A day in Koli

Last Saturday, August 29, we made our first romantic getaway. For my birthday, Kim wanted me to discover a part of Finland that I did not know. He warned me and told me it was beautiful, but I think I was far from imagining what it was .....

Koli is a hill overlooking Lake Pielinen in the municipality of Lieksa. It is in the east of Finland, near the Russian border. On the map you see that I really live in the south of Finland and to get to Lieksa we drove for about 5:30.

We left very early because we wanted to enjoy the day and come back in the evening. I got to see dozens of lakes at sunrise, with the fog covering them, it was just beautiful. The road was really beautiful, in the middle of the forest and the lakes, even along the highway (which is free in Finland) you could enjoy the scenery. On the road, we stopped for lunch and I discovered a great shop: Riikka-Piikka Those who know me a little know that I love to knit, and I was pleasantly surprised to see this wool and souvenir shop right in the middle of a gas station on the side of the highway. What struck me is the decoration around the shop ... I let you appreciate:

Of course I fell in love and bought a skein of their own brand sock yarn. It will be turned into socks for Kim! Do not hesitate to visit their website, it is translated into English!

We were in Koli around noon, and we took the stairs (a lot... a lot of stairs ...) to climb to the top of Koli hill and finally be able to enjoy the view ... There was an elevator available but I preferred to realize the climb so we opted for the stairs. It allowed me to see lots of plants and mushrooms that I had never seen before.

After a few tens of minutes to climb the hill, we finally arrived at the point of view ... And there was offered to me a landscape just magnificent, breathtaking. I didn't expect to see something so magnificent ... The hill overlooked a huge lake, with small islands, forest, and further after the lake, the Russian border that we could also see ... On the other side, the forest as far as the eye can see, the immensity ... this immensity that makes us feel so small. It was magical, we stayed at the top of the hill for a long time, we discussed and contemplated what nature offered us ...

It is without any doubt one of the fondest memories I have from Finland so far. Of course the photos already show something magnificent, but it is absolutely nothing compared to reality ... If one day you come to Finland I highly recommend it. There is a hotel at the top which allows you to admire the lake for the night and to enjoy a SPA in one of the beautiful squares of Finland. Next time, that's what we'll do! There is also a museum and shops, a temple of silence but what also attracts people here are the hiking and skiing trails! Hikes from 1.4 km to more than 60 km are available to you ... The resort is equipped with a chairlift and multiple ski slopes. Koli is therefore to be admired all year round! In the photos, the altar with the cross is the temple of silence. With the stone behind and the position it is in, you can really enjoy the silence. It's quite disconcerting but really pleasant to live. You can hear her heartbeat

It was really breathtaking, I just want to go back, but the journey is tiring, so next time, we will plan to spend the night there! On the way back we were also able to enjoy magnificent views, we took several breaks during the trip on the edge of magnificent lakes. I let you enjoy the beauty of the setting sun.

We got back in the night and I admit it was a bit crazy to do during the day, but I don't regret a single second, it was well worth it. We brought back some memories of our day in Koli. A little magnet, we decided to bring back a magnet every time we visit a place in Finland, so this time it's Koli! Two trivets to replace the very simplistic trivets from the Swedish blue and yellow giant ... Blueberries in white chocolate and oat bread, very popular in Finland!

And to be honest when we got home, we just had time to put our things down that we went to bed. The day was tiring but again it was worth it .... I'll meet you soon for a new Finnish trips!

Moi moi !! Bye bye