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All Finland Kuopio Puijo Tower
Gastro Obscura

Puijo Tower

A 246-foot-high revolving restaurant rises unexpectedly from a forested Finnish hilltop.

Kuopio, Finland

Added By
E Capemarsh
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The tower on a sunny winter day.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
The tower on a sunny winter day.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
The tower in winter.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
Puijo Tower.   Tiia Monto/cc by-sa 3.0
The tower at night.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
View toward Kuopio City from Puijo Tower.   Tumi-1983/public domain
The tower from 1963 briefly coexisted with the tower from 1900.   unknown/modified by Soaj/public domain
#FilmPhotography   nelliebu / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Dissatisfied with its modest elevation, the citizens of Kuopio have erected no fewer than three observation towers on top of Puijo Hill since 1856, allowing visitors to view an even more spectacular piney panorama from the humble mount. As a bonus, it also features a 100-seat rotating restaurant, the first of its kind in the Nordic countries.

As Northern Savonia is not noted for mountainous terrain, the city of Kuopio is inordinately proud of its unassuming 490-foot-tall hill, which boasts stunning vistas over a seemingly endless expanse of lakes and pine forests. The current and third incarnation of this tower atop the popular walkers’ paradise of Puijo Hill is a 246-foot-tall Brutalist behemoth.

This tower was built in 1963 to replace a modest brick-built structure that was erected in 1900 to supplant the original three-story wooden tower built in 1856. It was designed by Finnish Architect Seppo Ruotsalainen and looms over a series of concrete ski-jumping hills.

As well as being a delightful woodland eatery and imposing landmark of the city of Kuopio, the observation tower and rotating restaurant have a more practical use as a radio, television, and mobile telecom transmitter for the wider North Savonia region.

Related Tags

Towers Restaurants Unique Restaurants & Bars Brutalism

Know Before You Go

During the summer the observation tower opens at 10 a.m., with the restaurant opening at 11 a.m. Numerous nature trails exist in the forests around Puijo Hill.

Community Contributors

Added By

Capemarsh

Edited By

nelliebu

  • nelliebu

Published

July 3, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/puijo-and-puijo-tower/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puijo
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puijo_tower
  • http://www.puijo.com/en/
Puijo Tower
135 Puijontie
Kuopio
Finland
62.90933, 27.656105
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Branch Boy Sculptures

Kuopio, Finland

miles away

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Leppävirta, Finland

miles away

Kuappi

Iisalmi, Finland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kuopio

Kuopio

Finland

Places 2

Nearby Places

Branch Boy Sculptures

Kuopio, Finland

miles away

Orinoro Gorge

Leppävirta, Finland

miles away

Kuappi

Iisalmi, Finland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kuopio

Kuopio

Finland

Places 2

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