Discover Reisjärvi

In Reisjärvi, you can include nature trails, activities at the Petäjämäki Outdoor Centre and various cultural sites in your travel plans. Peuran Polku is a good choice for exploring the outdoors: the trail network is 115 kilometres long in total. Its 77-kilometre main route connects the Petäjämäki Outdoor Centre with the 15-kilometre Mäntyjärvi Loop.

Hiking and active days

The Kuivajärvi Loop is part of Peuran Polku. Orange markers indicate the trail, and signposts are also provided at junctions. Further along its regional route, Peuran Polku runs from Northern Ostrobothnia to Central Finland through the barren Suomenselkä watershed region. If you enjoy spending your days outdoors, you can use the different routes and trail markers to find your way.

The Petäjämäki Outdoor Centre has an adventure forest and an 18-hole disc golf course. There are also illuminated fitness trails in lengths of 2, 3, 4 and 5.5 kilometres.

There are outdoor activities in Petäjämäki in winter too: you can ski on illuminated trails, as well as go sledding and snowboarding. The snow-covered ski trail opens every year in November, depending on weather conditions. If you are planning a winter visit, take this condition into account when scheduling your trip.

Nature destinations and getting around locally

The Rauran näköalatorni observation tower on Raurankallio offers views of the wilderness landscape and is a good spot for birdwatching. Beside the tower is a large, continuous rock formation known as “pirunpelto”. To get there, drive along Mäntyperäntie and Raurantie to a car park, then continue for about one kilometre along a forest road or trail. The approximate distance is a useful guide for planning, but does not indicate how long the journey will take.

Another nature stop is the Kuivajärvi log cabin on the shore of the lake of the same name, near the Etelä-Sydänmaa old-growth forest reserve and along the Peuran Polku hiking trail. The cabin has a sauna. A reservable cabin and a sauna are located beside the Kuivajärvi car park. There is also a campfire site in the cabin’s yard that all hikers can use.

History, art and local poetry

The Reisjärvi church is also known as Reisjärven Elisabetin kirkko. It was completed in 1820 and consecrated on 2 September 1821. At the Kotiseutumuseo, you can learn about Reisjärvi and its history and see old objects. The Puurulan kotiseutumuseo displays old farming items and tools. Both museums offer different ways to explore local history and objects from everyday life in the past.

Maikin taidekoti is the studio home of artist Maikki Parkkila, where watercolours and other paintings are exhibited. Annin nukketalo houses handmade dolls and toys from different decades. These places have different focuses: paintings at one, and dolls and toys from several decades at the other.

At Runokivenpuisto, at the end of Susisaari, stands the statue Kaarina-runotyttö, reading a book of poetry. Around her are large stones inscribed with poems by local residents. The park is accessible by car, and there is a car park beside it. This makes it possible to plan a visit to this poetic site even without a longer hike.

Find more destination pages for Ruka, Nivala, Lemmenjoki, Hankamäki, Norinkylä, Alastalo, Ylivieska and Kiiminki.

For the broader travel overview: Northern Ostrobothnia.