Enjoy your cottage holiday!
Swimming and sauna
All our cottages are located by a small, well-stocked, crystal clear Lake Iso-Paljo . (Lake length 2.2 km, width 800 m). Swimming and relaxing in sauna are of course a big part of cottage holiday. All the cottages have their own wood-fired sauna and private sandy beach. You can enjoy relaxing sauna when ever you want. Firewood by the host’s own forest is included in the price.
In winter if you have enough courage, you can take a dip in the frozen lake. You can borrow icesaw to make the hole. What a wonderful experience!
Berries and mushroom picking
There is forest all around the cottages. In autumn forests are full of delicious treasures like blueberries, lingonberries and cranberries. Mushroom picking is relaxing and you can cook delicious meals if you find at least chanterelles, boletes and trumpet. Extensive forest area also attracts just wandering in the peace of nature.
Rowing
All the cottages have their own rowing boat and it is free to use it. Life jackets are in the old barn in the farm area.
The lake is full of birds, you may see a swan or a duck family and many others. There has been the same loon couple for years who return year after year to spend their summers in lake Iso-Paljo.
So enjoy your stay and relax!
Visit Rantala farm
In Rantala farm yard area there is a small museum consisting of objects and tools related to the history of the farm. Those have been collected over the decades. If you want to dive into the past, ask the host to present these storehouses of treasures.
Things to do for children
Many children like the trampoline in the Rantala farm yard. Welcome both big and small jumpers! In the yard there is also Rantala old barn, which was once the home of many cows and a couple of pigs. Today it is a playroom and everyone having a holiday in the Rantala cottages can visit there. There is for example a ping pong table (table tennis) and it is a lot of fun to have a tournament with your family or friends. In addition there is an exercise bike, punching bag, a variety of outdoor games such as “mölkky”, croquet and badminton equipment, as well as board games and books that can be borrowed for free at the cottage to play.
Walking trip to forest hut
There is a nice village hut called “Kottilan kota” in the forest about 1,5 km from the cottages. Everyone is free to use it and what a good idea to have a picnic there. Rantala’s land just a stone’s throw from the cottages, the village is the mountain village hut Society “Kottila hut” (see detailed location map). Pack your backpack and take sausages and other picnic lunch and go to enjoy the nice atmosphere. Many visitors have prepared a gourmet meal in the hut. There is for example boards broiling salmon, reindeer skins, firewood and toilet.
Cross-country skiing, ice-skating, snow-shoes
In the winter take along skis, snow-shoes, ice-skates and sledges. You can ski in the field and forest. Skiing track is only a few steps from the cottage. Enjoy smooth skiing on the lake. You can also ski in the forest and the longest track goes to Vuorenkylä village and Purnu ski resort. Explore the map to track and plan your day trip.
Forest walks with your dog
Forests around the cottages have plenty of forest roads and trails, along which is a nice walk. If you dont have a dog of your own you can borrow the host’s kind Australian kelpie Velmu! Velmu is happy to take you out through his a big territory, and will certainly escort you back to your cottage.
Each cottage has its own quiet courtyard area where your dog can be free if it does not disturb the neighbors. You can also borrow running rope from the host. See more information at the dogsite!
Ski resort Purnu is nearby
Ski resort Purnu is about 4 kilometers from Rantala farm. In Purnu you can go downhill skiing, there is also good cross-country skiing track. In the winter you also find restaurant / cafe, where you can eat delicious meals like salmon delicaties, hot soups, hamburgers or have a cup of coffee. Purnu is a cozy small ski resort for the whole family, where one can freely enjoy downhill without the big queues and other noise. In addition there are also sledding hill, snowmobile trails and hut, where is nice to go to grill sausages in sunny winter day.
Bird wetland and bird-watching tower
Go for a walking trip to the bird wetland of the village Hara. The wetland was made to preserve the biodiversity of birds and for the joy of people in 2013. Next to the wetland bird-watching tower was built in the spring of 2017 and it is free to use for all passers-by. There has been seen during the recent years different spicies of birds in wetland. Including a swan family, heron, the waders, ducks and others. The wetland is located about one kilometer away from the farm towards Joutsa. Visit and please tell us, if you see rarities!
Mountain biking
Hartola has many excellent mountain biking trails of varying difficulty for cyclists. You can also borrow a standard basic bike from us. It is is nice to bike in village Vuorenkylä and enjoy the beautiful scenery of countryside. Visit small village shop and have an ice-cream! Additional information about the trails host.
Horse riding, golf, culture…
Hartola and Joutsa have excellent day-trip destinations. For example Finland’s southernmost salmon river Tainiovirta, 18-hole golfcourse, East Häme Museum in Hartola. There is well-known art institution in Joutsa Haihatus which has already fifteen years produced nationally significant art exhibitions, as well as Anu Pylsy Design Atelje where there is a rich selection of domestic products and a nice place to visit anyway. Islandic horse riding you can try in Saaga-stables in Joutsa. Discover the nearby area!
Hiking map of Vuorenkylä
In Vuorenkylä you can also explore the nature trail and there is lots of interesting things to see and explore. Look at the map and find interesting places and hiking tracks. Map here
Leivonmäki National Park
Leivonmäki National Park’s forests, lakes and marshes can be explored on family-friendly paths, including enticing duckboard trails. Enjoy your picnic in delightful scenery by the lakeside or up on an esker ridge. Hikers have many places to have a break. There are several campfire sites. Leivonmäki a national park and its immediate vicinity there are a total of 28 km of marked trails, mainly easy trails that are great for day trips. It takes about 15 minutes by car to Leivonmäki from the Rantala Cottages.
Fishing and licences
Lake Iso-Paljo is full of fish. Try and if you are lucky you can catch maybe perch, pike, whitefish, carp or bream! Most skilled fishermen have managed to catch up to 10-pound pike, and almost 2-pound perch. Angling and ice fishing is free as it is everymans right in Finland. If you use lure or fishing net you need to have state fishing permission. You can buy lake-specific fishing card (a 2.5 eur) from the owner or the village shop.
It is easy to start fishing in Finland. Angling with a hook and line and ice-fishing are exempt from licences under public rights of access. In addition, lure fishing with one rod is free of charge for people aged under 18 or over 64. Other types of fishing always require fishing licences and people aged 18 to 64 must also pay the state fishing management fee.
The cottage rent includes own rowing boat, life jacket and fishing tips.
What licences do I need?
Case 1
Q: I’m going angling and ice-fishing with a hook and line.
A: You do not need a licence – with the exception of rapids sites, managed rainbow trout lakes and other specific sites.
Case 2
Q: I’m going spinning or trolling with one rod out on a lake or at sea.
If you are aged between 18 and 64, you’ll need to pay the state fishing management fee and either the provincial lure fishing fee or, alternatively, obtain a permit from the owner of the water area in question. If you are aged under 18 or over 64, you don’t need a licence. However, in order to fish on ‘plant and fish’ lakes, you’ll always need a permit from the owner regardless of your age.
Case 3
Q: I’m going fly-fishing and spinning on river and rapids sites.
A: You’ll need to pay the state fishing management fee (if you’re aged 18 to 64) and obtain a permit from the owner of the water area.
Case 4
Q: I’m going trolling with more than one rod.
A :You’ll need to pay the state fishing management fee (if you’re aged 18 to 64) and obtain a permit from the owner of the water area. It is also possible to purchase a combined licence for many large lakes, covering the whole or part of the lake in question.
Case 5
Q: I’m going to fish with nets and traps and other standing tackle and to catch crayfish.
A: You’ll need to pay the state fishing management fee (if you’re aged 18 to 64) and obtain a permit from the owner of the water area. It is also possible to purchase a combined licence for certain large lakes, covering the whole or part of the lake in question.
Where can I purchase licences?
You can either purchase the state fishing management fee and the provincial lure fishing fee to cover the whole year or for a period of seven days. You can pay for licences at all banks and post offices as well as R kiosks and on the Internet at http://kalastuslupa.smilehouse.com/PublishedService?frontpage=true&theme=3.
Owners’ permits and combined licences are available at fishing tackle stores, petrol stations and information points. You can also use your mobile phone to obtain lure fishing licences for state-maintained waters sold by Metsähallitus, a state enterprise in charge of state-owned lands and waters
What are the rules?
Regulations for a specific fishing site are usually available when purchasing a licence or on the Internet. In addition, national closed seasons and smallest permitted sizes will generally apply (see presentations of fish species), but there may also be diverging local regulations (see presentations of the water bodies).
Also remember to take other people into account. As long as you don’t go fishing too close to an inhabited shore, you will avoid causing unnecessary disturbance.
What do licences cost?
It doesn’t cost much to go fishing. A one-year licence for a lake usually costs a few dozen euros and rates for daily licences at rapids sites range from a few euros to a few dozen euros.
Book your holiday now!
Now that you have planned what you would like to do during your holiday, book a cottage, in order to have a roof over your head – be quick, as popular weeks are sold out already!
