The beautiful lake of Lieksa, 300 mi/500 km northeast of Helsinki, is a wonderful place to explore in summer. See the very modern and impressive Lieksa Church. The town also offers skiing, white-water rafting, lake cruises, the Pielinen Open-Air Museum and hiking on Koli Hill (1,058 ft/347 m tall—great views, in fact, possibly the best lake and forest views in the whole country).
In Jongunjoki, 20 mi/32 km from Lieksa, you can visit the Bearhunter's Home, which boasts a collection of bear skulls and taxidermy assembled by the last professional bear hunter in Finland.
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