There's plenty to see and do in the seaside Kivinokka in Helsinki's Kulosaari. Explore Kivinokka's traditional summer cottages, colonial gardens and see the magnificent manor house landscape.
There's plenty to see in the maritime Kivinokka in Helsinki's Kulosaari. Explore Kivinokka's traditional summer cottages, colonial gardens and stunning estate scenery.
Kivinokka is well known as a holiday destination for city dwellers. Kivinokka is a popular holiday destination for people who go camping and spend the summer in their summer cottages and huts.enjoy the stunning marine nature, Kivinokka's old growth forests, interesting attractions, summer events and the delights of the Kivinokka summer café.
In Kivinokka you can explore the area's magnificent manor house, colonial garden and atmospheric summer house area. For culture lovers, Kivinokka offers summer theatre performances and many other interesting things to see for the culturally inclined. Kivinokka also has an interesting piece of Finland's legendary light music history.
Kulosaari Manor
Kulosaari Manor, once spread over the Kivinokka area, is an interesting attraction. The history of the manor area dates back to the mid-15th century and the current main building of the manor was completed in the early 19th century.
Visitors are charmed by the impressive main building of the manor, the preserved residential and farm buildings in the manor courtyard and the beautiful manor park with its tree-lined gardens. The manor park and the marshland by the manor are unique natural habitats, home to many species of birds in the area. The manor's surroundings are also part of the important bat habitat in the southern part of the Kivinokka, where you may spot ground bats roosting in the Kivinokka after dark.
Colonial garden at Kivinoka
When you arrive at Kivinokka, you can admire one of the oldest colonial gardens in Helsinki. The Herttoniemi Colonial Garden was established as early as 1934. The Colonial Garden area is home to almost 200 colonial garden cottages, each one more charming than the last, where city dwellers enjoy summer days in their gardens.
In the Colonial Garden, city dwellers can dip their hands in the soil, grow their own apples and the roses that adorn the garden plot. The Colonial Garden has a wonderfully peaceful summer atmosphere. The Colonial Garden's clubhouse is the atmospheric old Kulosaari Manor tobacco drying shed, reportedly built in the 1750s.
In addition to the colonial gardens, Kivinoka's cottagers enjoy their own plots of land, where potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce are grown for their own needs. The plots are lined with pleasant paths that allow passers-by to enjoy the growing season.
Kivinoka summer house area
Kivinokka is a gem for summer cottagers in the city, where, in addition to the colonial garden cottages, you can stay in small summer cottages in the Kivinokka summer cottage area. The summerhouse culture has flourished in Kivinokka since the early 1900s, and the oldest surviving summerhouses were built in the 1940s. Come and experience the wonderful summer atmosphere and see the lovely natural courtyards of the huts.
The beautiful Kivinokka summer cottage area has around 600 small summer cottages, where you can wander freely along small forest paths. Follow the fast-paced summerhouse life. Coffee breaks, sunbathing and garden parties in the small courtyards of the summerhouses are part of Kivinokka's summerhouse culture. Most of the tiny, atmospheric summer cottages in the middle of the forest are still without electricity. A more authentic summer atmosphere is hard to find in the city.
The Dallapé stone of Kivinokka
A legendary and popular orchestra, Dallapé was founded in Kivinoka in the 1920s. For its merits in Finnish light music, Dallapé has been given its own memorial stone in Kivinokka. The memorial stone stands in the western part of Kivinokka, exactly where the orchestra was founded.
The Dallapé Orchestra has been influenced by many well-known musicians, including Kauko Käyhkö and Georg Malmsten. Visit what is sure to be a unique attraction in Kivinokka.
Sights of Kivinokka by sea
Kivinokka can also be easily explored from the sea. You can paddle or SUP along the shores of the Kivinokka peninsula, which juts out into the Old Town Bay, and even kayak to the sights.
Rent a kayak or SUP board from Natura Viva's Kivinokka paddling point and explore Kivinokka from the sea. You can admire Kivinokka's stunning nature by kayaking slowly along the shores, and Kivinokka is a great place to start longer kayaking trips to the Helsinki area.
Kivinokka is easy to reach
Kivinokka can be reached by public transport, walking, cycling or canoeing. You can take the metro to Kulosaari and Herttoniemi stations and walk about 10 minutes to Kivinokka.
The easiest way to get to Kivinokka is by foot or bike, and it takes just over half an hour to cycle from the centre of Helsinki to Kivinokka. It is also easy to get to Kivinokka by canoe. By kayak, rowing boat or small outboard motorboat you can reach the Kivinokka beaches.
