# Pieksämäki

Pieksämäki is a city in South Savonia province, Eastern Finland.

## Understand

Pieksämäki used to be a part of the larger Kangasniemi parish, which was established in the late 1600s. In the 1700s, the area began to develop with the opening of a new road connecting the towns of Heinola and Kuopio, which passed through Pieksämäki. This road made Pieksämäki an important trading hub and helped the town grow and prosper.
Pieksämäki became an independent municipality in 1868, and it continued to develop as a center of agriculture, trade, and industry in the region. In the early 1900s, the town experienced significant growth as new industries, such as a pulp and paper mill, were established in the area.
During World War II, Pieksämäki suffered some damage from bombings, but it was quickly rebuilt after the war. The town continued to develop and modernize in the post-war era, and it became an important center for transportation and logistics due to its location at the intersection of major rail lines and highways.

## Get in

* 62.30135227.1665621 Pieksämäki train and bus station. Train connections from Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Mikkeli and Helsinki. (updated Nov 2023)

### By train

Pretty much the only reason a traveller is likely to end up in Pieksämäki in the first place is that it's a major train junction where the Jyväskylä–Joensuu and Kouvola–Kuopio lines meet. The town can thus be reached by direct train from virtually all of Finland's main cities, such as: Helsinki (3 hrs), Tampere (2 hrs), Turku (4 hrs) and Oulu.

### By bus

Coaches connect Pieksämäki to Jyväskylä, Joensuu, Varkaus and Mikkeli. See Matkahuolto.

## Get around

The railway station is at the eastern end of the centre, which is a kilometre or so across. Local bus is available. The Matka.fi$^{[deadlink]}$ route planner includes timetables of Pieksämäki local buses. Matkahuolto Routes and Tickets app is able to first plan the route and after it sell the right ticket for it.

### By taxi

* Let’s GO TAKSI, ☏ +358 600-300-57 (booking €1.1685 + pvm/mpm), +358 29-371-1206 (office M–Th 09:00–15:00), toimisto@dride.fi. You can order a ride by calling or using "Book a Taxi" smartphone app. (updated Jun 2022)
* Smartphone app: Valopilkku

## See

* 62.300527.16791 Savo railway museum (Savon radan museo), Ratakatu 8, ☏ +358 15 613-838, perinnekerho@savonradanmuseo.fi. 6 June–8 August: M–F 12:00–18:00, Sa Su 12:00–16:00; 13–28 August: Sa–Su 12:00–16:00. The museum is in the former station building from 1889. It tells about life and work at the Savo railway line. Ask for guiding (free). €3/2/2. (updated Jun 2016)
* 62.300827.12742 Pieksämäki Parish Old Church and belfry, Kirkkotie 31, ☏ +358 50-381-9642. In 2016 weekends only. Wooden church, one of the oldest churches in eastern Finland, built 1753 (belfry from 1746). 18th century paintings by Mikael Toppelius. (updated Jun 2016)

## Do

Visit a few lakes around Pieksämäki; there are hundreds to choose from, all of them suitable for swimming, also those with a brownish natural sediment. The highest transparency of several metres is found in the waters around Jäppilä. For geologists the most interesting lake is Iso Naakkima, notable for having an impact crater, about 1,200 million years old, under its surface.
Mushrooms and berries are abundant in the local forests.

## Buy

If you have half an hour or more to kill at Pieksämäki, make your way to the market (signposted as Tori), where in summer you'll find vendors of berries, freshly cooked vendace (muikku), and more. There's also a large S-Market supermarket right next to the market.

## Go next

* Mikkeli
* Suonenjoki
* Varkaus