Paateri trail from cultural village to cultural home, Lieksa

The Paateri trail is an excellent day trip destination. The route to the artist's home starts from the village center. At the tip of Koiraniemi there is a perfect place to take a break and enjoy your packed lunch. Koiraniemi is a needle-shaped, ice age-formed cape with a campfire site at the tip. The Paateri trail continues close to the lake shore, where you can nicely stop to rest and admire the scenery.

The landscapes of Tytönniitty along the route are often mentioned in Heikki Turunen's Simpauttaja. The spruce forests along the road are excellent mushroom forests, true boletus hotspots. 

The forest path crosses the idyllic stream, Joutenojan. Just after the bridge, you can see the childhood home of Heikki Turunen, which his family sold decades ago. The wonderful Paateri is located on the shore of Jauhiainen (formerly Wuonislax) opposite the village of Vuonislahti. At Paateri, you can admire the life’s work of Eva Ryynänen and enjoy refreshments at the studio café. 

• Open fires are prohibited during forest or grass fire warnings and in strong winds. 
• Be careful - do not leave fire unattended. The last person to leave, make sure the fire is out.
• Carry first aid supplies with you.
• Emergency number: 112 (Also download the free 112 Finland app to your phone).
• Check weather warnings from the Finnish Meteorological Institute!

You can find bus timetables on the www.matkahuolto.fi website

You can reach Vuonislahti by night train. Tickets on vr.fi. 

The route to the artist's home begins from the center of the village of Vuonislahti. You can leave your car, for example, at the Vuonislahti harbor. The initial route goes about half a kilometer along the village road through fields up to Kirkkola Road. There is a route information board at the intersection.

The road leads through the yard of the Kirkkola farm to the shore of Jauhiainen. The old sandy road follows the edge of a wide field to a pine forest. On the right, after a short while, you can see the bay of Jauhiainen and the long, needle-shaped cape Koiraniemi formed by the ice age. At the base of Koiraniemi there is its own information board directing to the campfire site at the tip of the cape. The Paateri trail continues close to the lake shore.

The forest road climbs a small ridge, and then the route turns right to Tytönniitty Road. Tytönniitty Road curves sharply toward the shore, and soon a forest path branches off to the left, leading to the idyllic stream Joutenojan.

Immediately after the bridge on the right is Heikki Turunen's childhood home. The trail ends at a sandy road, where you turn right. At the end of the straight, you can already see the buildings of Paateri.

• It is advisable to choose sturdy shoes for the hike. In hot weather, bring a water bottle with you.
• Also bring mosquito repellent and first aid supplies just in case.