After the Kuopio Marathon: Tahko

The Route: Kuopio → Tahko → Kuopio airport or station Logistics: About 60 km by road. A Vilkku bus (line 61T) and flat-rate taxis serve the route. A car is easier, but not essential. Marathon Month: August Duration: 2 nights

Kuopio ──(about 60 km, bus 61T or taxi)──> Tahko (2 nights) ──(taxi or bus)──> Kuopio station or airport

Tahko is a ski resort that turns into something calmer in summer. It sits on a hill above Lake Syväri, with Nilsiä, the nearest town, about 10 kilometres away. The resort works as a base for people who want trees, water and nothing to do on Sunday morning, and the road from Kuopio takes about an hour by car.

August in Tahko. The resort advertises itself as a destination for every season, but exact late-summer opening times are not listed on its homepage. Restaurants, rental shops and the spa keep seasonal hours, so ring the central booking office on +358 300 870 787 or email booking@tahko.com before you plan an evening around a specific venue.

Getting there

Kuopio airport is about 50 kilometres from Tahko, and Kuopio railway station is 60 kilometres away. The Vilkku local bus line 61T runs between Kuopio and Tahko, and flat-rate taxi transfers run from the stations. Check the 61T timetable for your date, as Sunday services are thin. The Tahko Skibus is a winter service, so it will not be running.

Night one: settle in

Pick a room close to the village centre so that the restaurants and shops are within a short, flat walk. Compare cancellable rates on a booking site and ask about breakfast times and luggage storage. After the marathon, the first evening is for a meal and a sit. The resort lists several restaurants and slope restaurants for the summer months, but check which ones are open.

Day two: slow outdoors

Tahko lists hiking trails, mountain biking with a bike park and pump track, golf and disc golf, fishing, boating, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding, and padel and tennis. Most of this is not for the day after a marathon. The gentle choices are a lake-edge walk on level ground, a short paddle in calm water and a spa visit. Ask at the booking office which trails are flat and which have climbs, since hill walking is hard on tired quads.

Night two and onward

Keep the second evening simple. Eat early, check the morning bus time and leave your bag packed.

Getting home