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Kappelinmäki nature trail, Kuusisto

—•Hiking Trails

1.9 km

Route

P 1

Description

Luontoon.fi – Kuusiston piispanlinnan rauniot+

Description

Kappelinmäki nature trail, Kuusisto is about 1.9 km of marked walking on wooded Kappelinmäki at the east end of Kuusisto island in Kaarina in Southwest Finland. Metsähallitus owns and cares for the Kuusiston linnanrauniot area and this nature trail; Luontoon.fi is the national outdoor service for rules, updates, and visitor information for the castle ruins and reserve. The City of Kaarina lists the trail under its nature-trail pages: the theme is cultural history and how it shapes the landscape, with boards on nature and heritage, and the path is marked with green posts in the terrain. The trail works well as a short forest outing paired with the medieval Kuusiston piispanlinnan rauniot nearby. Visit Kaarina describes how the wider culture-and-nature loop starts from the manor parking, passes Kuusiston Taidekartano and the ruins, and can return along this shadier nature trail through the protected Kappelinmäki slopes above Kuusiston salmi—about three kilometres for that circuit without climbing the hilltop, with a picnic table and benches on the summit if you take the spur. Along the trail you pass close to Kuusistonlahden lintutorni (pohjoinen)—useful for scanning the bay—and you finish near Kuusiston linnan laituri, where small boats can tie up beside the ruins area. The short hiking connector Kuusisto Trail 1 continues the theme at the castle end. A longer biking loop, Kuusiston linnanraunioiden pyöräilyreitti, and the Kuusiston–Harvaluodon melontareitti kayaking route share the same hub, so it is easy to mix days on foot, bike, and paddle. Under the canopy the footway is a narrow forest path with roots and short steep pitches, especially toward the viewpoint; Tammireitit suggests allowing about two hours if you walk the nature trail together with the castle footpaths and return to the large car park. Retkipaikka highlights deciduous forest with abundant deadwood, lichens, and birdlife, comic-style boards by Ilpo Koskela, and a medieval burial ground on the hillside (Salmenrannan kalmisto) linked to the early 1300s fire at the bishop’s castle—the place is quiet and richly layered for such a compact distance. Open fires are forbidden in the protected ruins vicinity; respect the medieval archaeological site and keep dogs on leash, as the city asks on its outdoor pages.

Length & route

The trail is about 1.9 km along our recorded line through Kappelinmäki and the ruins foreshore. Many guides describe the signed Kappelinmäki hill loop alone at roughly 1.7 km and a full outing from the manor parking past the art manor and ruins at about 3–3.5 km; combine segments to match how long you want to spend on history boards and birdwatching.

Getting there

The City of Kaarina directs motorists to a large car park at Linnanrauniontie 556 for Kappelinmäki; the nature trail starts from the edge of that parking area, and the same page points you toward Kuusistonlahden lintutorni. Kuusiston piispanlinnan esteetön p-alue offers barrier-free parking closer to the ruins and laituri; level paths about 500–700 m from parking to the ruins are described for assisted access. Visit Kaarina uses Linnanrauniontie 633 as the address for the culture trail and services near the guardian’s building—check which car park matches your approach. For permits and protected-area rules, use Luontoon.fi.

Good to know

Campfires are banned in the castle reserve; use designated spots only where the wider area explicitly allows them. A summer kiosk serves near the guardian’s house and a seasonal accessible WC is mentioned near the ruins on tourism pages. Customer help for Metsähallitus coastal sites is often routed via Nature Centre Haltia (+358 40 163 6200, info@haltia.com) on the City of Kaarina castle page as well as rannikko@metsa.fi on the nature-trail listing. Respect nesting and migrating birds around Kuusistonlahti Natura shores.

History

Kuusiston piispanlinna was a medieval bishops’ stronghold dismantled in 1528; Museovirasto has tended the ruins for more than a century per the City of Kaarina. Kappelinmäki carries the name of a lost chapel thought to have served burial rites before graves moved to the softer soils of Salmenrannan kalmisto on the slope—interpretive boards cited in Retkipaikka sketch that story while noting the chapel’s existence is not fully proven archaeologically.

Managed by

Kaarina

Official Maintenance

02 588 4000

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Walkers commonly complete the hill loop in either direction; spur paths visit the ruins courtyard and the summit viewpoint.

Route direction

green posts

Route Signs

Dogs (On Leash)

Dogs

Open / Good Condition

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

1.9 km

Distance

about 45–90 minutes for the nature trail; allow up to about 2 hours if you include castle paths and stops

Est. Time

Dirt

Surface

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Tammireitit – Kuusiston linnanrauniot ja Kappelinmäen luontopolku

Location

60.40324°N, 22.46155°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

Southwest FinlandRegion

KaarinaCity

KuusistoVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Kaarina, 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 Southwest Finland Kaarina Hiking TrailsKappelinmäki nature trail, Kuusisto