Sculpture route

In summer and autumn foliage season, the sculpture route is a great destination for the whole family. The duration is about 2-3 hours. During the trip, it’s worth stopping to view the scenery and enjoy a snack, lunch, or coffee at the cafes or restaurants in the town center. The landscapes of the Lieksanjoki river in the center of Lieksa are an essential part of the scenery. Along the riverbanks, there are extensive park areas and walking paths that create a strong and distinctive feature in the town scenery.

The Lieksa sculpture route leads you from Asemakatu via Pielisentie to the areas of Timitra and Rauhala. The intersection area of Pielisentie and Asemakatu well expresses the town center construction of a small town or market town from the 1930s. It tells extensively about the commercial construction after the Lieksa fire (1934). The Pielinen Museum and cultural environment complex represent Lieksa’s nationally valuable built cultural environment.

You can start the route, for example, from the railway station. The center of the station area along the track currently includes the station building and freight station. The station restaurant built in 1934 was demolished in 1981. North of the station building, there is a preserved station park where, in the middle of the park-like area, remains of a demolished building’s foundation and a memorial stone related to Ilmari Juutilainen’s birthplace are located. North of the station building, the old foundation and granite stairways of the entrances have been preserved. The Rukajärvi center is also worth visiting.

The Jätkän statue (sculptor Eino Räsänen) is located in the center of Lieksa, at the corner of Kuhmonkatu, on the site of the former market square. The statue representing Count Pietari Brahe is located in Lieksa’s center, in Hovila park (its original location was in front of the church, moved to its current place in 1956). The statue was made by Lieksa sculptor Eva Ryynänen in 1953. The pedestal text reads: Pietari Brahe founded Brahean in 1653.

In front of the Osuuspankki and cultural center, there is a memorial called Kaupan Kaivo. This memorial for private trade and border trade, Kaupan Kaivo, was made in 1966 and erected in front of the commercial building in 1967 in connection with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Lieksan Kauppa Oy. It is a bronze work by sculptor Taisto Martiskainen.

You should also visit Lieksa Church. The church located on the banks of the Lieksanjoki river is surrounded by a naturally beautiful church park with war graves. The current church in Lieksa (formerly Pielisjärvi Church) is Lieksa’s fourth church. The first church was built in 1667. The current church, completed in 1982, was designed by architects Raili and Reima Pietilä. The church is located on the site of the earlier wooden church designed by Engel. The church’s floor plan is similar to the previous church on the site, which was destroyed in a fire on January 2, 1979. The granite foundation also refers to the old church. There is also an old Orthodox chapel in the church park. Opposite the church on the south side of the river is the parsonage.

The Pielinen Museum, as well as the areas of Isopappila and Lieksa Church, form a cultural landscape at the mouth of the Lieksanjoki river. The Pielinen open-air museum area showcases the architectural heritage and economic history of a North Karelian forestry parish over several centuries, from yard environments to log driving structures. The open-air museum at Pappilanniemi on the bank of the Lieksanjoki river includes 70 sites with over 50 actual buildings.

The park areas bordering the Lieksanjoki riverbank enliven the town center’s landscape and emphasize the importance of the Lieksanjoki river in the scenery. The Mähkö bridge belongs to the landscape entity formed by the park areas along the Lieksanjoki riverbank. The bridge over Lieksanjoki at Siltakatu was built in 1926 (according to some information in 1929-1930). Buildings on the southern bank of Lieksanjoki, such as Rantala School and the old Valio Lieksa dairy with its brick chimney, appear as a silhouette in the view across the river from the park area. The landscape in the parks is dominated by large grassy areas and planted diverse tree species. Round-topped black poplars stand out as a distinctive feature in the area.

You can travel to Lieksa by train vr.fi

or by bus matkahuolto.fi

Lieksa has many free parking areas as well as roadside parking spots. You can leave your car, for example, at the railway station and start your tour from there.