Tourism · Lieksa & Ruunaa, North Karelia · Pennanen Group

Where the wild heart
of Finland beats.

Venture to be built. We are looking for investors so we can get government funds to work with us.

Lieksa sits on the shore of Lake Pielinen; the Ruunaa wilderness next door has the rapids and the trails. Hunting, adventure, rafting and private villas, in every season. We are raising investment to build the villa village.

Lakeside villas at Lieksa in autumn colours, morning mist over the lake

The villa village at first light, autumn (Ruska) season. Visualisation.

  • Hunting

    Guided hunts in the forests of North Karelia, with lodging and game handling.

  • Adventure

    Trekking, canoeing and winter programmes for small groups, run by local guides year-round.

  • Rafting

    The Ruunaa rapids: whitewater rafting, boating and fishing on the Lieksanjoki.

  • Private villas

    Lakeside forest villas and log chalets with wood-fired and smoke saunas; glass igloos for the aurora.

Four seasons · four packages

Ten days in Lieksa & Ruunaa

Four 10-day / 9-night programmes from Helsinki Airport, each in three service classes: A (VIP) with a luxury forest villa, private sauna and a private multilingual guide; B (Standard) with a wooden cabin and private sauna; C (Economy) with simple accommodation and a group sauna.

  1. 01

    Winter

    December–March. Husky and snowmobile safaris, ice fishing, smoke sauna, Northern Lights.

  2. 02

    Spring

    March–May. Melting rapids, birdwatching, boating and fishing, Koli, farm visits.

  3. 03

    Summer

    June–August. Midnight Sun, boating on the Ruunaa river, Nordic walking, sauna by the lake.

  4. 04

    Autumn

    September–October. Ruska foliage hikes, berry picking, canoeing, reindeer farm, early aurora.

Two freshly picked boletus mushrooms held up in a pine forestDinner table set at the log cabin, autumn light through the window

Autumn in Lieksa: boletus from the pine forest, and dinner at the log cabin.

Transfers, meals, guides, activities and equipment scale with the class. Full itineraries are available on request.

Hunting · Lieksa

Thirty years of hunting in these forests

Bear, moose, grouse, capercaillie and hare in the forests around Lieksa. Guided hunts with local hunters who have worked these grounds since the 1990s; lodging, sauna and game handling included.

Two hunters with a capercaillie in the pine forest, Lieksa, October 1996Hunting party with the game of the day by the campfire, Lieksa, October 1996Moose hunt in the autumn forest with a hunting dog, Lieksa

From the archive: hunts around Lieksa, autumn 1996.

Brown bear taken on a bear hunt in the pine forestKarelian Bear Dog beside a brown bear after the huntHunter kneeling beside a moose in the pine forest

Bear hunting and moose hunting: brown bear with a Karelian Bear Dog, and moose in the pine forest.

Halal hunting

Fallow deer hunts in a fenced game park, with slaughter and game handling carried out according to halal requirements. Guided by local hunters; meat processed and packed for the guest.

Fallow deer buck walking across a meadowHerd of fallow deer in a fenced game parkAerial view of the game park site by the lakeshore at SarkkilantieVenison fillets in a pan over the campfire

Fallow deer in the game park; the park site by the lake at Sarkkilantie; venison over the campfire.

Rafting · Ruunaa

Rafting on the Ruunaa rapids

Rafts have run on the Lieksanjoki and the Ruunaa rapids here since the 1990s, under the previous operator Karjalan Kuohu. A new operator starts in 2027 and continues the tradition: half-day and full-day trips for families and groups, with guide, equipment and flame-grilled salmon by the fire afterwards.

Raft crew hitting a wave on the Ruunaa rapids, spray flying
Rafting group on the river with the guide steeringFamily group in a raft at the riverbank, June 1994Salmon on planks by the campfire at the wilderness hutWilderness lunch served on log tables by the tent campKarjalan Kuohu raft loaded on the roof of the expedition carCrew preparing the raft at the riverbank before launch

From the Karjalan Kuohu archive, 1994 onward: on the river, at the put-in, and flame-grilled salmon at the wilderness hut afterwards.

Bear watching · Lieksa

Camera bear hunting

Brown bears live in the forests east of Lieksa. From a hide at dusk, guests photograph and film them at close range: no rifles, only cameras. Best from May to August.

Brown bear on a rock in the summer forest near the hide

From the archive: a brown bear at the hide, and video from a recent evening.

Fishing · Lake Pielinen & Ruunaa

Pike, perch, whitefish and trout

Trolling and spinning on Lake Pielinen, fly fishing on the Ruunaa rapids, ice fishing in winter. Boats, gear and a guide who knows where the big pike sit.

Boy holding a large pike in front of the Karjalan Kuohu vanAngler weighing a pike in the boat on a calm lakeWhitefish on a cutting board with a puukko knifeSanta Claus fishing from the deck of a heated ice-fishing hut at sunrise

Pike from Pielinen, weighed in the boat and shown off by the Karjalan Kuohu van; in winter, a heated hut on the ice with a fire on the deck. Santa fishes too.

Aerial view of the planned villa village on the lake shore in summer
The lakeshore plot from the air: fields, old farm buildings and the shoreVilla deck with hot tub at sunset over the lake

The village from the air (visualisation), the lakeshore plot today, and the main villa deck at sunset (visualisation).

Base of operations

Lieksa Adventure & Outdoor Park Centrum

The centre of the venture: an old main house with outbuildings in a forest clearing, its own forest lake beside it and Lake Pielinen a short walk away. Reception, kitchen, gear store and guide base for every programme start here.

Aerial view of the Centrum main house in the forest

The Centrum main house from the air, midsummer. The forest lake behind, Lake Pielinen on the horizon.

Top-down view of the main house, outbuildings and yardThe main house with fields and the lake behindForest lake next to the site, Lake Pielinen on the horizonLakeside house and jetty on the Pielinen shore

The yard and outbuildings; the house with fields to the north; the forest lake; and the Pielinen shore with its jetty.

Investors & partners wanted

We are looking to raise 12 million € to build the adventure destination that will host the next 50 years, for the next generations. The raise covers the villas, the main house, permits and international staffing. Ask for the investment memorandum and the four season programmes.

12 M€
to raise · 50-year horizon
  • —Villas
  • —Main house
  • —Permits
  • —International staffing
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Frequently asked questions

Lieksa & North Karelia

What is there to do in Lieksa and North Karelia? +

Koli National Park, the Ruunaa rapids for white-water rafting, Lake Pielinen, fishing, hunting, hiking and bear watching in the eastern wilderness.

When is the best time to visit, summer or winter? +

Both. Summer brings the midnight sun, lakes and rafting; autumn the ruska colours; winter snow, the Northern Lights and cabin life.

Where can I see bears in Finland? +

Eastern Finland near the Russian border, including the Lieksa area, is one of Europe's best places to watch wild brown bears from hides, mainly April to September.

How do I get to Lieksa from Helsinki? +

Fly to Joensuu (about 1 hour) and drive about 1 hour, or take the train via Joensuu. Driving from Helsinki takes about 5–6 hours.

Where can I stay in a lakeside cabin or villa? +

Joint Venture Finland is planning a lakeside villa village in Lieksa. We are looking for investors — contact sales@aimarketingmandate.com.

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North Karelia

The Coolcation Kingdom of Finland

Forests. Lakes. Adventure. Silence.

A different kind of European summer.

Summer aerial view of lakes and forest in North Karelia

Across Europe, summer travel is changing.

More travellers are looking beyond crowded cities, packed beaches and extreme heat. They are searching for places where summer feels fresh, spacious and natural — destinations where the journey itself offers room to breathe.

This creates a new opportunity for Finland and especially for North Karelia.

North Karelia brings together the qualities that define the emerging coolcation experience: vast forests, clean lakes, open landscapes, outdoor adventure, local culture, fresh food and genuine silence.

Here, summer is not about escaping indoors from the heat.

It is about being outside.

  • Hiking through forests.
  • Swimming in clear lakes.
  • Paddling rivers and rapids.
  • Cycling through quiet landscapes.
  • Eating local food.
  • Sitting by the fire.
  • Experiencing long Nordic summer evenings.

North Karelia is not simply a cooler alternative to Southern Europe.

It is a different way to experience a European summer.

A place where nature becomes part of everyday life, where adventure and tranquillity exist side by side, and where visitors can reconnect with something increasingly difficult to find elsewhere: space, silence and simplicity.

This is the foundation for a new international tourism identity:

North Karelia

The Coolcation Kingdom of Finland

Forests. Lakes. Adventure. Silence. A different kind of European summer.

Discover the Lieksa wilderness resort project in the heart of North Karelia.

Explore the Lieksa project ↑

Where the wild heart
of Finland beats.

Lakeside villa village in Lieksa, North KareliaLakeside villa village in Lieksa, North KareliaLakeside villa village in Lieksa, North KareliaLakeside villa village in Lieksa, North Karelia
Co-funded by the European Union
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