, ☏ +358 652 7740.
- 2 Kelloliike T.F.Hemming, Kuopiontie 24, ☏ +358 17 530 470.
- 3 Rautalammin Apteekki, Torikuja 4, ☏ +358 17 530 051.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Container Restaurant Morton (Konttiravintola Morton), Kuopiontie 28, ☏ +358 40 539 5221.
- 2 Ravintola Nuapuri, Kuopiontie 21, ☏ +358 400 601 889, konttiravintola@morton.fi.
- 3 Ravintola Hetki, Alatie 8, ☏ +358 50 4521519.
- 4 Törmälän Loma- ja kurssikeskus, Konnekoskentie 552, ☏ +358 40 558 2439. Holiday and course center.
During the summer only
[edit]- Kesä-Aurora, Kuopiontie 17, ☏ +358 40 911 7437.
- Kivisalmen Kievari, Rautalammintie 1935 (in Konnevesi).
- Nokisen Kipsa (in Nokisenkoski, Vaajasalmi), ☏ +358 45 151 8585.
- Kerkonkosken Lohikeidas, Repolantie 11 (in Kerkonjoensuu), ☏ +358 400 467 966.
Drink
[edit]Cafés
[edit]- 1 Janoinen Karhu, Ysitie 5059, ☏ +358 527 9327.
Bars and nightclubs
[edit]There are at least three pubs in Rautalampi.
- 2 Gasthaus Oskar (Pub Oskar), Kuopiontie 12, ☏ +358 400 450 909.
Sleep
[edit]There is a youth hostel in Rautalampi and a camping site. Also available are a few mansions.
- 1 Hostel Korholan Kartano B&B, Korholantie 111, ☏ +358 50 525 8109.
- 2 Majatalo Rautalampi, Toholahdentie 34, ☏ +358 40 7582160.
- 3 Kurkiniemen tila, Kurkiniementie 100, ☏ +358 400 876 876.
- 4 Mannisen lomamökit, Levälammintie 73, ☏ +358 526 9669.
- Törmälän Loma- ja kurssikeskus, ☏ +358 558 2439.
- Janoinen Karhu, ☏ +358 527 9327.
- Hanhiniemen Lomamökit, ☏ +358 40 523 1140.
Go next
[edit]- Kuopio – the region's biggest city
- Pieksämäki – major train junction in South Savonia, with a railway museum
- Varkaus – closest town to the Linnansaari National Park in an archipelago of Saimaa
- Jyväskylä – the main city of Central Finland
- Suonenjoki – the strawberry capital of Finland
| Routes through Rautalampi |
| Jyväskylä ← Hankasalmi ← | SW  E |
→ Suonenjoki → Kuopio |