Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kokkola is rising, which means Kokkola is chasing its port as the sea gets further from the
town.
Sights & Activities
Once the working-class area of Kokkola, Neristan ('Lower Town') has a collection of
19th-century wooden houses and makes for a pleasant wander. Pick up the free
Neristan/
Oppistan Step by Step
brochure at the tourist office.
Following the Suntti stream beyond Neristan brings you to the retreating harbour-
turned-beach
Halkokari
. A British attack was repelled here during the Crimean War. The
captured gunboat at the
English Park
just north of Neristan is one of the few ever taken
from the British navy, and the only vessel to never have been returned (despite requests
from British officials since 1914).
Mineraalikokoelma
MUSEUM
(Pitkänsillankatu 28;Mineraalikokoelma free, Luontomuseo adult/child €4/free; 11am-4pm Tue,
Wed & Fri-Sun, to 6pm Thu Jun-Aug, noon-3pm Tue-Fri, to 5pm Sat & Sun Sep-May)
Dazzling exhibits at the Mineral Collection include fragile crystals and meteorite frag-
ments. In the same building, the
Luontomuseo
(adult/child €4/free) natural history collec-
tion includes stuffed mammals and birds, as well as traps and other hunting devices.
Tankar Island
ISLAND
(
www.tankar.fi
)
This lighthouse island, 18km northwest of Kokkola, once offered safe passage through
tangled waters. Now it makes a popular day trip (adult/child €18/8; lighthouse €3/free) for
bird-watching, nature walks and salmon soup at the pierside
Café Tankar
(
044-780-9139;mains €15; 9am-10pm mid-May-Aug)
. M/S
Jenny
makes the 1½-hour sailing
in summer up to eight times weekly in June and August and 12 times weekly during July,
departing from
Kokkola Camping
: book with the tourist office.
Sleeping
Town-centre accommodation is dominated by chain hotels of varying standards.
