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Tainionvirta canoeing route (Hartola segment)

—•Kayaking Routes

9.6 km

Route

Description

Visit Päijänne – Tainionvirta canoeing route 43 km+

Description

The Tainionvirta canoeing route in Hartola is the upper reach of one of southern Finland’s best-known river paddles: a calm, bird-rich corridor through farmland and village shore before the longer Hartola–Sysmä chain opens toward lakes and Sysmä. For the full 43 km Hartola–Sysmä trip, Visit Päijänne publishes stage-by-stage notes, difficulty notes, and a printable map covering every rapid, dam portage, and landing. The mapped line here is about 9.6 km along the river as one continuous segment from Koskenniska—ideal for a focused day on the town reach or as day one of a longer through-trip. Visit Finland describes the same chain as beginner-friendly, with class I rapids and harder lines that can be walked, and points to Koskenniska at Aurinkorannantie 86, Kuninkaanpolku near the water, and the Itä-Häme Museum by the suspension bridge as highlights at the start. From the water, the first minutes pass services tied to the shore: Koskenniskan grillikatos and Koskenniskan venesatama sit by the put-in, Aurinkorannan uimapaikka offers a swim stop, and Tainionvirran kalastusalueet mark where separate river fishing permits apply if you fish from the boat. Downstream toward the sports area, Golf-puiston uimaranta, Hartolan keskusurheilukenttä, Urheilukentän uimaranta Hartola, and Jokirannan talviuimapaikka cluster along the bank—easy landmarks when reading the river from a cockpit. Gasthaus-Camping Koskenniemen rantautumispaikka is the landing Visit Päijänne uses to frame the Vuoteenkoski reach before Vanhanmyllynkoski; Keijulankosken laavu sits a few kilometres farther along the official guide, with a landing before the rapid on the right bank. On land, Kuninkaanpolku, Hartola and the shorter accessible Ekonpolku variant touch the same riverbank; Vellamo retkipyöräilyreitti: Kumu - Koitti and Vellamo retkipyöräilyreitti: Sysmä - Hartola rengasreitti cross or brush the shore where cyclists share the valley. Kurenlahden polku loops nearby at Koskenniska for a short walk if you are waiting for a shuttle. Downstream paddlers continue on Tainionvirran melontareitti/Sysmä toward Kirveskoski, laavus, and Nuoramoisjärvi. Visit Päijänne rates the whole chain as moderately demanding: six class I rapids and four dam portages on the full 43 km, with Vanhanmyllynkoski the main rapid to scout and Ekonkoski and Vanhanmyllynkoski livelier at high water. Matti Simula’s Etureppu trip report from the full Hartola–Sysmä run stresses printing the Visit Päijänne map, watching for small bank signs from the boat, and packing the chart in a dry bag. The Pipo silmillä blog’s older juhannus paddle remembers the same upper beats—Ekonkoski, Vanhanmyllynkoski, and Hotilankosken pato—before the route widens onto lakes farther south. Canoes and kayaks are rented in Hartola with delivery often arranged to Koskenniska for through-paddles.

Length & route

The mapped segment is about 9.6 km along the river as one continuous line. Visit Päijänne divides the upper Hartola reach into Koskenniska–Gasthaus-Camping Koskenniemi (3.6 km) and Gasthaus–Keijulankoski laavu (4.0 km), covering Ekonkoski, Vuoteenkoski, Vanhanmyllynkoski, and the Hotilankoski dam portage before the Kirveskoski stage. Expect class I rapids in this reach, a portage at Hotilankoski dam, and Vanhanmyllynkoski as the main rapid to scout; high water can make Ekonkoski and Vanhanmyllynkoski stronger.

Getting there

The usual put-in for the full chain is Hartola Koskenniska, Aurinkorannantie 86, with good bus connections to Hartola; alternative starts include Koskenniemi, Keijulankoski, Kirveskoski, or Krouvi Camping for shorter or staged trips. Arrange a car shuttle if you continue on Tainionvirran melontareitti/Sysmä toward Sysmä. Local outfitters rent canoes and kayaks and often deliver to Koskenniska—confirm timing and Sysmä pick-up when booking a through-trip.

Good to know

River fishing on Tainionvirta requires separate local permits sold for Hartola and Sysmä Virtaa areas; many lake sections can be fished with the state kalastonhoitomaksu where rules allow, and hook-and-line fishing in flowing river channels is not covered by everyman’s rights as described by Visit Päijänne. Kuninkaan Portti sells Tainionvirta zone licences and publishes zone maps—check current fees and seasons on their page. Carry throw line and helmet judgement for rapids; bank signs are small and easy to miss from the boat.

Where to rent kayaks

Canoes and kayaks are rented in Hartola; Visit Finland and Visit Päijänne both point to local hire. Kanoottivuokraus Hartola (Miikka Kähönen) lists canoe and kayak rental on Visit Lahti with contact details—confirm delivery to Koskenniska and pick-up arrangements for through-trips. Shuttle-style hand-offs appear in trip reports. Visit Hartola advertises occasional guided summer paddling on Tainionvirta; check their activities and events pages for current dates.

Guided tours & Experiences

Visit Hartola promotes guided summer paddling on Tainionvirta (for example three-hour trips); see Visit Hartola’s activities and events for booking.

Managed by

Hartola

Official Maintenance

(03) 843 20

Trail info

Downstream with the current from Hartola toward Sysmä and Lake Päijänne; paddling upstream is unnecessarily hard on the main stem.

Route direction

Recreation Area

River

Open / Good Condition

Visit Päijänne – Tainionvirta canoeing route 43 km+

Activities allowed

Kayak / Canoe

Activity

Terrain & conditions

9.6 km

Distance

For this ~9.6 km Hartola segment, plan roughly half a day to a full day at a relaxed pace with scouting and portages; Visit Päijänne suggests 1–4 days for the entire 43 km chain depending on fitness and wind on lakes.

Est. Time

Point-to-Point

Route Type

Has Portages

Portage

Class I (Easy)

Rapids class

Class II (Moderate)

Rapids class

River Paddling

Water type

Visit Päijänne – Tainionvirta canoeing route 43 km

Location

61.56656°N, 26.04437°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

Päijät-HämeRegion

HartolaCity

Kayaking RoutesCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Hartola, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.

Finland Päijät-Häme Hartola Kayaking RoutesTainionvirta canoeing route (Hartola segment)