Stories from Rajamailla

Everything was ok. Good room and excellent breakfast.

A lovely warm welcome. Beautiful place, a lovely large room with amenities and a plentiful good breakfast. I will come here again.

Arrival instructions and self-check-in were easy. The room and common areas were tidy and clean. The hotel was peaceful and worked very well for a business trip overnight stay.

A comfortable, clean room with everything essential for a couple of nights' stay.

Very clean and functional accommodation. Good kitchen facilities available. I warmly recommend it.

The hotel is modern, very clean and peaceful. A tasty Caffe Latte from the Paulig coffee machine, and the Espresso wasn't bad either.

I missed a Hairdryer in the room.

A lovely place, the weather was windy this time, but we enjoyed our stay. The good steam from the sauna and the fireplaces in the cottages provided warmth.

Clean, modern, peaceful!
The common lounge area and all modern kitchen amenities: refrigerator, toaster, crockery, napkins, and a nice coffee machine were a delightful surprise for us. We enjoyed our morning coffee moments as if at home. S-Market is nearby, offering Karelian pies and other delicious items.
Torimaja's central location was suitably central during our stay: we hiked and visited in every direction. A great short visit to our former hometown. Thank you! PS. This review/appreciation also applies to the simultaneous 2-person room: there were three of us on vacation.

A clean and decent place to stay overnight!!!!

Clean room, easy booking and check-in.

A familiar, great cottage in a wonderful location. No disturbance from neighbors or motorboats. Good mushroom and berry picking spots within walking distance. And a pond with very clear water.

An incredibly good place to stay and sleep.

Clean and well-located. Unfortunately hot during a heatwave.

Great place! I recommend it. We have been here before and are still just as satisfied with the accommodation. A so-called 'secret gem' that is regrettably not advertised much. We also only heard about it by chance from a local resident some time ago.

Clean and quiet accommodation in a central location. Very good amenities, and a private toilet and shower added to the comfort. Everything worked perfectly for the entire 4-night stay.

Average

Good.

Excellent customer service and very functional and clean facilities.

Wonderful place, we loved it !

The cottage exceeded expectations. A wonderful and tidy, well-maintained place. The dogs had good swimming spots and safe space to romp around on the point.

Very clean, excellent kitchen equipment, good location, peaceful place. As a bonus, a beach nearby. We were really satisfied!

A truly clean and functional concept! I will use it again.

A peaceful and comfortable place. Clean and well-maintained facilities in an old building. Excellent and hospitable service :)

A clean and peaceful place to stay.

A clean room, beautifully and thoughtfully renovated, accessible. Good location: near the train station and S-market. Luxury: coffee machine and tea maker plus fridge and microwave in the shared kitchen. The code worked well.

A well-maintained and beautiful place!

A little slice of heaven this one! Just THE perfect place to relax. The cabin has everything you need (and more!) and is presented beautifully. Sadly, we were only staying for one night but managed to pack in rowing the boat, a sauna & a sunset swim in the beautiful lake. 

Veera was a great host, responsive and friendly. 

Would recommend very highly!

It was great once again, and a fine place.

Very clean apartment, newly renovated. We enjoyed our stay. Recommendation.

Friendly reception. Ready to help and advise. Everything needed in the cottage. A clean, nice place.

A comfortable, clean room and bathroom. Nice kitchen where we could eat our own food. The coffee machine had several options, and at least the coffee & espresso were good.

The best feature of Suuri-Valkiajärvi cottage is its unique atmosphere and history. The place cannot and should not be compared to a typical summer cottage or rental cabin. You rarely see similar time-patinated and sturdy log structures in today's world. Minor shortcomings, for example in the practicality of the main building's kitchen, are compensated by the excellent location of the entire area, the peninsula-like plot, and the significantly good usability of the grill shelter, complete with refrigerators and sturdy masonry. In addition to solar power, a generator supplements the energy supply – meaning all appliances and lights work. The sauna steam is uniquely excellent. And it will likely improve with the upcoming renewal of the stove. Currently, the stove door doesn't stay completely closed, which makes the draft unfavorable for efficient wood burning. Special thanks for the dry firewood and its ample quantity. The swimming opportunities in conjunction with sauna bathing are the best one can imagine. And the peace of the entire place is the ultimate antithesis to a busy world. Everywhere in the area and facilities, there is a mark of tidiness and good maintenance. The helpfulness and communicativeness of the renters complement the overall picture of comfort.

A charming place, good accommodation and breakfast. Charming and friendly
hosts. I highly recommend it.

CLEAN AND AFFORDABLE, SUITABLE FOR ANYONE WHO ISN'T A NITPICKER. LET NITPICKERS GO ELSEWHERE ....TO FIND FAULT....TIMO RUOTSALAINEN JOENSUU, FORMER CONSTRUCTION ENTREPRENEUR, NOW COIN AND BANKNOTE, WOOD ARTIST .....FROM JOENSUU

Functional for a one-night stay.

The stay was once again an excellent experience; clean and peaceful. The fresh flowers in the lobby were a nice touch, it felt as if we were expected. We will come again.

Very good service and breakfast. I recommend it.

Really clean and comfortable room, I recommend it.

Excellent accommodation. A clean, stylish room with its own toilet/shower. The communal kitchen facilities are excellent, and the coffee and cocoa machine is a big plus. Definitely staying here again when traveling in this area.

I can warmly recommend this! Booking and the door code worked flawlessly. The place is neat and very clean. Textiles are clean. This kind of accommodation is just right for our regular quick visits.
If I could wish for something, it would be nice if at least one room were pet-friendly. This way, our whole family could travel to Parikkala together.

Felt wonderfully welcome, for both people and dogs????
Very clean.
The breakfast was absolutely wonderfully varied!
Thank you!

It was nice to visit, even if only for one night this time. Loons made an appearance and a white-backed woodpecker tapped on its tree. A year has flown by since the last visit. Have a good autumn.

The place was a lovely 100-year-old former school. We felt very welcome and the atmosphere was warm. Thank you, Sirpa and Jukka!

A truly idyllic, beautiful, and peaceful place to stay. Additionally, the breakfast was very delicious and the hosts were friendly.

The cottage holiday was perfect and everything was always good there.

A truly excellent place. I recommend it.

Super nice, clean, and high-quality place! I definitely recommend it!

The room was very clean, as was the kitchen. Specialty coffees and hot water for tea were conveniently available from the coffee machine.
There could be a squeegee in the bathroom for drying the floor.

The room, toilet, kitchen, and corridor areas were very tidy. The location was in the middle of services, a short walk to the shop. The room was pleasantly cool and quiet. We recommend it!

Tidy, convenient and had everything required for a one-night stay. :)

The rooms were too hot to sleep in.

The place was absolutely lovely; we will definitely come again sometime.

Tidy, quiet small hotel with a great location. The photos and description perfectly match the room. The coffee machine also made perfectly decent coffee.
Wishlist: Breakfast service and some local organic product for soap, then we'd be close to four stars.

We are very satisfied! Tidy, clean, and the door code worked flawlessly. We slept well in clean sheets in silence.
We will probably come again, as we occasionally need accommodation for visiting relatives.

Good bed, tidy places, quiet, I liked it very much!

The room was very tidy and warm. The shower and toilet facilities were clean and tidy.

This time we got to warm up the upper cottage properly. We have now visited the cottage a few times; the only drawback worth mentioning is perhaps the outhouse light, it could be better, it would have been dark if we hadn't had a headlamp. There could be some light near the bins. Otherwise, the place is really just our place! 

Tidy room and common areas. Coffee machine is a plus.

Location is really good in the center of Parikkala for those using public transport.

Friendly service when I needed to book accommodation for the next night.

A great wilderness-like place, clear clean water.

A great and tidy place. I recommend it.

It was a very nice place and we will come again.

Torimajat has everything you need and a little extra, and its location right near Parikkala railway station is excellent.

A really clean room and bathroom. Central location.
Unfortunately, the door code stopped working half an hour before check-out, but help arrived by phone.

A cozy, unpretentious cottage in a paradise-like setting. Clean, well-maintained. Summer kitchen with amazing views. Composting toilet clean. Pond water clear, like from a tap. A perfect vacation spot for nature lovers. 

A very good and peaceful place. My single room was clean and comfortable, the bathroom excellent (modern and bright). As someone traveling a long distance, I appreciate that the place was quiet, meaning I slept very well during my night in Parikkala. The numerical code system is very convenient, as there's no need to worry about check-ins and check-outs or handling key collection/return. (I appreciate simplicity and ease in these matters.) The breakfast gave enough energy to continue the journey the next morning.

A very clean room and a comfortable bed!

The cottage was absolutely lovely, the sauna had great steam, the amenities were suitable for cottage life. Great views of Lake Simpele. We will come again.

Clean and quiet apartment, good sauna. Good location.

A really clean and quiet room. Our own toilet and shower were a luxury. The kitchen could use a drying rack for washed dishes, as well as scissors and a sharp knife.

Clean rooms, breakfast and evening snack supplies need to be brought by oneself, a refrigerator and coffee machine are available.

Staying at Torimajat Hotel was a pleasant experience. As soon as we stepped through the main door, it smelled so new, and the kitchen was cozy. The room was spacious, and the shower/toilet area was beautiful. The bed offered a good night's sleep, and nothing disturbed us. We will definitely choose this again when we need to spend nights in Parikkala.

The place is simply wonderful, it's perfect when you want to unwind and enjoy the quiet. Probably a really great place in the summer. We are a couple who enjoy nature and like to photograph and move around in nature. The large cabin was quite cold, so we had to warm it up, and the floor was cold. The kitchenette was so cold that we didn't need to put food items in the sauna cabin's refrigerator. And of course, on the first evening, we noticed that the sauna takes a bit longer to heat up than usual because it's so large. The only bad thing was the large piece of glass in the water by the sauna shore. We really enjoyed our stay at the cabin. We should have booked one more day.

"Very good, thank you!"

”On behalf of our mother, I'm providing feedback on Torimajat Hotel in Parikkala town center. She was very satisfied, said she would go again if needed and recommends it to others as well. She herself also got a tip about the place from a friend's recommendation. (She stayed overnight in a neighboring municipality when she returned from a trip to Parikkala in the evening, and had an early doctor's appointment in Parikkala the next morning. So, she wasn't traveling as a tourist, but it's great that a good accommodation was found right in the center.)”

Beautiful, clean and peaceful. Everything we needed was found. We couldn't get the cabin warm, but it was warm enough to sleep. I warmly recommend it.

Vacationing in late summer, with slightly cool weather.

The week was spent outdoors, enjoying the sauna, and relaxing in the hot tub. Several books were also read. Huge amounts of porcini mushrooms were found, and some chanterelles too.

Over the week, our batteries recharged nicely, and it's pleasant to return to the autumn routine. First time at this cottage, but hopefully not the last. The facilities are great, and the hosts are lovely.

Regards,

"Pistoniemi never disappoints." -Stayed in Joutsenmökki, previously stayed in Lokki and Tiira.

The house is amazing and very well equiped. The beach is perfect for the kids and the lake is very clear. There is everything you need to spend a good time there! We totally recommand this place and hope we can come again! The host is also very reactive and nice.

Clean and well-executed. Good beds and bedding.

We came to relax, and it exceeded all expectations!

Sun, +30°C warmth, and someone had already prepared the firewood, cleaned the cabins and yard areas, emptied the outhouse, etc. etc..

What a great place to be! Let's enjoy this atmospheric spot and the clear lake water <3

The only downside is having to leave ☹ But no worries, we'll be back.. :)

With temperatures almost reaching 30 degrees Celsius and Valkealampi cottage becoming available due to a cancellation, we didn't have to think twice – we quickly made the reservation and packed our bags. The cottage was familiar from years ago, but this beautiful peninsula was even more stunning, as the premises had been tidied and spruced up. But the place was as beautiful as I remembered – you'd be hard-pressed to find another spot as idyllic! And what's great, there's electricity now (solar power), so the fridge could be filled with cold drinks and BBQ treats. On the sauna terrace, it's wonderful to enjoy the warmth of the sun and then take a dip in the lake from the end of the pier. As evening approaches, turn on the sauna, and from its window, you can admire the lake's surface. The sauna can accommodate a good number of people, and when admiring the sunset, you just can't stop saunading and swimming. The BBQ area is also wonderful – you couldn't cook in a more beautiful spot! At the tip of the peninsula, there's also a smoke box, in case you catch some fish. Many fish swim near the pier, and they are easy to observe because the water is so clear. But pictures speak a thousand words – 5/5 perfect summer weekend!

My wife and I had a great time on our bike trip in the Simpele area on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Thanks to Simmes Oy for the opportunity to rent bikes.

I am writing this customer feedback with the intention of sharing our enthusiasm and thoughts with fitness enthusiasts who are trying e-biking and e-bike rentals for the first time.

Our rented equipment: electric assist up to 25 km/h, mountain bike classification, Apache brand, hardtail (front suspension), with 19 and 18-inch frames, 5 power levels, 9 gears. Fenders, lights, coiled cable lock, and kickstand. Quick-release saddle height adjustment. Helmets were available from the renter, but we used our own. Note that the bikes do not have a rear rack or saddlebag; they are not "touring-equipped" models. The bikes are mountain bikes, as the renter states. We both had our own backpacks. The price range for the bike (in consumer retail) is approximately 2200 euros.

Bike performance: we are 180 and 172 cm tall. We are over 60 years old. My background includes five years of year-round "organic cycling" on a fat-bike (17"). Against this background, the 19" Apache felt too large for me on short, trail-like sprints due to stiffness/maneuverability. On asphalt and gravel, which made up our route, the frame size was good. I also tested an 18-inch one slightly. That would have worked for me too. For my wife, a 17-inch would have been the best option, but this was still good. Locking the rear brakes was difficult, it just wouldn't work. Perhaps this is a known weak point of this bike model. Surprisingly, the sound of the electric motor was not bothersome. When changing the amount of pedal assist, the change in power output felt very pleasant, both when increasing and decreasing assistance. In some places, an unpleasant clunking sound came from the sprocket pack on uphills, even though I didn't change gears. This was probably due to inexperience in understanding the relationship between assist power and gear size. The function display was large and clear. The battery capacity, with our riding style, would have been sufficient for over 100 km on a single charge.

Rental and communication (instructions for pick-up location, etc.) took place online. I personally missed meeting a salesperson, especially at the beginning, when I didn't notice or bother to read the instructions on the wall of the rental point's bike garage. I couldn't get the power on. Overall, the renter handled their part commendably.

Bike handover and pre-instructions: the bike handover location was ideal, close to the town center, with ample parking for our car and a flat yard area to get acquainted with the bike before heading onto the street. The spacious bike garage was tidy, with bikes attractively lined up. These details added to a feeling of trust towards the renter. I previously referred to the clunking sound from the gears. Afterward, I wished for a pre-instruction on what assist level (0-5) is most recommended for each gear (1-9). I also didn't think to reset the trip meter. I believe everyone is interested in knowing their mileage. Well, next time then. As a customer, facing something new, one doesn't always know the best way to act, but I decided to call the support number provided after the trip. We primarily wanted to inform them that our responsibility for the bikes ended at that time.

First-timers might be interested in our route. Garage/rental point - grocery store – Haukkavuori – Garage (we left extra spare clothes and drinks in the car) – to Kangaskoski Lean-to – Garage. The trip covered approximately 50 km and took nearly seven hours. I fully endorse the numerous rave reviews for the area's top attractions. I want to highlight the section from Kangaskoski Lean-to – Suomaankorventie – Änkilänsalontie - underpass of Highway 6. Specifically in this direction of travel. Along this section, the border zone markers and the small border guard office cabin with its large surveillance cameras brought exciting thrills to the surface. Then, the icing on the cake. The landscape at the end of Änkilänsalontie from the hilltop, followed by a long descent. Go and see it when you're cycling in that area.

Here I list some safety tips for beginners, from my own thoughts: in cool weather, note that you don't sweat as easily while riding, and the average speed is higher than when riding a traditional bike – so bring extra clothes. Don't forget gloves. Test the grip and locking characteristics of the brakes right at the beginning. Avoid full front brake lock-up when braking. Familiarize yourself with the brakes' characteristics, at the latest on a larger downhill before gaining speed – for me, coming down from Haukkavuori, the speed exceeded 50 km per hour. I can now boast about my courage, but at the same time say that the bike performed well in that situation, for example, regarding the front suspension. There was busy car traffic on the Haukkavuori dirt road section on Saturday, so I had to stay alert and watch for traffic coming from behind. Even a tractor was not a surprise.

Rautjärvi municipality, as we understand it, has invested and continues to invest in cycling. We eagerly await what new offerings will be available in spring 2022.

Best regards,