Expecting stronger fair winds

The infrastructure for lake tourism in Kuopio is developing rapidly. The services offered at Bellanranta will soon be expanded even further, while the Lakeland Oasis (Luoto) of Kuopio, which will be opened just in time for summer 2023, is combining urban life and lake nature in a way that has never been done before.

Lake Kallavesi is an inseparable part of the identity and landscape of Kuopio. As the largest lake in North Savo, it provides an ideal environment for activities, recreation or simply taking in the natural setting by the water. Kallavesi not only adds an element of tranquillity and aesthetic beauty to the urban landscape, but also offers long-distance water routes that take travellers up north and down south.

Kallavesi offers an exceptionally wide range of opportunities for lake tourism. These opportunities have been leveraged even more systematically in recent years by both the City of Kuopio and local entrepreneurs. New winds will blow in lake tourism in Maljalahti in 2023, and the forecast is also looking bright at Bellanranta where development is picking up speed.

LAKELAND OASIS (LUOTO) –SAUNA AND LIVING ROOM BY THE LAKE

The new, magnificent Lakeland Oasis (Luoto) of Kuopio will be completed in Maljalahti, near the harbour, by summer 2023. Project leader Ville Iivonen has sat in the hot seat – quite literally – many times; having experience of Löyly in Helsinki, Kuuma in Tampere and several other Finnish sauna projects. In Kuopio, the sauna is once again the cornerstone on which other memorable experiences are built.

The main building of the Lakeland Oasis (Luoto) will have two luxury saunas and versatile restaurant services. The adjacent building will be dedicated to activities. The resulting oasis will be an easy access place where you can take a sauna, enjoy yourself and do things in the finest settings and a casual atmosphere.

When working in the export business, Iivonen was constantly hearing requests from international partners to experience a real Finnish sauna. Ice swimming would take the experience to the next level – Iivonen says that the Lakeland Oasis (Luoto) will also place a strong emphasis on year-round activities.

“Cities by water are normally bustling with life in the summer months, but the Lakeland Oasis (Luoto) can be visited in any season of the year for a variety of reasons. The lousier the weather, the better it feels to come here to relax – enjoying the sauna and a swim as the sleet is pouring down is an experience beyond compare.”

Iivonen is excited about the lively beat of Kuopio: the virile, growing city creates huge potential for tourism. Natural landscapes right next to an urban city centre with its wide-ranging services form a combination that attracts visitors from near and far.

Bellanranta Believes In Continuous Development

The views from Bellanranta on the other side of the city centre are also looking more and more favourable for lake tourists. A fairly impressive range of services are already available in the area – and Managing Director of Kuopion Saana Jukka Savolainen says that now is the time to make sure that the quality of the services is up to par.

“We are constantly gaining a better understanding at Bellanranta of the expectations of today’s demanding lake tourists. Lake Kallavesi brings enormous natural appeal to Kuopio, and it is great to see that the city can also adopt a visionary approach that helps make the development projects of local companies possible.”

The versatile range of high-quality services at Bellanranta will be further expanded in the near future. For example, a brand-new accommodation concept will be introduced in the area.