Discover Lieksa: hiking trails, art and history

Lieksa offers a variety of ways to experience nature, art and history. The Karhunpolku trail follows Finland’s eastern border and the shores of canoeing routes. In town, the Patsaskierros brings together sculptures and historical monuments, while museums explore regional history. You can shape your stay around whether you’d most like to hike, discover art or learn about the region’s history.

Hiking the Karhunpolku

The City of Lieksa maintains the Karhunpolku, a hiking trail in Lieksa, North Karelia, surrounded by unspoilt and beautiful nature. The trail is part of the extensive Karjalan Kierros network. Its described route along Finland’s eastern border and the shores of canoeing routes gives it a different focus from a walk around town: here, the emphasis is on hiking through the landscape. If you like to set aside time for a hiking trail during your holiday, you can make the Karhunpolku a focus of your trip.

There are also two local hiking trails near Lieksa harbour: Brahean polku and Pielispolku. These two routes offer another way to explore Lieksa on foot. The Patsaskierros, in turn, connects sculptures and historical monuments along a specific route through the town. This lets you tailor your day to different interests without combining the trails into a single circuit.

Discover sculptures and monuments on foot or by bike

The Patsaskierros takes approximately two to three hours. It runs from Asemakatu via Pielisentie to the Timitra and Rauhala areas, passing sculptures and historical monuments that can be explored on foot or by bicycle. Its approximate duration helps you plan the walk as a separate part of your stay. If you’re interested in art and monuments, it offers a different way to experience the town than the Karhunpolku. The named streets and areas provide concrete guidance on the route.

Museums and regional history

The Pielinen Museum is located in Pappilanniemi, on the banks of the Lieksanjoki, very close to Lieksa town centre. Accessibility varies between its different areas: the main building is accessible, but the open-air museum buildings are not. If you’re planning a visit, this distinction is particularly relevant when deciding which parts of the museum to see.

The Rukajärvi-keskus is located in Lieksa railway station. It maintains three exhibitions on regional wartime history, featuring activities, archives and veteran interviews. The history of Rukajärvi is also presented there through photographs, maps and letters. Guided excursions introduce visitors to the Rukajärvi-keskus, as well as Rukajärventie and its programmes. The centre and its exhibitions thus provide a distinct historical focus alongside the artworks and monuments of the Patsaskierros.

Paateri is another cultural attraction, where visitors can learn about the life and work of sculptor Eva Ryynänen. Together with the sculpture trail, it offers a choice between a route to see art and monuments in Lieksa and a visit dedicated to Eva Ryynänen.

More destination pages

More destinations in the same collection: Tohmajärvi, Nurmes, Rääkkylä, Kiihtelysvaara, Ilomantsi, Vuonislahti, Mannervaara and Tuupovaara.

To the main travel overview: North Karelia.