After the Kuopio Marathon: Puijo and Central Kuopio
The Route: Market square → Puijo Tower → RIISA → Market square Logistics: The tower is reached by road from the centre, and the rest is within a flat walk of the market square. Use a taxi or bus for the hill. Marathon Month: August Duration: Day trip
Market square ──(taxi or Vilkku bus)──> Puijo Tower ──(taxi or bus)──> RIISA ──(short walk)──> market square
The marathon finishes at Matkus, 11 kilometres south of the centre, so by Sunday the legs have two jobs: recover, and see the city that the race itself never enters. Kuopio sits along Lake Kallavesi with a ridge behind it, and the ridge has a tower on top. The best way to do the day is to go up by road, sit for as long as you like and come down again.
August in Kuopio. Late summer is usually still comfortable for walking, but seasonal services thin out. The free chairlift at Puijo is listed for 24 June to 18 August, so it will not be running if the race falls in the second half of the month. Lake cruises are a summer service as well, so check timetables before you plan around one.
Getting to Puijo Tower
Puijo Tower stands at Puijontie 135, north of the centre. It is 75 metres tall and its summit is 306 metres above sea level, which puts the top 224 metres above Lake Kallavesi. Free parking is available on the hill, so a taxi from the market square is the easiest way up and avoids the climb on foot. Check the Vilkku timetable for a bus if you prefer.
The tower is open daily all year, with longer hours in summer. Adult admission was €8.90 on the tower's own website, and the site lists a café, a restaurant and an open roof terrace. Check current hours and prices before you go. Allow an hour at the top and a coffee. A 280 m wooden boardwalk beside the tower is flat and a short, easy walk if you want air.
RIISA
RIISA, the Orthodox Church Museum of Finland, is an indoor museum of Orthodox church heritage in the city. It is a level, seated visit, which suits the day after a marathon. Check opening hours and admission on the museum's website before walking over.
The market square
Finish at the market square, which is free and flat. The market hall and the stalls keep their own hours, so check what is open on the day, and eat early because kitchens close on Sunday evenings. Scandic Atlas, beside the square, has a restaurant and bar called Roast on its ground floor.
Back to the hotel
The market square is within walking distance of the station and the main hotels, so the day ends where it began. If you are leaving by train or flight the next morning, pack the night before.