Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Finland Kuopio Puijo Tower
Gastro Obscura

Puijo Tower

A 246-foot-high revolving restaurant rises unexpectedly from a forested Finnish hilltop.

Kuopio, Finland

Added By
E Capemarsh
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The tower on a sunny winter day.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
The tower in winter.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
Puijo Tower.   Tiia Monto/cc by-sa 3.0
#FilmPhotography   nelliebu / Atlas Obscura User
View toward Kuopio City from Puijo Tower.   Tumi-1983/public domain
The tower from 1963 briefly coexisted with the tower from 1900.   unknown/modified by Soaj/public domain
The tower at night.   Visit Lakeland/cc by-nd 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Dissatisfied with its modest elevation, the citizens of Kuopio have erected no fewer than three observation towers on top of Puijo Hill since 1856, allowing visitors to view an even more spectacular piney panorama from the humble mount. As a bonus, it also features a 100-seat rotating restaurant, the first of its kind in the Nordic countries.

As Northern Savonia is not noted for mountainous terrain, the city of Kuopio is inordinately proud of its unassuming 490-foot-tall hill, which boasts stunning vistas over a seemingly endless expanse of lakes and pine forests. The current and third incarnation of this tower atop the popular walkers’ paradise of Puijo Hill is a 246-foot-tall Brutalist behemoth.

This tower was built in 1963 to replace a modest brick-built structure that was erected in 1900 to supplant the original three-story wooden tower built in 1856. It was designed by Finnish Architect Seppo Ruotsalainen and looms over a series of concrete ski-jumping hills.

As well as being a delightful woodland eatery and imposing landmark of the city of Kuopio, the observation tower and rotating restaurant have a more practical use as a radio, television, and mobile telecom transmitter for the wider North Savonia region.

Related Tags

Towers Restaurants Unique Restaurants & Bars Brutalism

Know Before You Go

During the summer the observation tower opens at 10 a.m., with the restaurant opening at 11 a.m. Numerous nature trails exist in the forests around Puijo Hill.

Community Contributors

Added By

Capemarsh

Edited By

nelliebu

  • nelliebu

Published

July 3, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.discoveringfinland.com/destination/puijo-and-puijo-tower/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puijo
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puijo_tower
  • http://www.puijo.com/en/
Puijo Tower
135 Puijontie
Kuopio
Finland
62.90933, 27.656105
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Branch Boy Sculptures

Kuopio, Finland

miles away

Orinoro Gorge

Leppävirta, Finland

miles away

Kuappi

Iisalmi, Finland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kuopio

Kuopio

Finland

Places 2

Nearby Places

Branch Boy Sculptures

Kuopio, Finland

miles away

Orinoro Gorge

Leppävirta, Finland

miles away

Kuappi

Iisalmi, Finland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kuopio

Kuopio

Finland

Places 2

Related Places

  • The Pennine Tower.

    Lancashire, England

    Pennine Tower

    This abandoned Brutalist tower looming over the M6 Motorway once featured a restaurant.

  • These meat substitutes come close to the real thing.

    Queens, New York

    Bodhi Village

    Get to know the plant-based fare of Chinese Buddhist monks.

  • Kurdish cuisine shares some dishes, like meat kebabs, with other Middle Eastern cuisines.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Mesopotamia

    The only Kurdish restaurant in Japan invites you to learn and feast.

  • Fried, meat-filled khuushuur pastries with two kinds of chilled salad.

    Morton Grove, Illinois

    Mazalae Mongolian Restaurant

    Just outside Chicago, one of the few traditional Mongolian restaurants in the U.S. serves a misunderstood cuisine.

  • The retro interior of the restaurant.

    West Hollywood, California

    Formosa Cafe

    Located close to a movie studio lot, this restaurant has a long history of star-studded patronage.

  • Atlanta, Georgia

    The Consulate

    No passport is required to eat around the world at this elegant restaurant.

  • Seattle, Washington

    Tai Tung

    The city's oldest Chinese restaurant offers local history and seriously good food.

  • Aged duck served with seasonal and preserved vegetables.

    Tsaghkunk, Armenia

    Tsaghkunk Restaurant

    This modern tandoor eatery was once a canteen for Soviet farmers.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.