The built urban environment in Mikkeli is rich with numerous invigorating parks and green areas, perfect for spending time with friends and family. And plenty of playgrounds around the city.
Parks
Kirkkopuisto is part of the nationally valuable cultural environment of Mikkeli’s Hallitustori. The center of Mikkeli follows a grid plan designed by C. L. Engel.
Kirkkopuisto is located between Porrassalmenkatu, Vuorikatu, Maaherrankatu, and Savilahdenkatu, in the area of the Old Churchyard. It was designed in 1838 as a representative park in the city center, filling one of the grid squares of the city.
The first plantings were made in the early 1830s. The area was leveled and fenced in 1844, shortly after which 168 birch trees were planted, and a well, benches, and swings were installed.
The positions of the rows of birch trees date back to the late 19th century. On the central axis of the symmetrical layout stands a bandstand, built in 1897 for a song festival (designed by architect John L. Lybeck).
A fountain was installed at the center point, and the park was lit in the early 1910s. The oldest statue, Jousimies (“The Archer”), dates from 1929.
The park took its current form, with large flower beds, in the 1930s when the position of city gardener was established. The fountain was renovated in the late 1950s.
In 2003 04, the park underwent extensive renovation, with the main focus on emphasizing the features that were prominent in the park during the 1940s.
The old barracks area in Mikkeli is classified as a nationally significant built cultural environment. The area is one of the best-preserved wooden barracks areas in Finland. The old barracks area is currently under the control of several landowners. The oldest monument in the area dates back to 1929.
Originally, it was the wooden barracks of the 6th Finnish Sharpshooter Battalion, built near Urpola pond on a sandy ridge between 1879 and 1882, and expanded in the 1910s with brick barracks for the Russian army.
From the 1920s to the 1960s, the area was used by the Finnish Defence Forces. On the nearby Linnamäki hill, there was initially an officers’ pavilion, and from 1910 to 1958, the barracks church.
Since the 1970s, other public functions have been established in the old barracks area. The sharpshooter barracks, along with its park and the core of the training field, have mostly been preserved.
The original plan included a wide boulevard design, but it was never implemented. The plantings from the sharpshooter barracks era are mainly birch trees, and some of the yards of the residential buildings are still bordered by lilac hedges from that time. At least near the barracks field, one can find plant species that arrived from the east with transported goods over a hundred years ago.
In the area of the brick barracks, remnants of the barracks era plantings, such as noble conifers, are still present among pines and later plantings from the late 20th century
The Tykkipuisto park, located in the middle of the wooden barracks of Mikkeli’s old barracks area, was renovated in 2016–2017. The area was transferred to the city’s ownership in the spring of 2016.
Tykkipuisto has retained its original shape since the beginning. Over one hundred-year-old birch trees had to be cut down, and they were replaced with new trees. A space has been reserved fora performance stage at the former location of the artelli (canteen, library). The building’s outlines are visible in the paving.
Did you know that flying squirrels live in Tykkipuisto.
Naisvuori – ”The Woman Mountain”
Naisvuori is located near the city centre of Mikkeli. It is approximately 120 metres 120 metres high rocky hill. Both Naisvuori itself and its famous observation tower are among the most popular attractions in Mikkeli.
Naisvuori Park has been awarded the international Green Flag Award three times in a row from 2021 to 2023. The Green Flag Award is a recognition system for the quality of maintenance and management of green areas, administered by the Keep Britain Tidy organization, in Finland by the Finnish Association of Landscape Industries (Viherympäristöliitto ry).
History of Naisvuori
Naisvuori has always been a recreational and fitness area for the townspeople, but its history is diverse in other ways as well. The Naisvuori Association was established in 1881, with the aim of providing the townspeople with a pleasant walking and viewpoint for the summer months.
The fire tower was moved to Naisvuori, and a restaurant pavilion was built there. The newly completed pavilion was celebrated on May Day in 1884. A bowling alley was built on the western slope, and the restaurant was expanded. The area was cleared for a park, and roads and paths were created. Naisvuori became a central recreational area for the townspeople.
In 1910 the water tower was placed on Naisvuori. The previous wooden structures were replaced by a tower built of reinforced concrete. The architect was Selim A. Lindqvist, who also designed the Mikkeli City Hall. The tower stood 64 metres above the level of Lake Saimaa, and its height from the rock surface was 29 metres. The tower’s inauguration took place on May Day in 1912.
In the autumn of 1939, protective measures were taken in Mikkeli against air raids. Personnel from the army headquarters began to move from Helsinki to Mikkeli. The strategically important city was to be protected by antiaircraft guns. Caves were excavated in the hill, where the headquarters’ communication equipment, telephone exchange, and teleprinters were installed. During the Continuation War, the facilities housed the Communications Centre Lokki.
In 1946, architect Eero Jokilehto redesigned the tower into its current form. The water tower became inadequate as water consumption increased sharply in the early 1950s. A new water tower for the city was built on Kiiskinmäki, leaving the water tank on Naisvuori empty.
In the 1960s, the caves of Naisvuori were expanded to include a bomb shelter and a swimming hall. A relaxation terrace with fountains and pergolas was built at the top of the hill in the 1970s. Johannes Haapasalo’s “Wanderer” statue overlooks the old pavilion’s foundation. Since 1956, a summer theatre has operated on the southwest terrace of Naisvuori.
Naisvuori today
The most recent renovation and painting of the observation tower were carried out in the early years of the 2020s. Efforts have also been made and will continue to be made to improve the park.
Naisvuori continues to serve as a venue for events and a popular tourist and recreational destination. There is also a cozy café in the observation tower, which is open during the summer months.
The Naisvuori observation tower has become an important symbol for Mikkeli. It is an environmentally and historically significant and valuable site.
Naisvuori represents the best of Mikkeli’s parks and offers visitors always something new to see and experience.
The Urpola Nature Center serves not only as an exhibition space but also as a Saimaa Geopark visitor center.
Urpola Nature Center/Saimaa Geopark visitor center is a refreshing and diverse excursion destination located near the center of Mikkeli. It is housed in the oldest residential building in Mikkeli, dating back to 1782, where a new exhibition is set up each year for the summer season.
In addition to the nature exhibition, visitors can explore an interactive wall created using technology from OiOi Collective Oy. Through the wall, it’s possible to learn about the formation of Lake Saimaa, play a reaction game themed around the Ice Age, or bring to life Terhi Kastehelmi’s imaginative wall mural.
During the summer season, when the nature center is open, it is also possible to rent equipment such as stand-up paddleboards (SUP), single kayaks, and rowboats.
Nature trail
The nature center is located in the Urpola Nature Reserve. The area can be explored year-round via a nature trail (1.3 km).
You can bring your own snacks to the trail or grill sausages at the campfire sites next to the nature center. Firewood is available from the nature center during its opening hours. The campfire sites are available as long as there are no grass or forest fire warnings. Sausage sticks, pancake pans, and traditional coffee pots can be borrowed from the nature center during its opening hours.
Please note: Due to the elevation changes, narrowness, and root covered path, the use of bicycles, strollers, and walkers is not recommended.
You are warmly welcome to explore Urpola Nature Center!
Photo Mikko Kankainen