Guest House Rowan Tree (Pihlajapuu)
is situated in the Eastern part of Finland called North Karelia. The traditional log house used to be a village school but has now been lovingly renovated for it’s new purpose, welcoming international visitors. We have ten bedrooms, seven rooms upstairs and three rooms downstairs, and can accommodate up to fifteen persons. There are lounges and balconies as well as a Finnish sauna heated with a log fire. Our kitchen provides fresh local food. The small town of Nurmes lies about 20 km away from Guest House Rowan Tree.
Rowan Tree is hosting holidays and tours around the year. We are literally in the middle of the woods where you can pick berries and mushrooms in the autumn. We also cook marmalade from berries. In winter there is plenty of snow with cross-country tracks straight from the door. The fireplaces and radiators keep the whole house warm and cozy, even in the most frosty weather.
The following activities are available during your stay at Rowan Tree:
Canoeing: on a small lake nearby where it is impossible to get lost, or on the Lake Pielinen that spans over 100 km.
Biking: we have bikes, helmets and maps – and offer guided tours as well. In the “land of the thousand lakes” (or about 220 000, to be more accurate) you’ll be never far away from a beach. The roads are mainly in good condition with little traffic but to really see life at the country-side you need to take the hilly sandy side-roads.
Cross-country skiing and snow shoe walking: we can provide the equipment and professional instruction for both of these, as well as skiing workshops from beginners to advanced. The skiing scenes in North Karelia are varied with hills and flat, frozen lakes. Early spring can be a great for snow sports – the days are getting longer and sunnier.
Archery: Minna can give an introductory workshop in archery.
Sauna: in addition to our wonderful in-house sauna that has modern showers and a terrace for cooling down, we cherish Minna’s authentic smoke sauna, about 1 km from Guest House Rowan Tree (in winter we can just walk over the lake but in summer we need to jump in the canoe or drive round the water).
Picking up berries and mushrooms in autumn: You can easily learn to recognize the most common eatable berries. Then you can enjoy them fresh from the forest whenever you wish.
Hiking: the Karelian Round is a 500 km long route passing by Guest House Rowan Tree. Stunning views and guaranteed peace. Autumn is a very good time for hiking as well as summer. There are some interesting natural landmarks on the route, to which you might choose to make day trip.