Hyrynsalmi

Hyrynsalmi combines active days in nature with distinctive sites of cultural history. Hiking and mountain biking trails, a wilderness lake surrounded by rocky cliffs, and winter routes sit alongside a historic open-air farm museum and an 18th-century wooden church. When choosing your holiday apartment, it is therefore helpful to consider which side of the destination you want to shape your trip: activity on the trails, nature by the lake, winter sports or culture.

Trails and nature at Vuorilampi

Hyrynsalmi has a total of about 52 kilometres of hiking trails and about 100 kilometres of mountain biking trails. A special destination for a walking trip is Vuorilampi, a wilderness lake in central Hyrynsalmi surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. From the Kuhmo Road, a marked, easy-to-follow trail of just over two kilometres leads to the lake. There is also a nature trail around the lake at Vuorilampi. On the shore, there is a shelter with a fire pit and tables. This makes it possible to combine a walk to the lake with time by the water and a loop on the nature trail.

For a trip where cycling plays a larger role, the trail information also offers useful guidance: the total of about 100 kilometres of mountain biking trails complements the hiking network, without implying that both options involve the same kind of outing. If you would rather focus on short nature trails, there are other specific destinations nearby. The Luvankoski nature trail is an easy-to-follow loop for visitors of all ages.

Winter routes, water and sauna

In winter, Hyrynsalmi has a total of about 60 kilometres of maintained cross-country ski trails and about 50 kilometres of snowmobile routes. The trails and routes appeal to different interests: one offers cross-country skiing, the other snowmobiling. If you are planning a winter trip, you can first decide which of these activities matters to you when choosing where to stay.

Ukkohalla Ski Resort is located in Hyrynsalmi, in Finland’s Kainuu region. Lake Syväjärvi lies at the centre of the resort, where water sports and swimming are possible. At Ukkohalla, you can swim in the lake all year round. Sauna World includes several saunas, including an infrared sauna and a smoke sauna, as well as pools with massage equipment. At the same resort, lake activities and a variety of sauna options are therefore available as different ways to spend your stay.

Wooden buildings and local history

The Kaunislehto Museum depicts a typical farm in Hyrynsalmi around the turn of the 20th century. Some buildings were moved from different parts of the municipality and rebuilt on the sites of the original buildings, preserving the farm’s authentic layout. Hyrynsalmi’s wooden church offers a different historical perspective. Jaakko Rijf designed and built it in 1786. Its cruciform design is typical of an Ostrobothnian church of its time.

The Hallan-Ukko monument stands on the former site of the Halla farm. Jääkäripirtti is also located on the island of Saarijärvi in Hyrynsalmi and is one of the area’s most valuable cultural heritage sites. The Tuomijoki Bridge has a story of its own, too: the wooden bridge was blown up in a scene in the film „Rukajärven tie“ and rebuilt as a suspension bridge in 2010. It is accessible by car.

Places to visit nearby

About 16 kilometres from Hyrynsalmi village centre, the tar and turpentine distillery, also known as the Hallan Ukko tar kiln, is located by the Löytöjoki River. Johan Alfred Heikkinen, known as Hallan Ukko, built it in 1924 at the Halla farm. Guided tours to the site are organised from the old railway station in Hyrynsalmi.

Komulanköngäs, originally called Lauttaköngäs, is a few kilometres from Ukkohalla Resort. The waterfall and a mill are located in a carved-out channel separated from the river, on the Syväjoki, which flows out of Lauttajärvi. On the summit of Paljakka Fell, an approximately three-kilometre nature trail passes through old-growth forest and a largely natural forest ecosystem. Another trail there is marked in red and is 700 metres long; it leads to the observation tower. In winter, the tower is accessible by snowshoe. These destinations give your trip different focal points, from cultural history by the river to forest trails and viewpoints.

Other places: Paltamo, Vuokatti, Sotkamo, Jormua, Puolanka, Hossa, Ristijärvi, Ruhtinansalmi.

For the broader travel overview: Kainuu.