e-Car Adventures: Enjoy ancient forests and sandy beaches from Tampere

14.03.2024


Image: Visit Tampere and Laura Vanzo

One does not exaggerate when they say that Finland is the land of lakes and forests. Within a little more than one hour drive from the city of Tampere you can experience all the best features of Finnish nature – untouched forests with huge trees, idyllic lakes to plunge in and countryside at its best. So download this route in your mobile phone and start you e-car towards Finnish nature!

Start your e-car nature adventure environmentally by renting a modern vehicle at downtown Tampere. Avis delivers the car straight to you, so you can start your trip at the doorstep of your hotel, if you like.

Contradictory though, there are not just one but two national parks close to the city of Tampere. To experience the Finnish forests at their wildest, head to Seitseminen National Park. Kovero Crown Tenant Farm (Address: Seitsemisentie 948, Ikaalinen) takes you back to the 1930s. Native breeds of livestock graze in the nearby meadows, and herbs and other plants that were traditionally used for medicinal purposes grow in the kitchen garden. Close to the farm, step on to Aarnipolku trail and enjoy the murky depths of the Multiharju old-growth forest with up to 400-year-old trees, known as the heart of Seitseminen. https://www.nationalparks.fi/seitseminennp

After wandering in the forests and on the paths until you get hungry, drive 7 km north to Seitseminen Nature Centre (Seitsemisentie 110, 34530 Länsi-Aure/Ylöjärvi). At the Centre, both you and your e-car can have a refreshing break and satisfy your hunger. There are charging stations at the parking lot, and delicious food and bakery at the restaurant-café. Here you can also rent some equipment, like SUP board or fat bike for some additional adventure. Or why not search for some geocaches for excitement? There are several in the park.

After Seitseminen, head up to north-east and to Helvetinjärvi National Park. It is time to get refreshed at beautiful Haukanhieta beach (Haukanhieta, Ruovesi). This shallow and long beach only a few hundred meters from the parking lot is a rare treat and ideal for children, too. Please note though that there are no lifeguards on the beach. https://www.nationalparks.fi/helvetinjarvinp

If you have booked an accommodation and thus have more than a day for this trip, and feeling sporty, hike from Haukanhieta beach to the title spot of Helvetinjärvi National Park – that is Lake Helvetinjärvi and Helvetinkolu Gorge. The trail there and back is approximately 11 km long.

The name Helvetinjärvi means Hell’s Lake, and no wonder that its rough sceneries have sparked imagination. Helvetinkolu Gorge, located southeast of the Lake Iso Helvetinjärvi, is the most famous gorge in the area. It is narrow, only a couple of metres wide cleft, which descends steeply to the lake side.

Lake Helvetinjärvi and surroundings have an abundance of different natural rock formations. You can find the best ones around ravine lakes.  At their highest points the fault-line scarps reach a height of 180-210 metres above the sea level. At some places the sheer cliff faces of the lakeshores rise up to tens of metres from the lake water level.

When you are looking for an accommodation – or just a pretty town to visit – start your engine and head to Ruovesi centre.  The 120-year-old Vinha bookstore is located in a romantic wooden building, offering not only books and beds, but also café and culture. https://vinhankirjakauppa.fi/

After this sporty day, act like a Finn and have a sauna. Niemi-Kapee farm offers a variety of Finnish saunas so come and test which one is your favourite. Or why not stay overnight for some glamorous camping or glamping. Your e-car will also enjoy the charger here.  https://www.niemikapee.fi/en

After you and your e-car have relaxed, take the course towards south and Tampere City. Choose a small country road that twirls in traditional landscape and admire one (or perhaps two – or five) of Finland’s 100,000 thousand lakes shimmering through the trees. Stop for some Instagram-worth pictures at Aunessilta bridge crossing the longest inland fjord of the Nordics, made of huge granite blocks. Then pick some souvenirs at Teiskon Viini wine kiosk that offers a good selection of local berry wines as well as non-alcoholic options for the driver. https://www.teiskonviini.fi/en/home/

Facts on this adventure:

  • Total length of the route: 210 km
  • Time needed: You can drive through the stops in one day. If you want to spend more time with the activities or hike longer trails, you should consider staying overnight. Accommodation is available at Seitseminen National Park, Ruovesi and Niemi-Kapee farm.
  • Charging stations: At Seitseminen Nature Centre, Ruovesi Osuuspankki (bank) parking lot and Niemi-Kapee farm.
  • Who the route is for: Anyone keen to see the Finnish nature. The most common trails are well-marked in the national parks, so you don’t need orienteering skills. Shorter trails suite for children, too, and farm animals of Kovero Crown Tenant Farm as well as Haukanhieta beach interest even the youngest family members. Several trails in Seitseminen together with Haukanhieta surroundings are accessible by baby trolleys.
  • The route in Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/PXRCs8k8AyL1JhfK6

Book your e-car for this adventure here: https://one.avisworld.com/en_GB/Avis-ecaradventures/ 

This route has been designed as a concept of REACT-EU funded Sustainable Tourism Mobility project.

Images: Visit Tampere and Laura Vanzo