VISIT KIVINOKKA

Kivinokka is a popular public recreational area in the Vanhankaupunginlahti bay area of Helsinki. Thousands of city dwellers spend their free time close to nature in this maritime environment. Kivinokka boasts beaches, a nature trail, ancient woodlands, a summer café, a mansion house, summer huts and an allotment garden.

Kivinokka is an area of diverse historical and natural value where you can come for instance for a trip outdoors, for a jog or a swim, to enjoy a coffee, to watch birds or just to have a walk around and relax. You can pay a quick visit to Kivinokka, but even a whole day can be spent pleasantly here. The Kivinokka residents wish you welcome!

Allotment garden

The Herttoniemi allotment garden is one of the oldest in Helsinki. It was founded as early as in 1934. The site that covers over 7 hectares has nearly 200 allotment plots with a cottage. The club house on the site is the old tobacco barn of Kulosaari Mansion and may date from the 1750s. The allotment garden has been listed as an important recreational area of culturohistorical, architectural and cultural landscape value.

Kulosaari Mansion

The history of Kulosaari Mansion dates back to the 16th century. All of Kivinokka was part of the mansion’s lands for a very long time. The current main building dates from the beginning of the 1800s. In addition to the main building, there are several smaller buildings on the estate, such as the estate manager’s house, a bakery and a swim hut. Some of the outbuildings are presumed to be even older than the main building. The empire style mansion was designed by Carl Ludwig Engel, the architect known for designing the monumental centre of Helsinki. The mansion is a popular venue for celebrations.

Kartanon Venekerho Boat Club

The boat club Kartanon Venekerho is located on the shore of the Naurissalmi strait and was founded as early as in 1962. The marina accommodates around 150 boats. It is possible to visit the marina to admire boats of different sizes and types.

Summer theatre

Kivinokka summer theater operates in Kivinokka. The theater has a covered stand and programs for the whole family.

Kivinokka summer huts

There has been a summer house culture in Kivinokka since the early 20th century, when the area gained popularity as a recreation area for working people. At first, only canvas tents were allowed. Later, the houses could be made of cardboard and wood fiber boards. From the winter season of 1940–41, the huts no longer had to be dismantled for the winter. The oldest summer houses are from the 1940s and 1950s. The type drawings of the summer cabins were designed by city architect Hilding Ekelund. Over the decades, the summer cottage culture has remained very similar: we have coffee in the courtyards, play, bake the day away, arrange invitations, enjoy summer to the fullest.

There are currently around 600 small summer houses in Kivinokka. The summer cottage area differs from the allotment garden in that the cottages are smaller (about 14–16 square meters), most of the summer cottages are without electricity, they are in the middle of the forest in nature and the cottages do not have demarcated plots. The surroundings of the huts are an open recreation area. During their vacation, there are small forest paths where anyone can walk. It’s worth deviating from the big roads into the forest, and you’ll see the whole beauty of Kivinokka.

Kivinokka’s fate has been interrupted many times, when the area has been sought for industrial or residential construction. The last battle took place in the 2010s, when the city zoned the area for construction. The people of Kivinokka and the townspeople joined forces in the Kivinokka for all movement. The area was zoned in the 2016 general plan as a green and summer house area. The site plan approved in 2023 confirmed that Kivinokka will remain a nature and recreation area. Traditional summer lodge operations and boating will continue, and the conditions for general recreational use will be improved.

In September 2023, Kivinokka’s new building intructions were approved, which determines how and what kind of summer cottages can be built in the area in the future.

There are three summer house areas in Kivinokka. The smallest of them belongs to the sports club Ponnistus, the second to Kartano’s summer cottages (previously to JHL) and the largest to Kivinokkalaiset ry.

Summer cabins are regularly for sale, so if you want to be a Kivinokka resident, the best place to follow the announcements is the Kivinokka notice board or online at Oikotie, Tori.fi and other web stores.

Allotment sites

Kivinokka has two allotment sites where hut owners grow potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and other summer delicacies for their own consumption.

Beaches

Kivinokka has two beaches. The larger one is an official public beach and very popular and child-friendly. The old dance pavilion next to the beach is a venue for events. The beach is the centre of all events in Kivinokka. A variety of events are arranged frequently and they have free entry. The Midsummer celebration with bonfires and live dance music has been very popular. The most recent of the events is the film festival KinoKivinokka where the audience watches films on a big cinema screen on the beach.

The other beach, ‘the sunset beach’, is in the very tip of the Kivinokka peninsula. It is more quiet but not equally suitable for children. Next to this beach there is a dedicated dog beach.

Café

There is a summer kiosk on Kivinokka’s beach, where you can get coffee, soft drinks, ice cream, homemade pastries and small salty snacks. You can find more information about RantaKiska here.

The historic Elanto store building known as Maija’s kiosk, owned by the city of Helsinki, is currently closed to use and is awaiting the city’s decisions on protection and renovation.

The Dallapé stone

The legendary Dallapé, one of the most loved entertainment orchestras in the history of Finnish popular music, was founded in Kivinokka in the 1920s. Over the time, several musicians, among them Vili Vesterinen, Kauko Käyhkö and Georg Malmsten, have made a contribution to the orchestra.

Dallapé Orchestra now has its own memorial stone in Kivinokka.

Nature trail and bird tower

The Kivinokka peninsula is a valuable nature area whose northern shore borders with the Natura conservation area in Vanhankaupunginlahti bay. Kivinokka is also an important bat habitat and due to that bat watching trips are often organized in summer.

In the northeastern part of Kivinokka there is a valuable ancient woodland area and an alder grove. A signposted nature trail that introduces the wonders of the local nature also runs in this part of Kivinokka. The nature trail is wheelchair accessible and only a few hundred meters long. It ends at a bird tower with a splendid view towards the nature conservation area of Vanhankaupunginlahti bay.

It is also worthwhile leaving the nature trail to wander in the woods. Among other things, a Giant’s kettle can be found in the woods. The woodland is large enough for people to feel and experience nature’s tranquillity and quietness, but nevertheless small enough not to get lost there.

How to get there:

By underground: Kiviniokka is within 10–15 mins walking distance from both Kulosaari and Herttoniemi undergroung stations.
By car: From Kipparlahden silmukka street drive approximately 500m along the little country lane until you arrive at the Kivinokka car park.
By bike: Many come to Kivinokka by bike. It takes a good half an hour to ride your bike from Helsinki city centre to Kivinokka.
By boat: It is possible to moor with rowing boats or small outboard boat, but not with larger boats as there are no proper piers. 

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