Winter magic and events in Nuuksio 

You can enjoy the wintry nature of Nuuksio National Park by skiing, hiking or snowshoeing. The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia offers advice on outdoor activities.

Should I wear snowshoes, skis or good shoes – or perhaps ride a mountain bike in the forest? There are many ways to spend time in Nuuksio in winter.

“Many trails of different lengths start at the gate of the Nature Centre Haltia, and some hiking trails have a starting point at Haukkalampi. One of the trails is accessible when there’s no snow. Hiking equipment, snowshoes for adults and children and mountain bikes can be rented from Haltia,” says Haltia’s National Park Superintendent Harri Karjalainen from Metsähallitus.

Haltia is also the starting point for wonderful ski tracks, of which the three-kilometre track is lit.

At Haltia, the first Saturday of each month is Outdoor Saturday. During the day, there are free events at which the staff share advice and tips on hiking and activities in nature.

If it is too cold for outdoor activities, you can visit nature exhibitions at Haltia. Entrance to the temporary exhibitions in the public areas is free. The main exhibition has an entrance fee, but you can visit the exhibition for free for a couple of hours on Outdoor Saturdays. Entrance is also free for Museum Card holders.

During the winter holiday, there are events and outdoor activities for pre-primary and primary school children with Leevi the Flying Squirrel.

“Nuuksio National Park celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. An outdoor exhibition focusing on the history and nature of the national park is open in Haltia’s event field during the winter,” Karjalainen says.
 

• Nuuksio is one of the snowiest places in Southern Finland. The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s weather observation station is located near the Nature Centre Haltia.
• The largest flying squirrel population in Finland lives in Nuuksio National Park. It is, therefore, no surprise that the flying squirrel is the emblem of the national park.
• The lookout point along the Maahisenkierros trail is about one hundred metres above sea level. From there, you can admire the magnificent landscapes of Nuuksio National Park.

Contact
Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, Nuuksiontie 84, Espoo. 
During the winter months, you can travel to Nuuksio by bus 245. It runs from the Espoo railway station to Nuuksionpää.
During the summer, the terminus of bus 245A is at Kattila.
Read more: haltia.com(external link, opens in a new window)

Text: Minna Saano
This article has originally been published in the Espoo-lehti 3/2024. Read other articles in the Espoo-lehti.