Tourist Places to Visit in Kokkola, Finland, Europe

Tourist Places to Visit in Kokkola, Finland, Europe

Kokkola is a city as well as municipality belonging to the province of Western Finland in the Central Ostrobothnia region. The Chydenius-Institution of Kokkola is the prime educational institution and the chemical industry is the major pillar of Kokkola’s economy.

Geography of Kokkola:

Kokkola is placed on the coast of Gulf of Bothnia, around 120 km southwest of Vaasa, 200 km northeast of Oulu and 485 km south of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Kokkola coordinates with 63°50.2′ N latitude and 023°08′ E longitude.

History of Kokkola:

The literal meaning of Kokkola is ‘place of eagle’ or ‘place of bonfire’ which is derived from the two Finnish words, ‘Kokko’ denotes white-tailed eagle and bonfire and ‘la’ meaning place. Surrounding Kaarlela municipality merged with Kokkola municipality in 1977 and other three municipalities Lohtaja, Kalvia and Ullava merged into Kokkola in the year 2009. Currently the municipality of Kokkola spans over a total area of 2,730.81 square kilometers.

How to reach Kokkola?

Kokkola is served by Kruunupyy Airport which is situated about 20 kilometers from the heart of Kokkola and has scheduled flights to the national capital Helsinki and seasonal flights to major holiday destinations in Europe.

Kokkola is directly connected with Helsinki by train, served by Pendolino train which takes around 4 hours.

Kokkola is located on the European route E8 as it receives frequent buses from the different regions of the country.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kokkola:

Kokkola houses the internationally recognized Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra which performs in Kokkola and other regions of the country and in foreign too. Juha Kangas was the founder of this orchestra, founded in 1972.

Kokkola is home to both larger shopping centers and small traditional shops and market. Other than traditional dishes, the restaurants in Kokkola offer different Mexican and Chinese eateries.

The prime food corners in Kokkola are listed below:

Opetusravintola Kokkolinna
Vohvelikahvila ja Taideleipomo
Vanhankaupungin Ravintola
Ravintola Wanha Lyhty

What to do in Kokkola?

Swimming
Hockey
Wall-climbing
Ice-skating
Bowling
Festival celebrations

Tourist Attractions in Kokkola:

K H Renlund Museum:

K H Renlund Museum conducts some typical cultural shows and also home to the museum shop. This museum is dedicated to Karl Herman Renlund who contributed his important art collection to Kokkola town.

Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Kaarlela:

The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Kaarlela is a major landmark as well as tourist attraction in Kokkola, with history dating back to 1550 and is also the major site for concerts and weddings. Tourists can also find local history museum next to the church that boasts a tannery, a threshing barn and a tannery.

Tankar Island:

Located about 18 km from Kokkola, Tankar Island is home to a white lighthouse, a bird-watching tower, a museum and many accommodation options as well. It can be reachable by ferry m/s Jenny.

List of other places of interest in Kokkola includes:

Pedagogio
Natural History Collection Kieppi
Vanha kaupunki
Museum of History
Kaarlelan kotiseutumuseo
Fire museum
Old Wooden Town
Bloomit Kokkola
The Toivonen Animal Park and Peasant Museum

Best time to visit Kokkola:

Generally the winter months are best to travel Kokkola while the different outdoor activities such as skiing, ice hockey and ice skating tourists can enjoy.

Accommodation options in Kokkola:

Kokkola is a pleasant city housing plenty of well facilitated accommodation centers that welcomes tourists from the different regions of the globe throughout the year. Internet connectivity, conference hall, doctor on call, AC, food on request and 24 hour room service are some common facilities available in the hotels of Kokkola. The prominent hotels in Kokkola are as follows: