Fi

Leisure activ­i­ties

There is plenty of things to do in Joensuu and North Karelia all year around. Joensuu offers plenty of options for people inter­ested in sports or culture and of course the wonder­ful nature is full of possi­bil­i­ties in every season. 

As a student, you should remem­ber the possi­bil­i­ties for leisure activ­i­ties offered by the Student Union POKA (Into free­time activ­i­ties).

In addi­tion, Karelia UAS Student Union POKA, Karelia UAS, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland (UEF) and Student Union of the Univer­sity of Eastern Finland (ISYY) provide a great selec­tion of sports services to all students in Joensuu. Check out the SYKETTÄ Calen­dar to find the opportunities.

Google map with various destinations 

Events in Joensuu and North Karelia

Please check these event calendars:

Sport and nature activies

Inter­ested in golf, kick­box­ing, curling or etno­bick? Willing to play floor­ball or foot­ball in a national level league?

There are dozens of sports clubs in Joensuu, every­thing from martial arts to petanque and from tradi­tional indi­vid­ual level sports to team sports, even on national level. Besides sports club activ­i­ties, you can do sports in many of the sports centres in the city and in the beau­ti­ful nature surround­ing Joensuu. If looking for more extreme expe­ri­ences, you can try sliding on ice with a snow­board and a paraglider, and if looking for peace and quiet, you can cross-country ski or snowshoeing. 

Koli national park is a place worth visit­ing. The scenery from the top of Ukkokoli to lake Pieli­nen has inspired artists through­out history. There are nature trails and hiking routes of differ­ent lenghts and after a hike you can relax in the spa in the hotel. It is worth­while to visit Koli during differ­ent seasons. 

More infor­ma­tion:

There are also many teams in Joensuu that play at the national level. In propor­tion to its popu­la­tion, Joensuu is extremely well-repre­sented in many sports. Tickets are usually avail­able at the box office before the game. Check at least the follow­ing teams: 

Cinemas, theatre and music

Cinema

Theatre

Music

Museums

  • Art Museum Onni: https://joensuuntaidemuseo.fi/in-english
    • A perma­nent collec­tion of Finnish art, sections of Chinese art, ancient Greek and Roman art, and Ortho­dox icons from the monastery of Megri. Chang­ing exhibitions.
  • Art Centre Ahjo: www.taidekeskusahjo.net
    • A fresh view of North Kare­lian and other Finnish art in exhi­bi­tions of photo­graphic art, paint­ings and handicrafts.
  • Care­licum – North Kare­lian Museum: https://pohjoiskarjalanmuseo.fi/in-english
    • A modern museum of history and culture. An exhi­bi­tion enti­tled “Karelia – both sides of the border” takes a look at the region of Karelia in its histor­i­cal and cultural entity. Please ask at the Tourist Infor­ma­tion Desk in Care­licum for infor­ma­tion on the smaller art galleries!

Miscel­la­neous

Reli­gious denominations

  • Student minis­ters
    • Help and infor­ma­tion is avail­able for students from differ­ent reli­gious back­grounds. Student minis­ter can be reached by mobile tele­phone or e-mail.
    • Contact Minis­ter Markku Frän­tilä, tel. 050 383 0336, e-mail [email protected]
  • The Joensuu Lutheran Student Parish offers various activ­i­ties. During semes­ters the main gath­er­ings are at Kirkkokatu 28. Discus­sion topics vary from reli­gious matters to rela­tion­ships. Infor­ma­tion on the FB site.
  • Lutheran congre­ga­tions
    • Parish hall, Kirkkokatu 28, tel. (013) 263 5300
    • Church of Joensuu, at the south end of Kirkkokatu street
    • Church of Noljakka, Noljakantie 81
    • Church of Pielisen­suu, Tikkamäen­tie 15
    • Church of Rantakylä, Rantakylänkatu 2
  • The Ortho­dox Church of Saint Niko­laos, at the north end of Kirkkokatu street, Satur­day Vigilia at 6 p.m., Sunday Liturgy at 10 a.m.
  • The Inter­na­tional Chris­t­ian Fellow­ship in Joensuu is an inter­de­nom­i­na­tional and inter­na­tional group of people, seeking to build bridges, encour­age unity and love between people of all nations. You are welcome to share with and meet others in these meet­ings. Activ­i­ties: regular get-to-gethers, English Services, Holy Catholic Masses. Contact Lea Honka­nen, e-mail [email protected]
  • Catholic Church, activ­i­ties published on FB site
  • Evan­gel­i­cal Free Church, Leinikki­tie 1, inter­pre­ta­tion into English on Family Service on Sundays, infor­ma­tion on website.
  • Pente­costal Church, Niini­vaarantie 26; infor­ma­tion on website
  • Joensuu Mosque, infor­ma­tion on their FB site