24 Hours in Kuopio: Fish Pie, Frozen Lakes and the Puijo Tower

Kuopio is Finland's eighth-largest city, wrapped around Lake Kallavesi in the Lakeland. I had about 24 hours there in winter: reindeer for breakfast, kalakukko — the local fish pie — in the market hall, a frozen lake for snow tubing, and dinner in the rotating restaurant at the top of the Puijo Tower. Here is the film:

A quiet city of more than 120,000

On a Saturday morning the centre felt almost empty. A few people ahead of me, modern art on the square, and long stretches of quiet streets — you would not guess more than 120,000 people live here. Students make up a big share of the population, and early weekend mornings are for sleeping, not sightseeing. That calm is part of Kuopio's charm.

Kuopio's Market Square — the open heart of the city.

Where I stayed

I checked into Lapland Hotels Kuopio: a standard fifth-floor room, Finnish music on the television, and the usual Finnish hotel habit of two single beds pushed together only when needed. Sokos also has a strong presence in town — hotels, shopping and saunas — and I have stayed in their properties elsewhere in Finland. For a winter base, either puts you close to the market square.

Kalakukko and the market hall

Kuopio Market Hall, where locals buy kalakukko and smoked fish.

The Kauppahalli, the market hall on the square, is where I went looking for kalakukko — literally 'fish cock', a traditional Savo rye loaf baked with fish and often pork inside. I also walked the fish counters: pike, gravlax, smoked salmon fillets that smelled like a better version of kippers. Early on a Saturday the hall belonged mostly to older locals. If you like rye bread and lake fish, this is the stop. Outside, stallholders set up with baskets, baby clothes and potato salad, and when I visited there were also election campaign stalls on the square.

Frozen Lake Kallavesi and snow tubing

In winter Kallavesi freezes hard enough for play. I went snow tubing on the slopes under the trees near Puijo — a short rush down the white run that kids love and adults secretly enjoy. Cross-country skiers cut tracks across the lake and through the forest. This is not alpine Finland; the hills are modest, but the snow and the silence do the work.

Kuopio and the islands of Kallavesi from the Puijo Tower.

The Puijo Tower

Puijo Tower, 75 metres tall, above the forest and the lake.

The Puijo observation tower stands 75 metres high; the viewing level is about 224 metres above the lake and 306 metres above sea level. Lifts take you up. There is a café, an outdoor deck, and a restaurant whose floor rotates roughly 360 degrees in about an hour — the first rotating restaurant in Scandinavia when it opened in 1963. I ate a three-course meal there on a weekday and watched the view turn twice before I left. Service was excellent when it was quiet; staff told me evenings and weekends are busier. It has a faintly Bond-villain feel in the best way.

The night before I had also eaten well in the centre, at a place known as the House of Bishop or Crystal Hall, sampling Finnish dishes that reminded me again how seriously this country takes food. Go hungry in Kuopio and you will not be disappointed.

My verdict

Twenty-four hours is enough for the market, the lake and the tower. Stay longer if you want saunas, longer ski trails or the wider Lakeland. Kuopio does not shout for tourists; it just feeds you well and shows you a frozen horizon.

Changing money? Check Money Maps

Finland uses the euro, and most of Kuopio takes cards, but if you're changing pounds or dollars into euros before the trip, check Money Maps first. It's the app we built to show bureau de change rates on a map, so before you hand over your cash you can see how one shop compares with the others nearby and roughly what you'd get. A few euros in coins are handy for market stalls and lockers. Rates are indicative and can change, so always confirm at the counter.

Stay connected on arrival

Sort your data before you fly, because you will want maps and bookings working the moment you land. I recommend Roamless for an eSIM you can set up at home. Use code ENGLISHMAN50 for 50% off.

Where to stay in Kuopio

Use the map below to compare places to stay in Kuopio, or browse hotels on Booking.com and Airbnb:

Things to do in Kuopio

Browse tours and activities near Kuopio on Viator:

Plan your trip

• Hotels: Booking.com

• Apartments: Airbnb

• Tours and activities: Viator

• Private transfer: GetTransfer

• eSIM: Roamless (code ENGLISHMAN50 for 50% off)

Flights

Flying in? Compare fares to Kuopio or Helsinki below.

Sources: my 24 hours in Kuopio on film (January 2023); population and landmarks checked with Visit Finland and the City of Kuopio; Puijo Tower height, elevation and rotating restaurant from kuopio.fi and Puijo Peak; kalakukko and the market hall from Visit Finland and local guides. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.

Photos: Kuopio Market Square by Tiia Monto (CC BY-SA 3.0); Kuopio Market Hall by kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0); view from Puijo by Ximonic / Simo Räsänen (CC BY-SA 4.0); Puijo Tower by VirtuaaliAnu (CC BY-SA 2.0); all via Wikimedia Commons.

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Safe travels, The Wondering Englishman