← Kuopio Marathon·1 night

Rauhalahti: One Night at the Lakeside Spa

One night at a lakeside resort hotel on Lake Kallavesi, with pools, saunas and a lumberjack lodge for the evening.

Duration1 night
TransitTaxi or local bus from the market square
DepartsKuopio market square

After the Kuopio Marathon: Rauhalahti

The Route: Kuopio centre → Rauhalahti → Kuopio airport or station Logistics: A short taxi or bus ride from the centre to a single resort site. Everything is in one place, so there is nothing to carry. Marathon Month: August Duration: 1 night

Kuopio market square ──(short taxi or bus)──> Spa Hotel Rauhalahti (1 night) ──(taxi)──> station or airport

Rauhalahti used to be the base for the Kuopio Marathon, and some older pages on the race website still say so. The race now starts and finishes at the Matkus shopping centre, but the resort remains a good place to spend the night after the marathon: the whole day can be spent in a pool, a sauna or a chair.

August in Rauhalahti. The lake is at its warmest in late summer, the evenings begin to cool and the light is long. Outdoor activities are possible but not necessary. Dress for a cool breeze after the sauna.

The hotel

Spa Hotel Rauhalahti is at Katiskaniementie 8 in Kuopio, beside Lake Kallavesi. It is a resort with hotel rooms, apartments and studios, spa facilities with pools and wellness treatments, and several places to eat, from buffet to à la carte and traditional Finnish dishes. The hotel has been an official accommodation partner of the marathon, with a published offer for the race weekend. Check whether an offer exists for your edition, and ask about breakfast times and late checkout.

The evening

Start with the spa. The pools are the flat, gentle option for a marathon-sore body, but ask at reception about the opening hours of the spa area on a Saturday or Sunday, and about any age limits or booking needs.

About 600 metres from the main hotel stands Jätkänkämppä, a lumberjack lodge with a traditional smoke sauna and a 1950s Finnish theme. The walk is short and on level ground. Check whether it is open on your night and whether it needs a booking.

The next morning

The lakeside paths around the resort are an easy walk. Confirm the route and the surface at reception. The hotel is a short ride from the city centre, so you can still visit the market square or Puijo on the way out.

Getting home

Kuopio airport is about 14 kilometres from the city, with flights to Helsinki-Vantaa in under an hour, and the railway station is in the city centre. Book a taxi the evening before, because the resort is outside the centre and taxis are scarce on a Sunday morning.