In English

Welcome to the village of Hartola in Jaala, Kouvola!

Hartola village is located in Kouvola, in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kymenlaakso region. This lakeland village is a gem of untouched wilderness and genuine experiences.

The people of Hartola Village

Nuppikallion Isäntä ja Haikosen Lempi kyläkaupalla

The Hartola village population rises to blue skies during the beautiful Finnish summer. In summertime the village and its pumping heart, the village shop, offers different events for locals and guests or just rest and relaxation by the lakeside and in the forests with no-one in sight. During the wintertime most of the seasonal residents are working in bigger cities and dreaming of their next holidays. The local people however continue building the strong community together with different organisational activities and hobbies. During the wintertime the locals spend time together also to prepare for the next memorable summer with all its events, small and big, for us all.

Places to See

The Hartola village has a nice bunch of natural attractions and a couple of man-made as well. The most remarkable sights are the ice age formations such as Heisanharju ridge with a maintained recreational ground perfect for picknics or the ”devil’s pot hole” which is a symmetrical, even hole carved in red granite by moving ice. The extra specialty of this particular pot hole is that it is not vertical as other holes carved by ice age, but horizontal. No one knows how this pot hole is created. The unsolved mystery has stayed this way and still waits for someone to tell its story.

Heisanharju. Foto Mika Honkalinna, do not copy!

Heisanharju. Foto Mika Honkalinna, do not copy!

Hartola village has also ”a magical pond” which is actually a large ridge pit. Every spring the melting ice fills this pit and transforms it into a pond which can be 300 meters long in diameter. In a month or so the water has been absorbed into ground water and only dried marks of the water level can be seen in trees and in other vegetation. If the autumn is rainy, the pond appears again. During spring time this pond is a nesting place for birds and a good bird watching spot.

Hartola village has throughout history had brilliant minds living with us. For example, a blacksmith in the 1930’s who created a motorised sled and sketched new kinds of artillery for the military during the winter war. Nowadays we have inventors who have built a fully functional observatory to an old hey barn in the middle of the village. Tours around the observatory can be arranged for visitors, the best time for a visit is of course in the evening or night and preferably during the winter time since the white summer nights are mainly too light for stargazing.

A big, red, village house owned by the farmers’ association caters as a venue for private and public events, small get-togethers and big parties. The newly renovated and well-equipped village house is complimented with an outdoors dancing hall and a fireplace. The farmers’ association rents its premises with affordable prices.

For more info please send e-mail to tiia.taavila(a)gmail.com

Top tips for guests coming to Hartola village

  1. Our lovely nature offers its best wild food such as mushrooms, fish and berries free for all.
    The menu from forests is designed to complement the body and mind cleansing power of diving in a blue lake and relaxing in a sauna.
  2. Don’t forget to grab a loaf of our local baked bread and some home-made cheese with you from the village shop. While you are there, get yourself a spray of mosquito repellent as well, you will need it during the summertime.
  3. Just sit for a while listening to the birds singing and watch the sun rays dancing in the lake water.
  4. After a long day, sit with your loved ones next to a fire place (we Finns can meditate like this, not speaking a word, for hours and we love it!)
    Heisanharju, photo Mika Honkalinna. Do not copy!

    Heisanharju, photo Mika Honkalinna. Do not copy!

     

For more information about the city of Kouvola, please visit the Tourism Info web page: www.visitkouvola.fi/en

P.s. please note that “hartolankyla.fi” is a non-profit web site powered by the local community, at your service. Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.