Come and see the beautiful Southern Finland nature in Teijo National Park. Nature Viva is at your service in Teijo, where nature adventures await you.
A nature trek in Teijo National Park is a great outdoor experience. You will find it all in Teijo: romantic lake views, rocks and cliffs, forests, creeks, rivers and meadows. There are also cultural points of interest, as three villages with 17th century iron-foundry remnants lie in the vicinity. Additionally, the sea is always near in Teijo.
This beautiful nature spot in Southern Finland awaits you, only some 140 kilometers from Helsinki metropolitan area and some 80 kilometers from Turku international airport.
Teijo National Park is a national park with an land area of 34 square kilometers, and it lies on the Southwestern Finnish coast, on the Gulf of Finland. The national park lands are spread out within a wider area, at the Teijonselkä and Hummelsfjärden seashores.
Lakes in Teijo
Almost in the middle of Teijo National Park there are two lengthy lakes, lake Matildanjärvi and lake Puolakkajärvi, which divide the national park lands in two. Another significant lake, lake Sahajärvi is located to the North from these two lakes. Lake Hamarijärvi, the biggest in the national park, is located in the Northernmost corner of the national park.
Teijo Nature Center, Natura Viva’s depot in Teijo National Park, sits on the southern Matildanjärvi lakeshore. Lake Matildanjärvi is a well-known fishing area, where non-endemic rainbow trout is regularly being stocked. You will obtain fishing permit to lake Matildanjärvi and also to all other Teijo lakes at the Nature Center. Rent a rowing boat and head on the lake!
The sea is always near in Teijo
The Western border of Teijo National Park is near the Gulf of Finland seashore. The actual spot inside the national park at the seashore is located Northwest from lake Matildanjärvi. Additionally, the Iso-Holma island, which sits out on the sea, is part of the national park. On the opposite seashore from the narrow Teijonselkä strait and Hummelsfjärden sea channel lies Kemiö, Finland’s second largest island by land area.
The three villages, known for their iron-foundry foundations, are located outside the national park borders on the seashore. Teijo village, the biggest of the three villages lies beside lake Sahajärvi. Mathildedal village, closest to Teijo Nature Center, lies South from Teijo village, and Kirjakkala village, tiniest of the three, can be found Northwest from the national park, beside lake Hamarijärvi.
Uncommon swamplands
Teijo National Park boasts a fen, a type of treeless swamp, which is very uncommon for nature in Southern Finland. Usually fens can be found in the North. At the Teijo fen there are many uncommon plants, which can be observed from wooden pavements, built here and there on the swamp. Altogether there are 450 hectares of natural or restored swampland in Teijo National Park.
From forests to rocks
You can also hike in the forest in Teijo. As there are steep up- and downhills, be ready for some physically demanding routes.
You will find all common Finnish trees in Teijo, such as birches, pines, spruces and maples. There are some 300 hectares of restored wild forest areas in Teijo National Park. The lakeshores are sometimes rocky and steep, and many rock and cliff formations remain as a result from the last ice age, 9000 years ago.
The Jeturkasti ancient beach is a fine example of the land in Teijo, shaped after the ice age. This rock formation, consisting of several hundred boulders, was shaped, when the ice retreated. This fine nature sight is located on the Southern tip of the national park, some 2 kilometers hike from Teijo Nature Center.
Wild animals in Teijo
The diverse nature setting in Teijo National Park provides food and shelter for most common Finnish land mammals, such as moose, dear, fox and hares. The endangered Eurasian Lynx thrives in Teijo. Many bird species spend their Finnish summer season here, such as multiple owl species, cranes and canada geese. The rare grey-headed woodpecker, the emblem animal of Teijo, nests in the national park.
Start your day at the Nature Center
Teijo Nature Center, Natura Viva’s depot in Teijo, is a great starting point to your day in Teijo. Enjoy a coffee and a snack at the Nature Center café. Rent a kayak, a canoe, a SUP board, a rowing boat or a Fatbike from our rental shop. We also provide you with fishing permits. Natura Viva also has nearby forest cabins and caravan park space for rent. Book your sauna session at the Matildanjärvi lakeshore sauna.