Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Information
Karelia Expert
TOURIST INFORMATION
( 0400-175-323;
www.visitkarelia.fi
;Pielisentie 22; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Jun & Aug, to 5pm Mon-Fri,
to 2pm Sat Jul, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri Sep-May)
Books tours and accommodation.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
The car ferry
M/F Pielinen
makes the 1¾-hour trip from Lieksa to Koli twice daily from
mid-June to mid-August, departing from Lieksa at 10am and 3pm, and returning from Koli
at 11.40am and 4.40pm.
BUS
There are 10 weekday buses (€18.70, 1¾ hours) from Joensuu, with fewer on weekends.
SHARED TAXI
There's a
shared taxi
( 0500-675-542)
service to Ruuna (€6, one per day Monday and
Friday) and another
shared taxi
( 0500-599-3998)
to Jongunjoki/Nurmijärvi (€6, two
daily Monday and Friday).
TRAIN
There are daily trains from Helsinki to Lieksa (€72.60, 6½ hours, four daily), via Joensuu
(€15.10, 1¼ hours, two daily).
Patvinsuo National Park
013
This large marshland area between Lieksa and Ilomantsi is a habitat for swans and cranes,
and if you're exceedingly lucky you might see bears. Using the
pitkospuu
(boardwalk) net-
work, you can easily hike around; there are 80km of marked trails in all.
