This spring, there has been a lot of discussion about the mysterious palaces of our eastern neighbor, but did you know that there is a luxurious timber villa radiating a spirit of the wilderness right in southern Tuusniemi good enough for the state guests with the most exquisite tastes? The impressive rating given to the villa at booking.com, 9.9/10 serves as evidence of its excellent quality-price ratio. "Before the coronavirus outbreak, we had a lot of clients from central, southern and eastern Europe, particularly Switzerland, Germany and Russia" explains Kimmo Mikkonen of the Suvaksen matkailu tourism company, who runs the Kaituran lumo villa. “This year, we are largely dependent on domestic tourism, and Finns from near and far have arrived to enjoy this five-star accommodation at the heart of nature.”
Respecting nature and the environment
"Nature is important to us and we want to promote biodiversity with our own actions while at the same time ensuring the wellbeing and comfort of our guests” says Kimmo Mikkonen. The villa is located by a beautiful 1.3-kilometre long Kaitura pond, rich in fish, on a hilly plot with natural beauty. The peace and privacy of visitors is fully ensured as there are no other holiday dwellings in the area. The landscape is majestical in its wilderness: it is like a piece of Lapland at the heart of lakeland Finland. A new lean-to built of timber and a campfire site were constructed on the outdoor area last autumn.
When you step into the 134-square-metre villa, you will immediately smell the fresh scent of wood - it is as if the building was just constructed. This is an effect of beeswax, a non-toxic natural product used to coat the wood in the villa. The building is heated with a floor heating system using ecological geothermal energy. The villa also has a heat-storing air conditioning system and a heat-storing fireplace. Led lights, designed with great taste, are used for lighting the space..
A sense of luxury from carefully considered details
Each detail in the interior has been designed without ever compromising quality. The grand living room radiates the spirit of Lappish wilderness and has large windows overlooking the terrace and pond. Guests enjoy relaxing on the leather couches while looking at impressive hunting trophies from over the years. The fireplace is by Uunisepät, a high-end manufacturer, and the granite tiling on the background wall adds finishing touches to the high-quality interior, creating warmth and coziness to the darkening late summer and autumn evenings.
An inventive and beautiful ceiling lamp has been devised out of deer horns to the living room. A nostalgic wood-burning oven stands by the fireplace. The kitchen has a small bar and a large dining table made with deadwood with matching benches. The household appliances in the kitchen are in excellent shape, as are the cupboards and desk areas. The crown of the stylish bathroom is a timber sauna sure to provide guests with the softest steam with its wood-burning IKI original fireplace with 200 kg stones. From the bathroom, guests have access to a 60 m2 patio with stairs that take you to a dock.
All of the spaces are accessible, there are no doorsteps and the hallway also has an airing cupboard where you can hang your clothing and equipment to dry.
Surrounded by wilderness
From the cottage, visitors have access to a forest road that takes them to a beautiful four-kilometre ride in the surrounding nature. According to trail camera footage, the road is actively used by rabbits, lynxes, moose, ermines and bears. Beavers living in the pond are also known to entertain the villa guests.A beautiful wooden arch bridge has been built across the pond, and there is a lean-to, woodshed and an outdoor toilet also available at the pond. The views from the lean-to have a rugged beauty.
Local sights
Within a twenty kilometre radius, there are many things worth seeing: the Monastery hike trail (2 km), the Luostaritie village shop (4 km), the Lintula convent in Palokki (6 km), the Varistaipale channel with the largest difference in elevation in Finland (12 km), the Karvio rapids (15 km), the Valamo Monastery (20 km), and the Pääskyvuori downhill skiing centre (40 km).
Activities of all kinds
There is a rowing boat at the villa beach and the Kaitura pond is rich in fish. The biggest fish caught in the lake was a northern pike weighing around 7 kg (see the video). In addition, the Suvaksen matkailu tourism company organises various kinds of guided hunting activities and also off-road experiences subject to advance booking. “In the spring, you have a great opportunity for watching migratory birds, as the Natural Resources Institute Finland does a bird count in early May. You can join them and try and identify the birds!” Kimmo mentions.
You can book the Kaituran lumo villa at booking.com and theSuvaksen matkailu website.
If you need a place for your dog during your holiday, no worries: Suvaksen matkailu also has one of the most high-quality dog hotels but that is a whole other story!