Sights and places to visit

In Rantasalmi, you can, for example, relax at the Hotel & Spa Resort Järvisydän, visit Finland’s largest underwater log village at HakoApaja’s Aikhituvat, explore the beautiful lake and countryside scenery, or engage in various sports activities.

Linnansaari National Park

Linnansaari National Park was established in 1956 and is maintained by Metsähallitus. Linnansaari National Park offers diverse opportunities for outdoor activities, hiking, and exercise throughout the year. This national park comprises 98 square kilometres of islands and water.  It is also home to the endangered Saimaa ringed seal and one of the largest birds in Finland, the osprey.

Linnansaari National Park

Rantasalmi Church

Rantasalmi Church, which was built in 1904 and represents late-gothic architecture, was destroyed at the end of June in 1984 when a lightning strike set it on fire. Architect Carl-Johan Slotte from Espoo designed a new church, which was built inside the walls of the old church and inaugurated on the Twelfth Day in 1989. This is the fifth church in the parish, which was founded in 1578. The church is located at Kirkkotie 3.

Rantasalmi church (in finnish)

Rantasalmi Museum

Rantasalmi Museum offers changing exhibitions during the summer. In the immediate vicinity of the museum, there is a large grass field for picnics, a beach, a frisbee golf course, as well as shops and lunch and coffee places.

Museum (in finnish) >

Further information

Ohitustie, Myllyranta

+358 40 558 5288

+358 40 827 1075 (June, July, and August)

Museum Opening Hours

Closed during the winter months

Memorials

The memorials of Parkumäki and Haapaniemi Cadet School honor the municipality’s history.

Memorials (in finnish)

The exhibitions in the area also offer culture and insight into local life throughout the ages.

 

Art gallery Villi Villa

Beautuful lake landscape gives a lovely environment for great paintings by Pentti Ikäheimonen. Art gallery-atelier is situated about 5 km from Rantasalmi towards Varkaus and it is open during summer, no entrance fee.

Villi Villa (in finnish)

HakoApajan Aikhituvat

HakoApaja is located in Porosalmi, Rantasalmi, in eastern Finland and consists of a massive main building, exhibition buildings in the courtyard and several smaller cabins on the lakeshore that can be rented, all made of logs pulled from the bottom of the lake. Cafe is open during summer.

HakoApajan Aikhituvat

Southern Savo Renovation Centre

Established to promote recycling and renovation, a place for constructors and renovators to get spare parts and expert information.  Volunteers renovated the building that people knew as Rissanen’s Shop to serve as a shop that sells old parts that can be used in renovation projects. This is a great place to find architectural gems or to get expert advice on how to renovate old buildings.
Address: Kylätie 56, open year-round on Thursdays from 12 pm to 5 pm, tel. +358 45 3429 201.

Southern Savo Renovation Centre (in finnish)

Aika matka

Aika matka – A Mighty Journey – is a 3-kilometer long environmental trail located in downtown Rantasalmi starting from Museum (Ohitustie 7). It tells you 12 stories about Rantasalmis geological ja cultural history. The trail is marked with posts and there are QR-codes, that opens text in english. For more information, visit tourist information.

Aika matka welcomes you to a trip throughout time!