Kuopio

Kuopio is located in eastern Finland.
Population: 91 000 inhabitants.
Area: 1728.54 km², 1124.03 - land, 604.51 - water.

Kuopio is the largest city in the province of Eastern Finland, and the third city with the most cottages.

There lived a settlement yet in the centuries ago, but the1653 governor general Peter Brahe gave right of a charter town, though by 1670 Kuopio was an ordinary village. Modern Kuopio was founded in 1775; the official date is recognized as March 17, 1775.

Kuopio is known for its association with a national delicacy, finnish fish pastry ("kalakukko"), as well as the Puijo tower. The first tower was built in 1856 and was only 16 m high, this tower was for tourists. The second tower was built in the same place, but this one was 24 m high, and was destroyed. In 1907 in the same place the third tower was built, and during World War II it was used as an observatory. It was destroyed in 1963, when the building of modern tower began. The modern tower, which is 75 m high, is in the hills of Puijo and is a sight of Kuopio.
There is a restaurant and a souvenir shop inside of the tower.

Interesting places to see in Kuopio:

1.    St Nikolai Orthodox Church (1904)
2.    Cathedral (1815)
3.    Museum House Snellman
4.    Caffe - Museum Harley Davidson
5.    Auto museum
6.    Cultural - historical museum
7.    Natural science museum
8.    Art museum
9.    Fire protection museum

….and many other sights.

There are various cultural events, the most popular are: Festival of dance and music, Rock festival, ski-jumping competitions, the international festival of wines and many others.
Kuopio is a traditional sport city. Here you can find everything concerning sports and stadium, a skating rink, a swimming pool, and even a football field, which is very hard to find in Finland.