Birdwatching towers

The Bergö tower is surrounded by old forests standing on rocks and spruce-dominated peaty forests. From the tall tower, you can glimpse the beautiful sea beyond the forests and observe the birds living in the archipelago. The tower is located by the Bergö nature trail, about 200 metres away from a parking place, and there is a picnic table at the foot of the tower. The direct route to the tower is easy, but the tower itself is not accessible.

The nearest parking place is at Bergöntie 8.

The Elfvik birdwatching tower is an excellent place for observing the birds in Laajalahti. The birdwatching tower is located along the 700-metre-long Villa Elfvik nature trail. There is a picnic table next to the tower. The nature trail is accessible, and the first level of the bird watching tower can also be accessed with a wheelchair or a pram.

The Laajalahti nature reserve is part of the Natura 2000 network and one of the most significant bird wetlands in Finland. The Elfvik birdwatching tower is one of the best places in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area for observing birds. In the summer, grazing cows keep the seaside meadows open.

The parking place is at Elfvikintie 4. Laajalahti can also be easily reached by public transport, as the light rail tram 15 has a stop in Lahdenpohja. The stop is about 800 metres from Nature House Villa Elfvik. There are also several bus stops along Ring I, from which you can walk to Laajalahti.

The birdwatching tower is located at the end of Espoonlahti, on the southern bank of Fiskarsinmäki. The bay and its reeds provide an important nesting site from many aquatic and wetland birds. If you are lucky, you may see the grey heron or the osprey catching fish.

The birds are not the only reason why Fiskarsinmäki is worth a visit: the area has a hardwood forest, a rarity in Finland. In early spring, the hazels bloom in yellow, and the bulbous corydalis, the wood anemone, the hepatica, the yellow anemone and other beauties take over the herb-rich forest. Later in summer, handsome little-leaf lindens start casting their shade on the forest floor.

The parking place closest to the watching tower is located at Lasilaaksontie 15. The parking place has an information board, and you get to the birdwatching tower at the bay shore by following the Fiskarsinmäki nature trail.

There are two birdwatching towers along the Finnoo nature trail, on different sides of Finnoonlahti. The nature trail is easy to walk, even with a pram. The birdwatching towers are not accessible.

Finnoviken, or Finnoonlahti, is an old sea bay that was dammed in the 1960s to create a precipitation basin for a wastewater treatment plant. The shallow sea bay is a significant bird wetland both regionally and nationally. The Finnoo birdwatching towers are excellent places for observing birds, as the area has a lot of birds and they can, at times, be observed very closely. The most important species nesting in the area include the moorhen, the Slavonian grebe and the black-headed gull.

The nearest parking place can be found at Hyljeluodontie 3, which is about 500 metres away from the eastern birdwatching tower and about 600 metres away from the southern tower. The birdwatching towers are also only a short walk away from the Finnoo metro station.

The Hanikka birdwatching tower is located in a cape on the southern shore of Kaitalahti, near the Hanikka nature trail.

Kaitalahti is one of the most species-rich bird wetlands in Espoo, and the Hanikka birdwatching tower is one of the best places for birding, especially in spring. Amidst the reeds, you may spot birds such as the mallard, the coot and the great crested grebe.

The starting point of the Hanikka nature trail is at Suinonsalmi, which is about 2 kilometres away from the birdwatching tower when walking along the nature trail.

Iso Vasikkasaari is an island suitable for outdoor activities. It is located off Matinkylä, and in the summertime it can be reached by the archipelago boat. The island is partially accessible, but an assistant is required.

The observation tower is located in the middle of the island and has beautiful views of the surrounding sea.

By the hiking trail connecting Nature House Villa Elfvik to Otaniemi is a low viewing platform from where you can observe the birds of Laajalahti and the cows grazing the nearby seaside meadow.

The Laajalahti nature reserve is part of the Natura 2000 network and one of the most significant bird wetlands in Finland. By following the hiking trail, you can also visit the Elfvik birdwatching tower, which is about 1 km away from the viewing platform. The trail is not accessible, as parts of it consist of narrow duckboards.

There is a direct, approximately 300-metre-long hiking trail from Sakkolantie to the platform. There are no parking places nearby.

Laajalahti is part of the Natura 2000 network and one of the most significant bird wetlands in Finland. The Maari birdwatching tower is one of the best places in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area for bird watching. In the summer, grazing cows keep the seaside meadows open. The Elfvik tower is also located north of the bay.

Coming to the birdwatching tower is easy, either by metro or the light rail tram 15. The nearest metro station is Aalto University, from where the walk to the tower is approximately 1 km. The nearest tram stops are Aalto University (M) and Maari. From the Maari stop, the walking distance to the birdwatching tower is about 500 metres.

Matalajärvi is part of the Natura 2000 network and the Nuuksio National Park. The lake is a nationally significant bird wetland, where you can spot, for example, the whooper swan, the coot or the common snipe.

The nearest car park is located at Pehtorinaukio, from where a road and a hiking trail lead to the lake.

Stora Herrö is one of the gems of the Espoo archipelago. In the summer, the island can be accessed by the archipelago boat, and it has a guest marina.

On the northern tip of the island, at the highest point of Stora Herrö, there is an observation tower with great views of the surrounding sea. There is a campfire site near the tower.

Near Lake Nupurinjärvi, there is a nature observation tower accessible via a scenic duckboard trail. Many waterbirds nest on the lake during the summer. The tower is relatively low, and the surrounding area is especially wet in the spring. The nearest parking area is at the end of Nupurinkartanontie.