Hotelli Kivitippu

You’ll need a car, since everything around the hotel is remote. It sits by the lake, with a nice 26km bike route nearby. I also spotted two beautiful golf courses for anyone keen on ⛳️. You can walk along the lake for a while, but the trail ends where private houses begin. The hotel has its own bikes, so just grab one and ride as far as your legs will take you :) I noticed some kayaks around the lake too. I’d read a lot of negative reviews about the hotel and its services. They may be fair, depending on what you’re after. If you want peace, lots of nature, good traditional food, an authentic Finnish feel, saunas and some outdoor sports, this place has those things. There are plenty of places like that on earth, though. The food impressed me with its high quality in every way, despite the negative comments. It costs a bit more than at similar restaurants, but I thought the quality made it worth it. The staff were friendly and helpful. There can be awkward moments, but you’re not in a metropolitan area, and you get that local Finnish touch. The indoor pool is small, not really for adults to swim laps in, maybe just to stretch a little. It’s more for relaxing with the water massage jets or for kids to play. The usual Finnish saunas are on opposite sides of the pool, with separate facilities for women and men, including changing rooms, showers and toilets. You’re expected to go in naked, but there’s a bit more modesty in how you do it compared with the German ones. You’ll figure it out. I loved the sauna experience. My room was clean and okay, about what I’d expect from a true three star hotel. The Wi-Fi wasn’t very strong in the room. The TV had plenty of old American movies, and there were enough towels and robes for the sauna. There were other relaxation facilities too, but I didn’t try them. The price was fair, and even though not everything was perfect, I rated my stay five stars. From what I found in my research, it seems like the best hotel around.

A quiet, pleasant spot for a vacation, with a golf course nearby. It’s right beside Europe’s largest crater lake.

The surroundings are relaxing, and the pool and sauna are okay. But the food isn’t worth the price, and there’s no cooling in the rooms, so it’s as hot inside as it is outside.

A nice hotel by the lake, with meteor information too. The picture was taken from the opposite side of the lake.