Travel with kids

Campfire Sites

There are plenty of campfire sites in the area where you can cook sausages or marshmallows as an example. Experience the joy and spend your evening by the atmospheric campfire on the shore of Lake Pielinen! The best places for campfire can be found at Kalevanhovi in front of Break Sokos Hotel Bomba, Kotilanvaara, and Ellun kota.

Natural attractions

Here are some tips for nature attractions where it’s easy for you to walk with prams and explore with your children the stunning nature-shaped attractions that will make your imagination run wild!

Raesärkät

In the scenery of the rolling hills you can find Raesärkät that is a beautiful day trip destination for you and your family. The area is well suited for hiking together with your family and children, as there are several stops along the route a short distance apart. There are also campfire sites and toilets in the area. The route itself is even as it used to be an old cart track, which makes it easy to walk even for the smallest members of your family! The route also suits for those walking with prams. The clear watered lakes and the diverse species of the area guarantee you and your family an interesting day in nature.

Joukonpolku

Joukonpolku is a beautiful beach path to the bird tower at Vinkerlahti in Nurmes, where you can observe natural life or watch the scenery together with your family. On the short path, even the smallest members of the family can walk on their own. The path starts from the parking lot of small boat harbor at Vinkerlahti and the Girls’ Park.

Playgrounds

Nurmes has several playgrounds for children, which you can see on the town’s website. Here are the town’s most spacious playgrounds, where your children can enjoy themselves in a diverse play environment.

Playground of Porokylä primary school

There have been rumors in the village that the playground of Porokylä primary school is the best in Nurmes. The playground, which was renovated a few years ago, offers a wide range of play opportunities, so that the youngest explorers in the family may keep their spirits high during the adventure and holiday.

Youth and Holiday Centre Hyvärilä

You can try a variety of activities with your family in Hyvärilä, such as hyrlinki (Hyvärilä’s own style of curling), basketball, frisbee golf, fussball, and many other immersive activities. There is also a beach, a good playground, a golf course, and hiking and water trails nearby. You don’t have to worry about bringing the equipment with you: you can rent SUP boards, canoes, and various sports equipment from the Centre. There are many different accommodation options in Hyvärilä as well, from which you can choose the option that suits your family: camping, cottages, manor hotel, and holiday apartments. Hyvärilä offers your family a great setting for an active holiday, and all the necessary services are found nearby.

Beaches

Nurmes is surrounded by bodies of water, which means you don’t have to move far to find the perfect place to go swimming in the heat of the summer day. The most comfortable and child-friendly beaches for families can be found at the harbor of Nurmes, Bomba, and Kairikko.

Harbor beach

Harbor beach has changing rooms, a toilet, a shower, and a kiosk from which you and your family can get refreshments. There is also a small boat harbor, a jogging path, and a playground nearby.

Kairikko beach

You can find the quieter beach of Kairikko at the end of Tuomaankatu. The beach has proper changing rooms and a toilet.

Tip! The pet members of your family also need cooling on hot summer days! The beach of Vinkerranta small boat harbor (Vajatie) and Nahkimo beach (Hurtantie) are dog-friendly.

Activities for children

Manne Riding Farm

Manne Riding Farm offers you horse-riding services on experienced and placid horses and ponies, which means that the riding services are suitable for riders of all levels. The kids will also love to pet the cute ponies! It is recommended to book the services in advance. You will always get customer-oriented and child-friendly guidance from the farm’s personnel. Services are also available in English and German.

Hyvärilä – Youth and Holiday Centre

You can try a variety of activities with your family in Hyvärilä, such as hyrlinki (Hyvärilä’s own style of curling), basketball, frisbee golf, football, and many other immersive activities. There is also a beach, a good playground, a golf course, and hiking and water trails. You don’t have to worry about bringing the equipment with you: you can rent SUP boards, canoes, and various sports equipment from the Centre. There are many different accommodation options in Hyvärilä as well, from which you can choose the option that suits your family: camping, cottages, manor hotel, and holiday apartments. Hyvärilä offers your family a great setting for an active holiday, and all the necessary services are found nearby.

Ikola Museum

Ikola is an outdoor museum that showcases local agriculture, dairy operation, and the history of Kuokkastenkoski ironworks in a fun way so that even the youngest members of the family can get to know the secrets of local history. The exhibition also showcases the development of the fire services. In summer, you may also find a flock of sheep grazing the green fields around the museum, and you may greet them. The sheep have, of course, been children’s favorites! The summer café at Ikola hosts gripping live music events as well.

Bomba Tourist Resort

Located on the shores of stunning Lake Pielinen, Bomba offers you and your family various activities, places to visit and accommodation opportunities: there are restaurants, hotel and cottage accommodation. Time flies indeed when you are having fun together with your family, for example, in the idyllic Karelian village and Break Sokos Hotel Bomba’s spa. In the spa, the pools for children and adults are next to each other, which means that you can relax safely with your children.

In addition to the spa, the area has a beautiful beach suited for small children, with proper changing rooms and toilets. And that’s not the end of it! You can also find a beach volleyball court, a playground and a frisbee golf course, which captivates children as well. All in all, Bomba offers all kinds of activities for kids and adults alike!

Restaurants

Restaurant Lempi

Restaurant Lempi offers your family a tasty menu from which even the youngest members of the family can find something to eat. The restaurant has plenty of seats and high chairs. The restaurant is on one level, so getting around is easy. For children, there is also a changing table in the restroom and a play corner. See the opening hours here.

ABC

In Finland, ABC service station stores are popular resting places for families with children, and you can find one in Porokylä in Nurmes! The service station store has plenty of seats on one level in an easily accessible space, high chairs, and a changing table in the restroom. There are also tables outside and a small play area for children.