Guesthouse to Guesthouse Karelia à la carte Sauna Tour

Day 1. Arrival at Guesthouse Pihlajapuu. The sauna trail begins with a greeting from hostess Minna.

Tour info. 

Dinner

Overnight stay at Pihlajapuu

We learn how to cook, bake or preserve wild vegetables. Depending on the season we have herbs, blueberries, lingonberries, mushrooms, apples...

We prepare lunch together from the local groceries

- Evening sauna: Wood-heated traditional Finnish basic sauna at Guesthouse Pihlajapuu

- Dinner

- Overnight stay at Pihlajapuu

Laitala sauna trail to the River bank sauna

You have time to make your own trips, for example to nature trails or to the town of Nurmes. The trip begins with a greeting from the hostess Henna at 14:00. We go through the program together and hear stories about Laitala's history and saunas. Guests move to the forest for relaxation. We bring hammocks with us and enjoy taking forest baths. Our guests choose their own place for hanging the hammock and we relax by listening to the sounds of the forest and the singing birds. After relaxation, we collect ingredients for the sauna hair rinse and prepare our own rinse. 

For lunch, we enjoy "an experience lunch" that Henna has prepared for us. This includes handmade karjalanpiirakka and egg butter, leipäjuusto (Finnish squeaky cheese), salad, lingonberry jam, sea buckthorn jam, glazed egg halves, rice rolls, chanterelle-filled rye buttons, whipped cream with berries, coffee, tea, homemade cheesecake.

The sauna experience: 

The sauna program begins with a tarry welcome snaps drink (non-alcoholic), which is enjoyed in the terrace of the Main House. Next, we move along the path across the field to the sauna. The sauna is on the banks of the Karhujoki River, it is a peaceful experience to take a swim off the pier. In the sauna, our hostess Henna tells us tricks and tips on how to heat the sauna properly for a magical experience. At the same time, we prepare the sauna ready together for the sauna session. After receiving a sauna spell from Henna, guests enter the smooth steams of the sauna. We wash ourselves in the sauna with local handmade natural soaps. Guests may choose their favourite soap to keep, perhaps it would be Hillan hurma or Pakurin mahti. These charming ecological Sola soaps are organic and natural soaps, the raw materials are collected from pure Finnish nature. While cooling off, we enjoy the delicacies of the sauna basket and refreshing drinks.

Sauna basket delicacies: 

Laitala's sparkling blackcurrant leaf drink.

Natural fish mousse with rye bread

Local delicacy marmalades.

The sauna evening is highlighted by a hut dinner, which is enjoyed by the open fire in an atmospheric hut of Laitala.

Laitala sauna trail hut dinner menu 

Laitala perunarieska (potato rieska), rye bread from a local bakery, butter

Organic cheese salad and root salad

Vegetable-potato dumplings by the campfire, meatballs made of local ranch meat.

Dessert includes nokipannukahvi (soot pot coffee), herbal tea, campfire crepes, whipped cream, berry jam

Homemade beer, berry juice, water.

Overnight stay at Laitalan Lomat

and cinnamon rolls (korvapuustit) – pulla made into a roll with cinnamon and sugar. Or we can make cheese cake with local berries.

In the afternoon a canoeing tour with picnic lunch on the river.

​Evening sauna and dinner

Overnight stay at Laitalan Lomat

After breakfast tour to the Traditional Karelian village Bomba.

Biking of 25 km to Nurmes. Picnic snack at the harbor of Nurmes (or lunch in the restaurant of Supikas in Porokylä, the new centre of Nurmes).

The Bomba House is the heart and main attraction of the Karelian village of Bomba, and its architecture reflects the region’s rich and diverse history. The building was opened in August 1978 and is a replica of the original house built by Jegor Bombin in 1855 in Suojärvi.

Where the original barn once stood in the old Bomba House, visitors can now enjoy the Bomba Restaurant, known for its grand halls and warm hospitality. Surrounding the Bomba House is a Karelian village, built to enhance the area’s tourism services and to give visitors an authentic experience of Karelian culture and tradition. Overnight at the Karelian village of Bomba in the log buildings.

Afternoon a lovely summer evening boat trip to Nurmesniemi sauna

The  boat trip starts at about 5 pm from the Bomba harbor. 

We’ll take the evening sauna at Nurmesniemi summer cottage sauna. There is a possibility to go swimming.

With sauna experience we’ll also enjoy sauna basket delicacies.

We’ll be back at about 9 pm.

Breakfast and morning swim in the lake Pielinen. Guided walk in the area of Bomba. Visit to the orthodox chapel of Bomba.

Biking tour via Nurmes to Guesthouse Pihlajapuu, 25 km.

- Lunch at the cafeteria Thure in the old railway station of Nurmes

- Shopping and sightseeing in Nurmes.

- Overnight at the guesthouse Pihlajapuu

Sauna lunch delicacies:

Karelian pasties

Vegetable soup

Smoke sauna

The smoke sauna experience starts at about  4 pm: Before the sauna session, guests prepare different whisks for example of birch, juniper and aspen. The sauna experience includes OleHyvä ecological washing detergents, a sauna cap,  bathrobes, towels, and sauna seat covers. You can paddle by canoe from guesthouse Pihlajapuu over the lake to Minna's smokesauna (about 1 km distance from the guesthouse). If the weather is not good, you go to the smoke sauna by car, 6.5 km. There is a possibility to go swimming.

Pihlajapuu smoke sauna trail menu by the campfire at hut

Glow-fried salmon

Seasonal salad with salad dressing of the house

Potato salad with wild vegetable pesto

Sour cream dressing for salmon

Beverages of berries or foliage

Crêpes with berry jam

- Overnight stay at Pihlajapuu 

­Time to say Hei, hei, Bye, bye