In Enonkoski there are always many things to do for those who love outdoor activities.
Only a few steps away from Valentine, Valteri and Leppakerttu cottages (and 5km from Herika) there is a high quality lit cross country skiing track. In summer it is used for biking and Nordic walking. Thanks to special design, the track is as good as up to the Olympic standards. The main track goes on the lake and its shores and is 25km long. There is a sledging road on the lake as well for sledging and ice skating. Sledges, skateboards, ice skates, skis, etc. can be rented from us.
Every cottage has its path to the lake, own jetty and a boat. In addition, only 500m away from Valentine, Valteri and Leppakerttu cottages there is a wonderful sandy beach where in summer you can swim in the lake and sunbathe with children. Guests can rent boats, boat engines, fishing rods, skateboards, bikes for adults and children, roller skates, tennis rackets, badminton, etc. Enonkoski region – where the cottages are situated – is surrounded by forest. Berry-lovers can pick blueberries, cowberries and raspberries for breakfast. And for lunch you can pick some mushrooms – ceps, birch mushrooms, butter mushrooms and chanterelles.
Our cottages are situated on the bank of the Upper Enonkoski lake where you can catch salmon and other types of fish. Ice fishing is also possible. Also every year Enonkoski hosts a winter ice fishing competition in the Pirttilahti bay only 500m away from the cottages. Everybody can participate. You only need to register.
Christmas is the main winter holiday in Finland. Christmas market and ice sculpture festival are annual events that take place before Christmas. Also, for Christmas, local people like to decorate their houses with garlands and ice lanterns. Christmas is a peaceful family holiday in Enonkoski.
Even though Enonkoski is famous for being a place for quiet and peaceful vacation in the nature among the forests and lakes, you can also visit a real old touristic town called Savonlinna or a skiing resort, both just 30km away from Enonkoski.
Savonlinna is one of the most multicultural and special regions of Finland. Gorgeous nature and astonishing beauty of the scenery are the reasons why many tourists from all over the world like to visit here. Savonlinna offers plenty of cultural events. A special highlight is the famous opera festival held in the medieval castle Olavinlinna which started in1912. Olavinlinna was built in 1475. Nowadays it is open all the year round and will impress you with its history and architecture.
The region of Savonlinna is also famous for many other interesting places. One of them is called Harjualue, in Punkaharju, a 7km long mountain ridge. It was the first territory in all Finland to become a nature reserve in the 19th century by royal charter under Alexander I, the Russian Emperor. Punkaharju is also famous for Lusto – a forest museum that is interesting for both children and adults. Kolovesi is a national park situated in Enonkoski. It is open throughout the year and is very beautiful.
In Kerimäki you can visit the biggest wooden church in the world.
Sulkava is famous for its annual rowing competition “Sulkavasoudut”. At the peak of its popularity, the list of participants featured 10 000 names.
Fishing is possible any time in the Savonlinna region. The tastiest ever vendace in Finland can be caught here in the lake Puruvesi in Kesälahti.
Linnasaari National Park is a place for hiking, in summer and in winter.
In summer go on a cruise trip around Savonlinna or order a charter cruise to any point in the Saimaa. No less interesting would be a walk in the centre of Savonlinna, on Happy Islands, on the quayside and at the port with the market square, along the oldest street in the town called Linnakatu leading to the castle.
The annual opera festival in Savonlinna is the most famous cultural event in Finland and one of the most popular tourist venues. Opera concerts in Savonlinna are full of unforgettable experiences thanks to their high professional standard and the amazing setting of Olavinlinna castle and its surrounding nature.
Opera festivals in Savonlinna have been held in Olavinlinna since 1912. It was ar that time the famous Finnish opera singer Aino Akte, who had shown her talent in Paris Opera, London Covent Garden and New York Metropolitan Opera, decided to organize the first opera festival here. Many summers before and after the First World War operas of Finnish composers were heard here, and one festival was organized also in 1930.
In the 1970s, Martti Talvela – a world famous opera bass and a creative director of Savonlinna Opera Festival, defined two main goals for the festival: the highest possible level of professionalism of the performers and international popularity of the festival. Those goals are being reached all the time.
With time Savinlinna opera festival has become a month-long cultural event of international standing. The number of its visitors is growing year by year and averages 60 000, of whom almost 10% are foreigners. Thanks to the festival, Savonlinna got its fame among opera lovers throughout the world.
The repertoire of the festival features classical opera pieces as well as modern Finnish operas that take place on a regular basis in Savonlinna. A month-long performance program gives a wonderful chance to get acquainted with foreign opera theatres. Since 1987 foreign opera theatres have become regular guests of this musical event, including such famous theatres as Saint Petersburg’s Mariinskiy theatre, London’s Covent Garden and Moscow’s Bolshoy Theatre.
Performances take place at the unique medieval yard of Olavinlinna. The castle of Olavinlinna is open for visits all year round, but specially for the opera festival a huge covered hall of seating for 2264 is built every summer in the yard.
The Kolovesi National Park in Enonkoski was established in 1990 and is 23 sq. km. This is an amazing protected natural reserve, ideal for canoeing and hiking. The scenery is dominated by steep rocks “standing up” from the water. The park includes two big islands – Vaajasalo and Mäntysalo, and also smaller rocky islands. Flora is dominated by pines on highlands and spruces on lowlands. Besides, there are birch forests. Kolovesi Natural Park features a very small population of a floe rat. It is a very vulnerable and protected species. Its habitats are closed to visitors. There are also ancient rock paintings that are over5000 years old. It’s recommended to observe them from water, by canoes or by boat.
The wonderful rocky landscapes of Kolovesi are formed by the retreat of a glacier. The glacier moving North-West left behind it steep rocks and crevices that filled with water. It’s recommended to take a boat or a canoe to observe this landscape from water