Discover Kitee: Nature, Wildlife and Nightwish

When choosing Kitee as your destination, you can plan your trip around different interests: nature and birdlife, animals, or Nightwish’s musical history. When looking for a hotel in Kitee, it helps to think in advance about which theme you want to shape your stay. Possible highlights range from hiking landscapes and a visitor trail at the zoo to an exhibition and a guest harbour.

Nature among lakes, mires and wetlands

Kitee’s hiking landscape includes lakes, mires, ridges, cultural landscapes and the diverse forests of the Karelian deciduous forest zone. You can hike in these landscapes. Many natural areas are valuable for conservation and are part of Finland’s Natura 2000 network. The nature experience is therefore not limited to a single landscape type: these environments include bodies of water and mires, as well as ridges, cultural landscapes and forests.

Päätyeenlahti is a specific destination for those interested in birds and wetlands. It is located at the northwestern corner of Lake Kiteenjärvi, is more than four kilometres long and is considered an internationally valuable wetland for birds. Its lakeside setting and importance for birdlife give this area a distinct place among Kitee’s varied natural attractions. If you are particularly interested in wetlands, Päätyeenlahti is a clear point of reference.

Trails and KiteeZoo

At Pajarinmäki, the lush Pajarin loop nature trail is about one kilometre long. This trail connects to the Hutsi Trail and Matinpolku. The Pajarin nature trail starts at the Hutsi Sports Centre. For planning your hike, this means the Pajarin loop connects with other trails, while the Pajarin nature trail has a specific starting point.

KiteeZoo, in the Pajarinhovi area, offers a two-kilometre visitor trail with scenic views and animals. The two distances offer a direct comparison: the Pajarin loop is about one kilometre long, while the visitor trail at the zoo is two kilometres long. The type of trail also differs: one is a lush nature trail, while the other is a zoo visitor route featuring animals and scenic views. This makes it possible to consider different interests and trail lengths together when planning.

Nightwish Story and Myllyniemi Guest Harbour

The Nightwish Story exhibition features instruments and stage props used by the band members on concert tours. The exhibition is located at the exhibition centre in Kitee. Its theme links music history with actual items from the band’s tours, offering a cultural highlight alongside the nature and animal attractions.

Myllyniemi Guest Harbour is in Puhos, Kitee, on Lake Orivesi. Its facilities include a water tap, waste bins and a pump-out facility for holding tanks. These details describe a specific connection to the water: they include a water supply and facilities for waste and tank contents. Kitee therefore offers a range of interests to choose from when planning your trip—from hiking and birdlife to an exhibition or harbour.

Discover more destinations: Outokumpu, Nurmes, Vanhahovi, Tohmajärvi, Valtimo, Kontiolahti, Tuupovaara, Polvijärvi.

See the regional travel overview: North Karelia.