Many Wonderful Summer Cafés

Terassikahvila Torni is certainly Varkaus' most famous landmark. It is located at the top of a 45-metre-high water tower completed in 1954. Designed by architect Kalevi Väyrynen, the water tower was once the tallest inhabited building in Finland, and the majority of its 11 floors still house apartments.

The café is open by weather reservation from May to September from around midday until late evening. The outdoor terrace with its beach chairs is an absolute must for sun worshippers in the city and offers stunning views over the lakes and the city. In case of bad weather, the café also has indoor facilities to keep you dry in the rain. You can also borrow blankets from the café and use the heat lamps if needed. Entrance to the Torni is free and you can also use the lift and wheelchair lift.

The menu includes a wide variety of savoury and sweet dishes, coffee, refreshments, ice cream and non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Specialties include smoked waffles and salmon waffles. https://kisapuisto.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Lista_Torni-paivitetty-ip.pdf

If you arrive by car, you can find parking spaces along Rjukaninkatu and Nakskovinkatu by the roadside or at the end of the street next to the entrance.

Open by weather reservation daily from 10:00 to 22:00 in June and August and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 18:00 in September.

Nakskovinkatu 8, Varkaus

Tel. 040 5040 204

facebook/Terassikahvila Torni

Kinkamon Aalto is one of the gems designed by architect couple Aino and Alvar Aalto for Varkaus. Kinkamo has reopened to the public after a break of a few years and is free to visit during the opening hours of the summer café. Kinkamo is about 9 km from the centre of Varkaus and can be reached by car or even by city bike over the long and high Komminselän silta, which crosses the deep channel of Lake Saimaa. Kinkamo is located in beautiful pine forest close to the shore.

It is the destination for a special piece of Varkaus' industrial history and fascinating stories. Kinkamo was built in 1939 as a weekend house for the officials of A. Ahlström Oy. With its sleeping alcoves, wall benches, lamps and furniture, it is a particular highlight for Aalto fans.

In Kinkamo, coffee is enjoyed in peace and quiet inside or on the terrace, served at tables. In addition to drinks, the menu includes homemade stuffed cakes, sandwich cakes and small desserts. You can also stay in the ski lodge's wave-themed sleeping cabins, glamping-style large luxury tents or hover tents pitched between trees.

Open in June from Tuesday to Thursday 12-20 and in July from Wednesday to Sunday 12-20.

Kinkamontie 114, Varkaus

Tel. 040 5955 900

https://www.kinkamonaalto.fi/

https://www.facebook.com/kinkamonaalto

Musiikkikahvila Kukkakeidas is a real oasis on the Taipale canal. It is a convenient two-kilometre walk or bike ride from the city centre along the bridges and paths of the Kämäri Nature Reserve. It is also easy to get to Taipale from the Joensuu road.

The café is located in the canal's old, atmospheric red brick buildings, together with the Taipale Canal Museum. The extensive and lush garden extends from the old stone canal to the present working canal with its locks. In the courtyard you can meet chickens, rabbits and sheep and visit the art exhibition. In addition to the basic exhibition, the Taipale Canal Museum also displays costumes from the 110-year-old Varkauden teatteri. Entrance to the museum and the art exhibition is free of charge.

Musikkikahvila Kukkakeidas is a café run by three sisters, now in its fifth year. When they started, the entrepreneurs were just 14, 15 and 17 years old. As the name suggests, the café plays music, and acoustic music at that. In between working in the café, the entrepreneurs and employees take turns sitting down at their instruments and performing for the enjoyment of the café-goers. The showcase offers savoury and sweet delicacies, baked on the premises. A daily soup lunch is also available.

Open daily until the end of August from 10:00 to 20:00

Kanavakatu 1, Varkaus

Tel. 044 335 2020

https://kukka-keidas.fi/

https://www.facebook.com/kukka-keidas

Kämärin Kuohu is located on the central island of Ämmäkoski, in the rest area between the bridges. Here, you can enjoy a morsel of anchovies, freshly fried eggs, ice cream or a small salt in the middle of the Kämärin kuohu.

The natural Kämäri outdoor area offers lush greenery and The bubbling waters of Ämmäkoski just outside the centre of Varkaus. On Kämäri Island, the path leads through deciduous groves to rapids, over wooden bridges and joins a floodlit outdoor trail near the beach. The Taipale canal area is also just a short walk from the trail.

The outdoor area of Kämäri can be reached on foot from the city centre. During the summer, you can park your car in the car park of the Uimahalli Ilopisara (Ahlströminkatu 11) or in the adjacent car parks. There is a cycle path in front of the pool hall, which you can follow to the right to reach the water park, admire the Ämmäkoski waterfall and enjoy the Kämärin Kuohu.

Open by weather reservation.

Tel. 040 7264192

https://www.facebook.com/kämärinkuohu

Fifty-Fifty café Niittylä is located in the historic Old Varkaus wooden house area in the premises of the Taiteilijan Taideniity. Taideniitty has taken shape in a 107-year-old former factory workers' residence. The house hosts art exhibitions and cultural events throughout the year. For children, in the summer, the yard is home to the Old Varkaus Hobby Horse Stable and obstacle course. In addition to the gallery and café, Taideniity has two artist studios, artist homes, two artist residencies and a community studio. There are also charming and personal accommodation facilities in Taideniitty, where you can stay in colourful working-class apartments with a paleo room.

Fifty-Fifty Café Niittylä serves famous savoury and sweet bubble waffles and other delicacies. If you can't decide what to choose, the speciality is the fifty-fifty waffle, with a choice of half a savoury and half a sweet bubble waffle. You can enjoy your homemade treats in the beautifully decorated café or in the cosy garden of the courtyard.

Open until 9 August, Tues-Sat 12-19.

Kissakoskenkatu 6, Varkaus

Tel. 046 9566 739

https://www.facebook.com/fiftyfiftycafeniittyla/about?locale=fi_FI

The café of Varkauden Vierasvenesatama is located on the north side of the Taipale canal on the shore of Unnukka. It is also convenient to take a detour here from the Joensuu road or a trip along the light traffic routes from the city centre. During summer weekends and holiday periods, the marina is a busy stopover for boaters. The docks are home to boats and vessels of all sizes that operate on inland waterways. On sunny days, you can follow their progress while lounging in the sun loungers.

At the beginning of summer 2023, the café in Vierasvenesatama was awarded an honourable mention by the Finnish Sailing and Boating Association for its cleanliness and good service. The café offers refreshments, snacks and kiosk products. The pastries are always fresh and homemade, and the prices are not exorbitant. You can also borrow a free city bike from the café and take a ride on the trails of Varkausmäki or Kämäri.

Open:
31 May-9 June 13-19
10 June-16 June 12-21
17 June-4 August 9-21
5 August-18 August 13-19

Hoikanmäentie 14, Varkaus

Tel. 040 449 7031

https://www.facebook.com/varkausmarina?locale=fi_FI

https://nuorisoteatteri.org/vierasvenesatama/

The café of the Wanhan Warkauden Kauppahalli is also located in the historic Old Varkaus wooden house district. The walls of the more than 100-year-old building of the market hall contain separate small boutiques and craftsmen's workshops. On the hall side, products from several different craftsmen are for sale. In the lobby there is a small delicatessen with handmade chocolates that deserve a special mention.

The two coffee chambers in the cosy café offer a relaxed and unhurried way to enjoy the atmosphere of a small café.

Open Tue-Fri 10-16 and Sat-Sun 10-15

Ahlströminkatu 34, Varkaus

Tel. 044 309 7010

https://www.facebook.com/wanhanvarkauden kauppahalli

https://wanhanwarkaudenkauppahalli.fi/

https://www.instagram.com/wanhanwarkaudenkauppahalli

Tori cafés are centres of summer life in the Saimaa region. It is where locals and tourists alike meet from early in the morning. It has not been said in vain that Taulumäen tori is an oasis in the middle of the city and a nice place to stop for a break. There are several cafés in Taulumäki to choose from. For example, in summer you can enjoy a market breakfast at Kahvila Sointu from 6:00. Kahvila Sointu's delicious market breakfast (€6) includes a sour root roll, juice, coffee and a free choice of snack. You can also grab new potatoes, fresh strawberries and many other local delicacies from the market.

Open during the summer months, usually during market opening hours Mon-Sat 7:00 to 13:00

Petroskoinkatu 13, Varkaus

https://www.facebook.com/WIPINA