Kontiolahti

The municipality of Kontiolahti is in the middle of the beautiful North Karelia, thus being the northern neighbour of Joensuu. This youthful municipality was established in 1879 and it has a population of 13,300. Kontiolahti is considered to be a youthful municipality due to its population structure and development. It emphasizes openness and good services, and its population has been growing for 25 years. Partly due to the young population structure the people of Kontiolahti are active citizens and take part in many common projects and themes. The municipality and its residents have received recognition for their activity many times, even on a national level.

Kontiolahti is considered to be the forerunner of multiculturalism, partly because the cultural traditions of east and west, as well as the landscapes of north and south meeting there. The nature is multifaceted and includes many peculiarities, one of which is the environmentally significant valley of Kolvananuuro. From the landscapes of the National Park of Koli to the wide open waters of Lake Höytiäinen and Lake Pielinen, Kontiolahti is a transitional area where the lake-dominated scenery of the south transforms to hilly woodlands of North Karelia.

Rowers have an opportunity to admire the beautiful scenery of Kontiolahti while rowing to Jakokoski, and continuing on from there to Lehmo via the Canal of Kuurna.