Kuortane – relaxation, exercise and activities
A paradise for fitness enthusiasts
Kuortane Sports Resort offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports activities. An excellent selection of well-being tests and a wide range of physical fitness activities make your stay at Kuortane a memorable experience. We offer tennis and golf courses, subsidised holidays and camps for children and adults, as well as numerous other activities.
For fitness enthusiasts, Kuortane offers endless options. Activities range from golf to fishing and scuba-diving at the Kaatiala quarry. For collectors of jewels and other stones, Kaatiala makes an interesting place to visit, thanks to its leftover stone piles.
Home to artists
In addition to sports facilities, Kuortane is known for its artists. Alvar Aalto’s architecture, Heikki Klemetti’s music and Soile Yli-Mäyry’s art are integral parts of the Finnish cultural heritage. Located in the village of Mäyry in Kuortane, Soile Yli-Mäyry’s Art Hall is open to the public in the summer months. The Klemetti Museum, which is situated in the summer house of Armi and Heikki Klemetti in the centre of Kuortane, is also open in summer.
During the Finnish War between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire, some of the decisive battles were fought in Kuortane, and historical stories and memorials still mark these events. The Finnish War Information Centre in the village of Ruona offers an introduction to the events and progress of the war and its impact on people’s lives.
Numerous cultural and sports events
Kuortane offers a wide range of sports and cultural events, including summer theatre, sports events and musical performances. Kuortane’s legendary Midsummer event, the Kuortane Games, brings top European athletes to the town. In July, local residents and visitors come together for the Terwaviikko event. The event programme includes performances, music and dancing, but most of all, the event is a celebration of the region’s old traditions. Tar has been burned in Kuortane for five centuries and to mark this tradition, a tar burning pit is set up to launch the event.
Beautiful sandy beaches and great fishing opportunities
Kuortaneenjärvi, the largest lake of the Lapuanjoki waterway system, is known for its beautiful sandy beaches and abundant fish stocks. Dubbed the Riviera of South Ostrobothnia, the Kuortane beach by the church is located in the centre of Kuortane. While it is particularly popular among swimmers and sunbathers, canoes, kayaks, rowing boats and a long boat are available for hire from Kuortane Sports Resort. Ruona’s child-friendly beach is located on Niemiskyläntie, near the Haapaniemi rectory. In the northern part of Kuortaneenjärvi, near the Salmi bridge, swimmers and sunbathers can relax on the beautiful Salmi beach. Salmi’s village association also maintains a lakeside sauna on the beach.
The Sarvikkaankoski rapids of Lapuanjoki attract visitors to the village of Ylijoki. With a fishing permit, spinning and fly fishing are permitted at the rapids. Visitors also have access to a beach, open fire place, lean-to, cabin and a sauna. The ruins of an old water mill can still be found in the area. The area’s old tar burning pit, which was originally called the Pitkämäki pit and is now known as the Perälä, Honkola or Saarela pit, was in use as recently as the 1960s.
Municipality of Kuortane
The lively and vibrant Kuortane, which is home to almost 4,000 people, is perhaps best known for Kuortane Sports Resort. While the great outdoors and sports are a prominent feature of life in Kuortane, the town also offers numerous cultural events and interesting places to visit. The scenery in Kuortane is dominated by the Lapuanjoki and the fields spreading from either side of the river. The region offers a wide range of accommodation, from idyllic cottages to luxury apartments.
