EXPERIENCE A LOHJA HOME VISIT
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Package type: full day tour
Season:
– mushroom and berry picking: July – September
– fishing: May – February
For whom: 1–10 persons
Package includes: guided berry or mushroom picking or fishing + picnic break + making a traditional Finnish meal together with the host family + transportation
Duration of the programme: 6–10 hours (agreed beforehand), including transportation to/from Helsinki
Degree of difficulty: medium
Type of transport: minibus/car
Distance from Helsinki: 60 km
LOCATION:
Family home by Lake Lohjanjärvi
Address: Kohtolankatu 8C, 08100 Lohja, Finland
Host: Riitta Laine, an official wilderness guide and gardener by profession
Website: https://karkali.johku.com
The family home is located by Lake Lohjanjärvi, 1 km from Lohja city centre. Guests will experience the Finnish way of harvesting wild foods and using them to make delicious meals at home. Depending on the season, guests will enjoy berry picking, mushrooming or fishing, as well as cooking with the hostess.
The family home offers a hospitable and friendly atmosphere. In the summer the family and guests can enjoy coffee under the apple tree on the terrace by a pond containing carp. The lush flora and the pond attract a lot of butterflies, birds and squirrels. The family grow their own herbs, tomatoes, lettuce and strawberries. Meals are served in the spacious glass-covered terrace with a lovely view of Lake Lohjanjärvi. The terrace has an open fire and heaters to make it comfortable, even in the winter.
N.B. Participants are advised to wear comfortable clothing and hiking boots.
- Depart from the hotel in Helsinki by minibus to Lohja (approx. 1 hour).
- There are alternatives for this part of the programme that should be agreed in advance:
- Picking berries or mushrooms in the local forests. Guests and their hostess will pick seasonal berries such as blueberries and lingonberries. Alternatively, they can pick seasonal mushrooms such as chanterelle, funnel chanterelle, boletus, etc. During the trip there will be a picnic stop in the forest to enjoy the sounds of the wild and nature’s beauty.
- Summer fishing. Guests and their hostess will go out onto Lake Lohjanjärvi in rowing boats and fish with traditional rods with baits and spinning rods with lures. It will also be possible for guests to try their luck with the family’s fishing net. The most common fish are perch, pike-perch and pike.
- Winter fishing. The group will go out onto Lake Lohjanjärvi on foot, walking on the ice. Traditional Finnish winter fishing using a small fishing rod poked through a hole in the ice or using a net pre-set under the ice will take place. The most commonly caught fish are perch and occasionally pike-perch. Seating and warm drinks will be provided for guests.
- Cooking and eating a traditional Finnish meal with the hostess made from the fish, mushrooms and berries picked in the forest. Dishes may include mushroom soup, fish dishes and desserts such as berry pies and berry-juice.
- Transfer back to hotel in Helsinki.
