Province of
Eastern Finland, North Karelia Region
Towns of Lieksa (www.lieksa.fi, in Finnish) and Joensuu (www.joensuu.fi), and municipality of
Kontiolahti
(www.kontiolahti.fi)
Area: 30 sq. km. Established in 1991.
The area is
managed by the Metsähallitus.
Koli is the National
Park of forested hills. Koli, with its art inspiring lookout points, white
quartzite cliffs, wilderness-like Lake Pielinen, slash-and-burn woodlands and
traditional landscapes, as well as, its excellent hiking trails, skiing trails
and versatile services, is a wonderful destination be it for a day trip or a
wilderness trek.
Koli is one of Finland’s best known national landscapes. Though the area is
small it is a treasure chest when it comes to natural features: rare geological
features, a versatile array of animal species and an abundance of plant species.
Koli also has a lot to offer cultural heritage-wise. It has once been a
sacrificial site and after that was used for slash-and-burn agriculture and as a
place of pilgrimage for Finnish artists in the late 19th and early 20th
Centuries. It was also the centre of heritage and culture for the area around
it.
Traditional agricultural heritage is cherished in Koli. A part of the fields
are slashed, burnt and re-cultivated and hay is cut each year. Traditional
Finnish livestock breeds, cows and sheep, graze in the National Park’s meadows.
Tourism and conservation have both been taken into account in the park’s care
and management plan. The National Park’s main purposes are to function as a
place of research and nature education.
In 2007 Koli National Park was awarded a certificate
called the European Charter for
Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, which is issued by the Europarc
Federation. The charter is valid for 5 years.
The aim of the European Charter programme is to promote sustainable tourism
in Europe’s protected areas. The Europarc Federation is striving to achieve this
by developing tourism from the perspective of the environment, the local
population, the regional economy and of tourists. Areas can commit to becoming
part of this programme by signing the charter partnership agreement, after which
parties will draw up a strategy and plan of action for sustainable tourism in
the area. In Koli these were drawn up by the Europarc Federation in cooperation
with 26 local businesses and associations. By committing to the programme the
national park received the European Charter certificate, which is an indicator
that the promotion of sustainable tourism has been observed in the park’s
services and functions commendably.
This is the web page www.outdoors.fi/kolinp
Take a look at Koli National Park related products at the Outdoors.fi
online shop (kauppa.luontoon.fi).
