Stay at our traditional farmhouse in the middle of the woods near Joensuu, Finland

Details

• 

  Description

  Would you like to take a break from the city life?
  Come and help us with gardening, renovations, painting and other activities in North-Karelia, Finland. We are a middle-aged couple, spending the summertime with our friendly dog, Konsta, in our old family house near Koli’s national park. The house is located on a hill, in the wilderness, 50km from the nearest city (Joensuu). We go shopping for groceries once a week, you are always welcome to join us to do your own shopping.
  
  Koli’s National Park offers a great variety of outdoor activities. Also, it is possible to enjoy the beautiful forest and pond right next to the house.
  
  In the evenings we often go and relax at our small lake cabin by lake Herajärvi. There you can swim, take a sauna, make a bonfire and enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our place is very old and traditional. It hasn't had any technological improvements since 1920. You can become familiar with Finnish culture, nature friendly lifestyle, restoration, using historical tools, taking care of forest, planting trees, gardening, growing food, learning Finnish/English, cooking, etc.
  
  On your free time you can go swim, play with the dog, pick berries and mushrooms (depending on the season), enjoy traditional wooden sauna, etc. Or just relax and look at the blue skies while laying in a hammock.

• 

  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

• 

  Help

  We always have things to do, from smaller daily tasks to bigger and more complex projects.
  
  Daily tasks include gardening, chopping wood, cutting grass, helping with renovations of old wooden buildings (painting, nailing, sawing…), heating the sauna. In the late summer, there is also berry, apple and mushroom picking.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Finnish: Fluent
  Swedish: Intermediate
  Italian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
• 

  Accommodation

  The farm is over 100 years old and is not equipped with running water or Wi-Fi. We like to live in a so called ”traditional way” with a few modern tools, including a solar panel that gives us enough of energy to charge our phones and use lights when needed. Food is prepared on a gas stove and drinking water is taken directly from a well. Because we have no running water, we bathe in the sauna using well water. Our dry toilet is separate from the main house.
  
  We can accommodate two people at a time. We have a small guest house where you can stay in the summertime.
  
  We like to cook and eat together, whether it is traditional Karelian dishes or pizza baked in the wooden oven.
  
  In a typical day we wake up at around 8 o'clock and have breakfast. We then work from 9 to 16 and have lunch break around noon.

• 

  What else ...

  The easiest way to come here is to take the train to Joensuu, where we can pick you up and drive approximately 45 minutes to the house. We go shopping for groceries once a week, you are always welcome to join us and do your own shopping.
  
  The farm is situated on a hill in the wilderness. The Koli National Park nearby offers excellent opportunities for hiking and trekking. The combined length of marked trails is around 80 km, with trail lengths varying from 1.5km to 61 km. Some of the trails are considerably easier to hike than others. There are campfire sites, lean-tos, and wilderness huts along the trails.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  Vans can be easily parked in the garden. Please note, we don't have electricity.

• 

  Can possibly accept pets

  Dogs can be considered. We have a male dog with us.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

• 

  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week