A Finnish cottage with a Dutch touch
In June 2007 our Finnish cottage was completed, making this dream come true has been a real pleasure. Suited for up to six people the cottage is a comfortable and spacious accommodation with private use as main purpose but in our own absence others can enjoy life in the woods. The cottage is located in South Karelia in the heart of the Saimaa region relatively close to the Russian border. Formed by the last ice age this beautiful part of Finland consists of woods and lakes. With its pleasant summer temperatures and in winter times snow-covered landscapes the Finnish climate is quite unique. During the summer days last very long in the contrary to winter times when the night sets in early. It is often wrongly assumed that due to its northern location Finnish summers are cold as well, the temperatures however often exceed those of most West-European countries. The entire country is thinly populated but the only deserted parts are high up in the north.
The bungalow is at approximately 250 km to the northeast of the Finnish capital Helsinki. The cottage is named after its location, Hirvim�ki, which means hill of the elk. several smaller towns like Taipalsaari and Saimaanharju are located at 6 km from the house. The closest real city is Lappeenranta at 17 kilometres away.
The address is:
Toijantie 94A, 54960 Vehkataipale, Finland
The climate and the surroundings are what appeal us the most, but the peace and the wild-life are a real pleasure as well. The Finnish people are really friendly once you get to know them, but seem uncommunicative when it comes to strangers.
A holiday in Finland
The cold, the distance, the expense and don�t forget the mosquito�s, these are usually the first associations with Finland we hear.
It is up to yourself whether or not your holiday in Finland is expensive. Choosing the right aviation companies and early bookings can result in very cheap tickets. Renting a car might seem inevitable but the store is at cycling distance and Lappeenranta airport is a relative cheap taxi ride away.
With Finnlines you can travel by boat from Travem�nde to Helsinki, taking your car with you this all inclusive trip is very comfortable and relaxing. You will arrive in the morning having had a luxurious breakfast. It is however a lot faster and cheaper to travel by plane.
The distance between our home in The Netherlands and our bungalow in Finland is approximately 2000 km. From the moment you arrive you will experience all of what Finland has to offer. Its beautiful nature and calm lifestyle will along with the Finnish language surprise you.
St. Petersburg
The Russian border is very close therefore Lappeenranta offers a couple of ways to visit this country. MS Carelia (as seen on the picture on the right) is a ferry used by the corporation Saimaatravel which offers trips to Vyborg. From Vyborg you can continue your journey to St Petersburg by bus. Saimaatravel only operates during the summer.
The new high-speed rail (allegro) travels from Helsinki to St Petersburg and stops in Vainikkala, near Lappeenranta. Vainikkala is a 30 minutes bus ride away. If you take the train from 12:00 you will arrive at 14:36 Russian time in St Petersburg, since Russian time is one hour later than Finnish your travelling time was 96 minutes.
From Lappeenranta busses can take you to St Petersburg multiple times a day in four hours.
To enter Russia you will always need a visa unless you travel with Saimaatravel.
Winter in Finland
Trips across the frozen lakes and snowy forests with snowmobiles are very popular among our guests. Organizing such a trip is not hard at all, a local Finn offers these snowmobile safaris at roughly the following prices:
90 Euros an hour for two persons on a single snowmobiles, using a single snowmobiles on your own will cost 70 Euros these prices include helmets. For those who like a more gentle approach for exploring the forests a hiking tour can be arranged for 10 Euros.
Making a trip with sled dogs is possible but quite expensive.
The picture as seen on the right shows a snowmobile on the frozen lake Saimaa. On the plain lake you can reach very high speeds and in the forests these machines prove to be very agile.
