SOMETHING TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA
The area offers plenty of experiences
There is no need to spend your holiday in one place: it is easy to start exploring the beautiful Päijät-Häme region from Lehmonkärki.
The Päijät-Häme region offers plenty of nature experiences, activities, and interesting places to visit. The distances are short: it’s only a 35-minute drive to Lahti from Lehmonkärki.
PÄIJÄNNE NATIONAL PARK
Nature experiences nearby
Take a trip to the beautiful Päijänne National Park with its hundreds of sandy beaches and unique lagoons. The national park is the first national park outside Lake Saimaa established to preserve the nature of Finnish lakes. It is located in the southern Lake Päijänne area and consists of some fifty undeveloped islands and islets, as well as parts of inhabited islands and the Pulkkilanharju esker. The main objective of the national park is to protect the lake archipelago and the associated lakeside and forest flora and fauna.
Lehmonkärki is an official information point for the Päijänne National Park. The information point is located at our reception, and it is open all year round on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm and on weekends by appointment. From mid-June to early August, the information point is open from 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays and from 11 am to 6 pm on weekends.
You can explore the national park by renting a power boat for a half day or the entire day. You can choose your own itinerary, and you will have the opportunity to explore other islands in the region as well. Our water taxi service will take you on to the Kelvenne esker island that is 9 km long. You can arrange for delivery and pickup on the same or different days. The point of departure is the Lehmonkärki pier. The water taxi service is available when the water is not frozen, generally from May to October. Ask for more information and book the boat taxi at +358 50 5501 776.
Water taxi fares:
Round trip to the southern end of Kelvenne Island €120
Round trip: first leg of the journey to the south end of Kelvenne Island, return trip from Karhunkämmen €200
Round trip to Karhunkämmen €250
Capacity: 4 persons + 1 backpack or light rucksack per passenger. You cannot take any large equipment, such as camping chairs or tables, with you.
Max total load (persons + goods) 350 kg in total!
VILLAGES OF ASIKKALA
Rural atmosphere in the villages of Asikkala
Asikkala has thirteen villages offering authentic rural atmosphere and wonderful personal services, shops, and cafés. A tour of the villages is a nice activity that can easily take up a whole day. You can take the tour by car, motorcycle, or bicycle. We rent bikes at the reception.
The lively village of Kalkkinen is located in northern Asikkala. In the middle of the Kalkkinen village, you will find Pihamaa Vineyard and Brewery. Pihamaa’s wines, ciders, beers, and different types of liqueurs are largely produced from the farm’s own ingredients, and they are becoming increasingly popular with customers. The café and farm shop are open during the summer. Manibaari restaurant is famous for its pizzas, and the Lampinen village store has everything you need. Other places worth a visit are the Kalkkinen Canal and Kalkkinen rapids, the latter of which is part of a nature conservation area.
Urajärvi is the easternmost village in Asikkala. Urajärvi Manor is a great place to visit. Guided walking tours of the manor and village are available. Museum café Hugo ja Lily is open all summer. The Hägg Taxidermist’s Museum (Häggin eläintäyttämön museo) is a very special place to visit and located, in a word, in the middle of the forest. The museum presents the history of the oldest taxidermist’s shop in Finland. There is also a small café at the museum.
The village of Vesivehmaa is known for its airport. The Päijät-Häme Aviation Museum (Päijät-Hämeen Ilmailumuseo) next to the airport is also worth a visit. In Vesivehmaa, you should also visit Antti’s Automobile Museum (Antin Automuseo), which has around 30 museum cars and some motorcycles on display. The museum is open by appointment. Arrange your visit with Antti Vähälä, tel. +358 40 555 9265. The museum also has a craft shop. Jenkkapirtti dance pavilion, a favorite of the dancing crowd, is located in Vesivehmaa. It is open every Thursday and Saturday in the summertime.
The village of Kurhila-Hillilä is the westernmost village in Asikkala. The village offers a beautiful cultural landscape of fields and houses overlooking Lake Vesijärvi. At delightful café HilleRin, you will find delicious home-made products, at Mattson’s organic berry farm, you can grab fresh berries to nibble on the way, and at Pellavatupa Joentorppa, you can buy utility articles and gifts made from linen, as well as products from local artisans. There is also an opportunity to see the “From field to yarn” demonstration at Pellavatupa. The demonstration is only available by prior reservation.
GOLF
Golfing holiday
Kanavagolf, an 18-hole golf course built in 2003 in Asikkala, is a 15-minute drive from Lehmonkärki. You can book your slot directly online.
You and your family can practice on the range without a green card by paying a fee at the golf club. We can organize a golf event for your group on a par 3 course where not everyone needs to have a green card.
Golf courses in the area
Vääksyn Kanavagolf
Messilä Golf
Lahden Golf
Vierumäki Golf
RIDING
Hop on a horse!
AMR stables, which offer a variety of services for both individuals and groups, is close to Lehmonkärki (approximately a 15-minute drive). During the holiday season, we recommend that you book your riding slot well in advance.
AMR-Talli
Pajatie 39
FI-17450 Iso-Äiniö, Finland
Tel. +358 440 953 523 / Anne Fränti
anne.franti(at)gmail.com
www.amr-talli.netPajatie 39
Dressage, show jumping and trail riding, lessons for beginners, riding courses and day camps, leadline, events for groups.
DANCING
Thrill of dancing
Summer in Finland is not complete without the smell of birch trees and the atmosphere of a dance pavilion. The dance pavilions near Lehmonkärki are open on weekends, and offer great opportunities to waltz, tango, or try the Finnish version of the schottische, jenkka. Lehmonkärki’s own dance floor hosts a Midsummer dance every year.
Dance venues in the area
Jenkkapirtti, Asikkala (25 min)
Kapakanmäki, Tuulos (40 min)
Pesäkallion dance pavelion, Lahti (35 min)
EVENTS
Summer full of events
Summer is the golden season for events in Finland. Take a look at the events in Asikkala and the surrounding municipalities, and also take a peek at the Päijät-Häme event calendar.
VÄÄKSY
Fall in love with the idyllic Vääksy
Vääksy, the municipal center of Asikkala, offers many interesting places to visit and shopping opportunities.
In Vääksy, you can’t miss the wooden house atmosphere of Old Vääksy with its lovely cafés and interior design shops. Lauran kauppa is an idyllic interior design and gift shop with an excellent toy section. Zoom Design, a lifestyle shopping destination for quality designer brands, is also worth a visit. There are plenty of cafés in Vääksy. Ranskalainen kyläkauppa brings a touch of central European atmosphere to Vääksy. Downstairs is a delightful café selling French delicacies and wines, while the fashion boutique upstairs is a great place to find wonderful items. Other places worth a visit are the shop-café of Viipurilainen Kotileipomo bakery, Wine&Cafe Jokiranta on the banks of the Vääksy River, Kanavan Helmi, known for its ice creams, the atmospheric Metsälinna café, and the unique Vintage Rusty Café. Kanavan kotileipomo bakery specializes in gluten-free products.
At Päijännetalo, you can learn about the history of fishing. The shop/boutique of Kanavan Panimo brewery is also located in the same building. The Vääksy Water Mill and Power Plant Museum (Vääksyn vesimylly- ja sähkövoimalaitosmuseo) is located on the banks of the old Vääksy River. In the museum, you can learn about an important industry of the past, the grinding of grain. Popular singalong evenings are held in the mill’s yard in the summertime. You can take fresh flour, flakes, and grits with your from the Vääksyn Mylly shop. The Vääksy Canal dating back to 1871 and the Vääksy Harbor, one of the busiest in Finland, are located right next to Päijännetalo. The Renaissance revival style Danielson-Kalmar Villa hosts art exhibitions in the summertime. The villa is surrounded by a beautiful park with statues. Opposite the villa is a children’s traffic park, where you can try out pedal cars and bikes, and learn traffic rules.