Where the wild heart
of Finland beats.
Venture to be built. We are looking for investors so we can get government funds to work with us.
Lieksa sits on the shore of Lake Pielinen; the Ruunaa wilderness next door has the rapids and the trails. Hunting, adventure and rafting in every season, and a planned village of private lakeside villas. The tourism and villa complex is in the planning stage; the existing main house and its yard are intended to be developed into the project's base.
The villa village at first light, autumn (Ruska) season. Visualisation.
Hunting
Guided hunts in the forests of North Karelia, with lodging and game handling.
Adventure
Trekking, canoeing and winter programmes for small groups, run by local guides year-round.
Rafting
The Ruunaa rapids: whitewater rafting, boating and fishing on the Lieksanjoki.
Planned villas
Planned lakeside forest villas and log chalets with wood-fired and smoke saunas; glass igloos for the aurora.
Ten days in Lieksa & Ruunaa (planned)
Planned: four 10-day / 9-night programmes from Helsinki Airport, each in three service classes: A (VIP) with a luxury forest villa, private sauna and a private multilingual guide; B (Standard) with a wooden cabin and private sauna; C (Economy) with simple accommodation and a group sauna.
- 01
Winter
December–March. Husky and snowmobile safaris, ice fishing, smoke sauna, Northern Lights.
- 02
Spring
March–May. Melting rapids, birdwatching, boating and fishing, Koli, farm visits.
- 03
Summer
June–August. Midnight Sun, boating on the Ruunaa river, Nordic walking, sauna by the lake.
- 04
Autumn
September–October. Ruska foliage hikes, berry picking, canoeing, reindeer farm, early aurora.
Autumn in Lieksa: boletus from the pine forest, and dinner at the log cabin.
Transfers, meals, guides, activities and equipment scale with the class. Full itineraries are available on request.
The programmes cannot be booked here. Implementation, scope and schedule will be confirmed as the project progresses.
Thirty years of hunting in these forests
Bear, moose, grouse, capercaillie and hare in the forests around Lieksa. Guided hunts with local hunters who have worked these grounds since the 1990s; lodging, sauna and game handling included.
From the archive: hunts around Lieksa, autumn 1996.
Bear hunting and moose hunting: brown bear with a Karelian Bear Dog, and moose in the pine forest.
Halal hunting
Fallow deer hunts in a fenced game park, with slaughter and game handling carried out according to halal requirements. Guided by local hunters; meat processed and packed for the guest.
Fallow deer in the game park; the park site by the lake at Sarkkilantie; venison over the campfire.
Rafting on the Ruunaa rapids
Rafts have run on the Lieksanjoki and the Ruunaa rapids here since the 1990s, under the previous operator Karjalan Kuohu. A new operator aims to start in 2027 and continue the tradition: half-day and full-day trips for families and groups, with guide, equipment and flame-grilled salmon by the fire afterwards.
From the Karjalan Kuohu archive, 1994 onward: on the river, at the put-in, and flame-grilled salmon at the wilderness hut afterwards.
Camera bear hunting
Brown bears live in the forests east of Lieksa. From a hide at dusk, guests photograph and film them at close range: no rifles, only cameras. Best from May to August.
From the archive: a brown bear at the hide, and video from a recent evening.
Pike, perch, whitefish and trout
Trolling and spinning on Lake Pielinen, fly fishing on the Ruunaa rapids, ice fishing in winter. Boats, gear and a guide who knows where the big pike sit.
Pike from Pielinen, weighed in the boat and shown off by the Karjalan Kuohu van; in winter, a heated hut on the ice with a fire on the deck. Santa fishes too.
The village from the air (visualisation), the lakeshore plot today, and the main villa deck at sunset (visualisation).
Lieksa Adventure & Outdoor Park Centrum
The centre of the venture: an old main house with outbuildings in a forest clearing, its own forest lake beside it and Lake Pielinen a short walk away. Reception, kitchen, gear store and guide base for every programme start here.
The Centrum main house from the air, midsummer. The forest lake behind, Lake Pielinen on the horizon.
The yard and outbuildings; the house with fields to the north; the forest lake; and the Pielinen shore with its jetty.
People & training
Skilled guides and staff are the foundation of the planned tourism business. Our training model aims for consistent service quality, safe operations and a smooth guest experience in several languages. The planned induction covers customer service, role-specific safety instructions, local knowledge, responsible tourism, intercultural encounters and serving international guests.
The use of AI tools is planned as part of this training. The tools can support language service, help find information and prepare work instructions and guest materials. Staff check the information before it is used. AI does not replace a guide's judgement, safety responsibility or personal service.
The business aims to shorten induction, reduce repetitive preparation work and support consistent service. Once operations begin, the effects are to be followed through training completion, skills assessment, time spent on induction and guest feedback. This is a planned operating model; no claims are made yet about training delivered or results achieved.
Investors & partners wanted
We are looking to raise 12 million € to build the adventure destination that will host the next 50 years, for the next generations. The raise covers the villas, developing the existing main house, permits and international staffing. Ask for the investment memorandum and the four season programmes.
- —Villas
- —Main house development
- —Permits
- —International staffing
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