It is time to have the biggest FEM ever at:
Monday 10th of July to Monday 17th of July The following stuffs are taken into account in these dates:
Monday-Monday worked nice last year. That way there's a proper climax at the weekend and there's still many people present at last day to help with wrapping up everything (I still need someone to leave a bit later to help with 100% finishing the cleaning and someone to be a bit early to help with arranging though). Mid-July is also the most free what it comes to all the farm activities. Also the Kosmos festival got its dates confirmed a while ago (21.-23.7.), meaning that there will not be overlap for those that are going there (Zero, Harald at least). The only overlap about which I am aware of it is just with Ilosaarirock.
Who is coming?
Confirmed:
- A.K.B.
(full time) - bene
(Wed/Thu - Sun) - danitah
(full time) - ElrondMcBong
(Mon-Sun) - FinMan
- Harald Hasch
(full time) - Kopaka
(late Tue - early Mon) - Markku (full time)
- nick-o-matic (full time)
- Pawq
(Mon-Sun) - Ramone (Tue-Tue)
- Raven (few days)
- veezay + Antti (Mon-Sun)
- Zero
- adi
- Lousku
- Orcc (weekend)
- Polarix
- roope
- terb0
- Zweq
- Abula
- Ismo
- Tisk
- Ruben
Tourism in Eastern Finland
Especially for people coming from other countries or more faraway parts of Finland I would recommend to do some local sightseeing. I did my best to create a semi-comprehesive list of sights to you.
Koitsanlahti village:
Parikkala sculpture park (2km)
- http://www.patsaspuisto.net/english/ | http://www.patsaspuisto.net/
- Seriously a must see for everyone, a world-famous place
- A masterpiece by our local Michelangelo. He created a huge sculpture park into his own yard and allowed people to visit there for free. Now he is dead and there is a small voluntary but recommended entrance fee
- https://www.iloinenpässi.fi/
- Local food and souveniers
- For example bison burgers (there is a local bison farm, mb poss go there too)
- Signs that tell you not to go any further to the border zones
- Do not go any further
- https://www.facebook.com/marjatilahallikainen/
- Berries and berry products
- https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koitsanlahden_hovi/
- https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanhan_Su ... oitusmaat/
- Mainly for those interested in history of (Eastern) Finland
- I think only poss to eye ouside now
- https://maurikin.blogspot.com/2015/06/p ... smaa.html/
- Mainly for those interested in history of (Eastern) Finland
- https://www.visitparikkala.com/ | https://www.visitparikkala.fi/
- https://www.rautjarvitravel.com/ | https://www.rautjarvitravel.com/fi/
- http://www.visitpunkaharju.fi/en/ | http://www.visitpunkaharju.fi/ | Punkaharju has notably beautiful roads on ridges inbetween lakes, just driving there is an experience
- http://www.uimolansavusauna.com/
- Public sauna on Wednesdays (7€/person), a private sauna is 140€
- We will probably go there on both Wednesdays
- http://www.saimaansaunaseura.fi/?page_id=16
- Public sauna on Mondays (7€/person), a private sauna is 230€
- https://www.kollaa-simohayha-museo.fi/en/home | https://www.kollaa-simohayha-museo.fi/fi/etusivu
- Kollaa battle was a famous battle during the Winter War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kollaa/
- Simo "The White Death" Häyhä was probably the most famous WWII sniper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4/
- http://www.papinniemicamping.net/index.php/en/ | http://www.papinniemicamping.net/index.php/fi/
- a beautiful place, but just one example of cottage/camping possibilities here
- poss rent cottages much closer, even in Koitsanlahti/Parikkala
- https://www.simpeleenantiikki.fi/in-english/ | https://www.simpeleenantiikki.fi/
- Entry fee (10€) limits quick visits for authentic local farm antique souveniers
- https://www.visitkarelia.fi/en/ | https://www.visitkarelia.fi/fi/ | North Karelia (Joensuu area)
- https://www.gosaimaa.com/en/ | https://www.gosaimaa.com/fi/ | The general area of lake Saimaa has very good swimming / camping / hiking possibilities
- https://operafestival.fi/en/ | https://operafestival.fi/
- A famous opera festival in a medieval castle in a small island
- https://www.instagram.com/visitlappeenranta_official/
- https://www.lappeenranta.fi/CityOfLappeenranta/ | https://www.lappeenranta.fi/Lappeenranta/
- Poss stay in my apartment for night (I live there)
- Beautiful harbor area and historical fortress
- Good swimming / camping / hiking possibilities
- There is also a possibility for visa-free cruises to Viipuri (Vyborg) and event to Saint Petersburg
How to get there?
If you are not coming by a car or carpooling you should first get yourself to Helsinki by plane or ferry and then take a bus/train.
Trains from Helsinki:
https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/frontpage
Price 19€ (if you book early) to ~50€ (if you book late).
Busses from Helsinki (Onnibus):
http://www.onnibus.com/en/index.htm
Price ~10€ (if you book early) to ~20€ (if you book late).
Only the 17:00 departures go all the way to onion farm (rest of them stop at Lappeenranta).
Busses from Helsinki (norm busses):
https://www.matkahuolto.fi/fi/
Price 19€ (constant price (I think??)).
Optionally, you can also fly to Lappeenranta if the few flights that exist match for you:
Arriving flights
Departing flights
If these options work for you, Lappeenranta would be the most convenient option. You basically get out of plane, show passport and get through quick security check (Lappeenranta airport is more like a bus station than an airport), take a shuttle bus or walk to train/bus station (they are close) and in one hour you are at onion farm.
You can even arrive from St. Petersburg. There are busses to Lappeenranta and Imatra and you can get a train ticket all the way to onion farm as well (train change in Kouvola).
After you are in either Simpele or Parikkala, someone will pick you up. Simpele is preferable if you come from the south. However, not all trains stop in Simpele since this year, so you might have to go all the way to Parikkala. But all the busses stop there.
If you come by car, there are two possible gravel road routes to our farm, shown on the map. However, if you are coming from Parikkala direction or go to Parikkala to do shopping, please avoid the one small bit of road drawn in this map. It is being maintained by a local farm, and they collect fees from villagemans that use it (it is norm system in Fin countryside). However, we don't pay anything to them so we should avoid traffic which can be related to us on that road.
Perhaps I can come up with some things. Potentially some kuskis may need some financial help, so maybe there is some way to assist where possible?
