Rääkkylä, Koivuniemi

The municipality of Rääkkylä was established in 1874 and it is located in the county of North Karelia, in the province of Eastern Finland. The population of the municipality is 2,679, and the land area is 699,69 sq. km. Almost one third of the land area is actually water. The economy of Rääkkylä mainly relies on agriculture, but it also has some small-scale industry. Unemployment is the largest issue in Rääkkylä, the unemployment rate being approximately 14 percent. Improving the employment situation as well as providing better services for its residents are the main goals of the municipality.

Folk music, music studies, playing music and theatre are strongly represented in Rääkkylä. A folk music event called Kihaus is organized in Rääkkylä every year, attracting nationwide attention. The event offers a wide range of concerts for people who are interested in Karelian folk music. In Rääkkylä you can also visit the second largest wooden church in the world, completed in 1851, as well as the drainage area of Oravilahti, the largest area in Finland that has been drained with the help of dams.

The Karelia Rowing Tour lands in Rääkkylä near the natural healing centre of Koivuniemi. The history of Koivuniemi began in 1917, when it hosted the surgery for the municipal doctor and also served as a residential building. In the 1960s it had a housewife school and an educational course centre. The ownership of Koivuniemi was transferred to the municipality in the 1970s, when it became a holiday centre with additional cabin accommodation. Since then Koivuniemi has offered accommodation for visitors. Many different entrepreneurs have operated in Koivuniemi, but for the last seven years the same business has been running the place. In addition to accommodation, Koivuniemi also offers dining services as well as various treatments such as massages and aromatherapy. Koivuniemi is an idyllic and scenic place to organize weddings, birthday parties and other occasions. The entire rowing crew is entitled to have dinner and a relaxing sauna in Koivuniemi at the end of the day. One of the evening activities is called “Us Rowers”. In the morning, the journey continues towards Liperinsalo and Liperi.