Tohmajärvi

Riverside landscapes and trails for every kind of holiday

The Jänisjoki flows through Tohmajärvi, shaping the opportunities to explore the landscape on the water and on foot. The river and its connected lakes offer around 200 km of paddling routes in total. The Jänisjoki also has numerous rapids and stretches of fast-flowing water that are of interest to anglers. Rest areas along the riverbanks are available to everyone who enjoys spending time outdoors. If paddling or fishing is the main focus of your trip, you can make these activities a priority when choosing a holiday apartment in Tohmajärvi.

The trails also vary considerably in length and difficulty. The Piilovaara Trail is an easy, 3 km out-and-back route suitable for beginners; the total elevation gain and loss is 101 m. The Pekan Trail is more challenging: this 7.5 km route is designed for mountain biking and trail running in both directions, with a total elevation gain and loss of 265 m. At Hernevaara, the trail has a rest area with a picnic table and a beautiful view towards Tohmajärvi. The Pekan Trail, Piilovaara Trail and 5 km Kirkkoniemi Trail can be combined into a single loop.

Village roads, nature and winter routes

The approximately 7.9 km Akanpolku trail loops around Lake Siikajärvi and runs mostly along easy-to-walk village roads. There is a fire pit at the lake’s swimming beach. Those looking for a longer route through the southern villages can take Sorpanpolku: walked as a separate route, it is about 11 km long and suitable for hiking and mountain biking. So, alongside challenging trails, there are also routes with different courses and character to choose from.

The Kemie Nature Trail is about 6 km long and passes the nationally significant Jalajanvaara grove as well as the Oravaara nature reserves. Another option is the approximately 6 km Aconitum Loop, which has 16 information boards. Its name refers to the rare Northern monkshood (Aconitum septentrionale), the municipal flower of Tohmajärvi. In winter, Tohmajärvi has dozens of well-maintained, marked snowmobile routes. They are part of the Keski-Karjala route network and include connections towards Ilomantsi and Joensuu.

Church, museums and local history

Tohmajärvi Church was completed in 1756 and is the oldest wooden church in North Karelia. The municipal museum offers another way to explore local history. It is housed in a two-storey carriage house and storage building belonging to Gabriel Wallenius, which was moved from the Jouhkola farm to Kemie in 1961. The museum grounds at Kirkkotie 14 also include the Nyman Local History and Pharmacy Museum and Maiju Lassila’s home barn. The Nyman Museum comprises a pharmacy museum and a local history museum; the Nyman House and its grounds host permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The Maiju Lassila Cultural Route takes in 18 cultural sites and offers an insight into the life of Algot Tietäväinen and the first decades of the municipality of Tohmajärvi, founded in 1868. The Dolgorukin fortifications on the slope of Kemie also tell the story of the area: they were more than a kilometre long and date from the Finnish War of 1808–1809. For a trip combining an interest in culture and nature, these destinations offer a different focus from activities on the river and trails.

Tohmajärvi is also a stop on Runon ja Rajan tie, part of Via Karelia. Finland’s oldest tourist road follows a 1,080 km route along the Finnish eastern border, from the Gulf of Finland to Lapland; the Tohmajärvi section has numerous historic sites and monuments. The local municipal festival, Potsipäivät, has been celebrated since 1974 during the week after Midsummer. Its origins lie in the pig mentioned in Maiju Lassila’s book “Tulitikkuja lainaamassa”. There is also an 18-hole disc golf course at the Tohmajärvi Sports Hall.

More destination pages: Nurmes, Tolosenmäki, Valtimo, Vanhahovi, Ketsu, Rääkkylä, Karhunmäki and Koli.

Return to the main travel overview: North Karelia.