Soini – Trails, Nature and Culture

Soini offers plenty of reasons to visit: short and longer trails, a nature trail with two sections, horseback riding and other activities, as well as culture in the town centre. When looking for a hotel in Soini, it helps to consider whether you’d rather spend your time on a hiking route, enjoying a particular activity or taking in cultural sights. The different trail lengths and themes offer a practical guide to planning your stay.

Hiking trails and longer routes

Hermanninpolku is in Parviaisenkylä, is 2.5 kilometres long and is considered an easy hiking trail. At 8.3 kilometres, Kuninkaanpolku is much longer and is a point-to-point trail. Its southern starting point is just over one kilometre from the centre of Soini, towards Karstula. So when comparing the routes, both their length and the location of this starting point are relevant.

The Arpainen outdoor and hiking route is on a different scale: it is just over 50 kilometres long and runs from Soini to Ähtäri. The route passes through diverse coniferous forests, mires and steep-sided sandy ridges. The trails described therefore differ not only in length, but also in the landscapes found along the way. If you’re deciding between a short hiking trail and a longer route, you can take these differences into account when planning.

Nature trail and activities

The accessible nature trail in Kaihiharju, completed in 2021, has two routes. One is about 200 metres long and fully accessible. The other is about 700 metres long and is also accessible, but is considered challenging; assistance may be needed on this route. The information about accessibility and difficulty should be considered together: assistance may be needed on the longer route. Bear this in mind if you’re including it in your plans.

Vauhti-Matin Ratsutila in Soini offers rides of varying lengths with nine Icelandic horses and one puolilänkkäri-type horse. No prior riding experience is required. The choice of ride length and the option for people with no riding experience make this a distinct activity from the hiking trails.

The Lintuharju disc golf course in Soini has 18 holes or baskets, and the holes are 1,815 metres long in total. The number of holes and their overall length give you a clear idea of the course, but don’t indicate how long a game might take. A varied network of cross-country ski trails adds a winter sport to the range of outdoor activities.

Townscape and culture

Soini Church is a cross-shaped church in the Ostrobothnian style, located in the town centre. An old statue of a poor woman stands in front of its bell tower. It is considered the only statue of its kind in Finland, and is perhaps even unique worldwide. The church and statue offer two different cultural details to discover in the town centre.

Another distinctive feature can be found on the Alasen hiking trail, where you’ll come across caricatures and humorous anecdotes by artist Reijo Kivijärvi. Unlike the trails whose length or difficulty is the main information given, this trail is characterised by the artist’s work. This gives you different ways to experience Soini, from its routes and landscapes to its art and townscape.

Discover more destinations: Ähtäri, Peräseinäjoki, Jalasjärvi, Töysä, Alajärvi, Karijoki, Myllykangas, Lehtimäki.

For the regional travel overview: South Ostrobothnia.