Koli Excursion
Excursion to Koli National Park
Koli is Finland’s most famous national park and the views from its summit are considered to be the country’s best. For generations it has inspired Finnish artists like the world-famous composer Sibelius, meaning its landscapes hold a special place in Finnish culture, too. We will be heading to Koli by bus on Saturday morning and returning in the evening. While there, you will get to see the view from the summit, have a short walk, and enjoy a traditional lunch on the shore of lake Pielinen. Furthermore, you can choose among different activities to participate in in the afternoon. Below you can find more details on the conference schedule and how to sign up.
Note: The excursion is optional and costs 50€ per person (including transport, lunch, and some of the activities). If you’re joining the excursion, you should not be planning to travel back on Saturday, as we are returning in the evening and links to Helsinki are very limited by that time. If you want to join, please consider booking your journey back for Sunday or later.
Excursion Schedule
08:30 – 09:00
Departure from Joensuu: Our bus will start driving from the university at 08:30 and then do a round of all the main hotels to pick up participants.
10:15
Arrival in Koli: The bus will drop us close to the summit of Ukko Koli, where we will be given some information about the nature, geology, and history of the national park while walking to the summit together to see the view.
11:45
Walk to Koli Harbour: After some free time on the summit, we will walk down to the shore of Lake Pielinen (2km, all comfortably downhill) where a traditional lunch will be waiting for us at the Harbour Restaurant.
12:30
Lunch at the Harbour Restaurant
13:00 – 17:00: Afternoon Activities (Choose 1):
Visit to the Koli Relax Spa
Enjoy a lazy afternoon in the spa, which is close to the summit and boasts amazing views as well as a good selection of baths and saunas. Cost: 39€
OR: Craft Beer Tasting
Savour some locally-brewed craft beers while relaxing on the terrace by the lake. What better way to end an academic conference? Cost: 35€
OR: Guided Hike
Easy 5km hike featuring all the main peaks of Koli and other natural sights like the Mäkrä meadow and Tarhapuro waterfalls. No extra cost.
If none of these organised activities are for you, it is also possible to e.g. go for a swim in the lake, rent paddling boats from the restaurant, or explore the area yourself in some other way. There is a beach right next to the restaurant and the bus can give you a lift back up to the summit after lunch.
Registration
Registrations are open until 28 July or as long as spaces are available. Due to the capacity of the restaurant and our bus, spaces are limited to 60 participants.
If you want to join, please sign up via this form: https://registration.contio.fi/uef/Registration/Login?id=6129-T_6129-7262
We look forward to visiting Koli with you!
Supporters of the Colloquium:
The IUCN AEL Colloquium 2023 is proudly supported by Transnational Environmental Law and Cambridge University Press.
Edward Elgar will be hosting a book display at the venue and are pleased to offer delegates a special Conference Discount for selected books available here: https://bit.ly/ee-display
