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Reitti hiking trail network - Introduction

Finland - Northern Exotics and Room to Enjoy Nature

Finland, located on the northern brink of Europe, is a vast and scarcely populated country, over 338 000 km 2 and only 5.2 million inhabitants. It is well reasonable to call Finland a mosaic of forest and water, where there is room to enjoy beautiful and clean Nordic nature. Built-up densely populated zones there are only 2 % of the country's area, whereas forest there is almost five hectares per each Finn.

In addition to forest, water characterizes the Finnish landscape. Because of the curving shore of the Baltic Sea and of the thousands of islands, Finland calculatedly has altogether got 40 000 kilometres of coast, and by the 190 000 lakes in Continental Finland there still is some five times more shoreline, so there are enjoyable shore areas for use by hikers, too, in abundance.

The Finnish landscape was chiefly ground-prepared by the Glacial, evening out the ancient bedrock, therefore elevation differences are nowadays small. The effects by the ice cover, once even three- kilometre thick, can still be seen, especially on the coast of Western Finland while the Earth's submerged crust is resurfacing to regain its form. For this sake, Finland is getting broader all the time and gains new land almost 2 hectares every day.

Because of northern location, the different seasons of the year are clearly distinguished, and they all have got their good sides considering moving around in nature. The warm and lightful summer

time is naturally the most popular season for hiking, when you well manage to carry on trekking even through the night. At nightless night in Northern Finland, in Lapland that is, the sun does not set at all, and also in Southern Finland there is enough light all around the clock. However, if well-equipped, the other seasons of the year are also just as enjoyable and they can give wholly new perspectives onto nature and hiking.

Hiking in Finland is made especially pleasant by the so called every man's rights, by which it is meant among others that you are traditionally allowed to hike around on lands owned by others without particular permission. It is also allowed to pick mushroom and berries outside yards. However, for a longer camping and fire making you will always need permission by the landowner, but on the marked hiking routes there are naturally equipped fire making and camping places ready.

REITTI - Hiking Trail - from the Coast of the Baltic Sea to the Wood- and Lakelands

In this context, a section of one of Finland's broadest hiking trail networks is introduced, which connects the city of Pori located on the coast of the Baltic Sea and the city of Tampere located deep in the mainland. As an entity, the REITTI hiking trail network is over 360 km long, of which here a section that is divided into three different stage types, and that - according to the route selection - is about 130-190 km long, is introduced.

Coastal-REITTI is characterised by the Baltic Sea and the attached marine features, whereas Woodland-REITTI introduces the most typical Finnish landscape leading through the almost endless coniferous woodlands, and the appearance of Lakeland-REITTI is given by the beautiful lakes and the small ponds.

Coastal-REITTI

Coastal-REITTI starts from the city of Pori, from Preiviiki, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, and it leads along the very shoreline towards North, following winding paths and small roads through bulrushes, black alder groves, and broad Natura areas. One of Coastal-REITTI's central parts is the area of Yyteri, where you can find one of Finland's most popular beach holiday sites with several kilometre long sandy beaches and with the services, although the dune area is also significant, where the hiker can see the sea with the shore dunes on one side, and the steep slopes covered by lush grove vegetation on the other side. The meadows in the Natura area are managed among others by pasturing, and the massive, though peaceful Highland Cattle keeps the landscapes open, and creates an amazing sea of flowers, which consists of a countless number of different types and colours of inflorescence.

Lush alluvial areas are situated along the Coastal-REITTI, and the broad estuary of the probably most significant big river in Finnish History, of the Kokemäenjoki, is famous of its particularly abundant bird stock, a great share of which hatches in the area, only partially resting along their long migration routes. For the observation of birds, the most massive network of bird watch towers and check stages in Finland has been built, so the area is a real paradise of bird watchers. Naturally, the sea offers brilliant opportunities to connect hiking also with fishing, and indeed, tricking the salmons is a popular hobby in the area. If the hiker particularly wishes to get marine experience, then they can get over with an ease onto the nearby islands, a few of which offer the same hiking services as on the mainland, and for example, spending the night under the shelter of an open shed, far away from the hurry and the noise is an unforgettable experience.

From the Natura area in Yyteri, the Coastal-REITTI goes on through the beautiful archipelago route to the territories of Ahlainen, which is especially suitable, in addition to hiking, also for biking tourism. In the area of Ahlainen the hiking trail leads chiefly along small and ages old roads, and eventually landscape-wise the region is particularly valuable with the historic buildings, which add an interesting feature to this environment shaped by sailing and fishing. After the villages of Ahlainen, the REITTI turns to East, towards the mainland, where landscape and environment change radically. The salty smells of the sea and the inhabited areas - in places relatively densely populated, too - are left behind, when you carry on to Woodland-REITTI.

Woodland-REITTI

They say that the woods are the second home for the Finns, and thus the Woodland-REITTI that leads through forest areas that almost seem endless can be considered a very typical Finnish hiking trail. The woods enclose the hiker onto her bosom, and then the tranquillity and silence of nature is tangible, even to the extent that for one used to tumult and huge masses of people it may feel a bit scary, too. However, hiking is easy along the well marked and clearly guided REITTI, and there is no hazard of losing your way.

In addition to the woodlands, the Woodland-REITTI is characterised by one of the nice, canoeable rivers in this area, the Noormarkunjoki, the banks of which are followed by the hiking trail for over 20 km, and you will also cross the river over bridges several times. The bulk of these hiking trails are very easily passable, elevation alterations remaining within a few metres, and ground being hard and carrying. Here and there, however, there are small swampy areas and other wetland sites as well as places that are particularly susceptible to erosion, which are crossed along traditional Finnish planked paths. As easily passable wooden hiking lanes they feel nice under a hiker's tired feet, especially since those feet will meanwhile stay dry and clean, even though the ground is soggy. Planked paths just as all other structures are made of the most environmentally friendly local materials possible.

Woodland-REITTI advances towards the East, also leading through the centre of the municipality Noormarkku and the mansion zone, precious both historically and architecturally. Within this popular trail section there is a huge set of pleasant rest places used in addition to hikers also by canoers and recreational fishers enjoying their stay in the area. Based on the every man's rights, while having some rest on a hike, the wanderer can also pick berries and mushroom, of which there are enough in the vast woodland areas.

In autumn, along Woodland-REITTI the hiker can encounter in the Nordic nature the gorgeous splendour of colours i. e. "ruska", while nature is getting prepared for winter, and when frosts arrive the vault of heaven may get painted over by a frantic brush while the northern lights get inspired for a wild dance. Checking them out under the skies from a warm sleeping bag must be one of the unforgettable experiences in nature. If the traditional, although simple and from service level point of view barren open sheds, huts, and other rest places and accommodations that can be used by anyone free of charge do not seem cosy enough, then along REITTI you can find an abundance of rental cottages installed with modern comfort for families and small groups as well as bigger camping and course centres for groups that need larger space.

In addition to woodlands and lakes, Finland is also a land of the swamps. Once, when most expanded, these swamps covered almost a third of Finland, and even nowadays their share of the area is greater, than in any other state. At best, the hiker can get acquainted on the REITTI with the particularly tranquillising swamp landscape by turning off from the river, Noormarkunjoki, to the north heading to the hiking trail section taking to the centre of the municipality of Pomarkku. Isoneva, an about 800-hectare-size open bog - which is so beautiful that it makes one speechless - is a particularly valuable site both for its vegetation's and its bird species' sake. In the area, there goes several kilometres of easy-to-pass planked paths, and in the middle of the bog, there is a tower built for scrutinising birds, from which it is nice to watch the vast swamp landscape and life in it.

Woodland-REITTI, which follows the river, Noormarkunjoki, ends at the Inhottujärvi, a particularly significant bird lake that is located in the middle of huge woodlands. The area of this bird wildlife lake is very popular also among fly-fishers, since the river that flows into it, Kynäsjoki, is one of the most popular fishing sites in Western Finland, meanwhile it is excellently suitable also for canoeing. In this diverse start zone of Lakeland-REITTI, there is especially lot of accommodation vacancy for hikers and others who choose a hobby in nature.

Lakeland-REITTI

An almost 40 km-long hiking trail section running in North-South direction from Inhottujärvi to Joutsijärvi is called Lakeland-REITTI. This beautiful section between these two lakes winds along in an uninhabited forest terrain, but along it, there are several small lakes and ponds located, on the shores of which there are nice rest places. Lakeland-REITTI ends at a rather popular hiking area at Joutsijärvi, around which there goes an amazing and well-equipped, about 27 km long hiking trail.

Joutsijärvi has long been spared from construction, therefore it is in quite a natural state considering its shores and views, and has a wilderness atmosphere, which is highlighted by a ban on all sorts of motor vehicles. Being so, this lake that holds within it more than fifty islands and that has a labyrinthine shoreline, Joutsijärvi, is a real paradise for hikers, canoers, and rowing boaters, which is a perfectly suitable site for one night stands as well as for longer hikes. The speciality of Joutsijärvi is the 16-seat church boat with oars, by which waterway touring goes easily and is fun for a large group.

Tourism and hiking in nature always includes in Finland the sauna and the attached particularly rich national sauna culture, since in the cold climate the sauna played, particularly in the past eras, an especially great role. It utterly belongs to Finnish culture to ease the strained muscles after hiking in the sauna, in the warm steam, and to bath in between and to refresh oneself by plopping into the nearby lake or pond for a swim. Winters with the thick ice cover formed by frost will just not change this habit, rather, a hole is made into the ice, and one refreshes oneself in the ice cold water when having a break within sauna-time. In the region of Joutsijärvi there are excellent opportunities to get introduced to these ages old Finnish traditions, since in the area there is a large number of rental saunas, moreover smoke saunas, too, that absolutely belong to the noble high class of saunas, and which still are considered a bit mystic and holy places. After all it was a general belief in the past eras that in each sauna had its own fairy who had protected the sauna from burning down and who meanwhile strictly followed what people were doing. The tourist of present days can best find respect for the ancient tradition by enjoying in the middle of the beautiful nature of Joutsijärvi the sauna provisions that give first of all spiritual relaxation, a perfect tranquillisation, and new power, and that are a good end for an interesting hike along the REITTI.

Plan your own REITTI hiking

The trail section from Preiviiki on the coast of the Baltic Sea down to Joutsijärvi introduced here in this context is only a small part of the whole REITTI-entity and of the trekking opportunities offered by it. As an entity, the REITTI is an over 360 kilometre long continuous hiking trail network which offers a countless number of different opportunities so in relation of route selection as of service provisions, and of additional activities. A comprehensive view of this route entity, that is one of the vastest in Finland, can be provided by getting acquainted with the home pages of REITTI, at the location www.reitti.org, which pages help the hiker route their own hike in this beautiful Nordic patchwork of vast woodlands and of thousands of lakes.