OUR EXPERIENCES
Okkola holiday cottages rents both traditional and modern cottages on the Lake Saimaa, Each one of the 17 cottages is unique and designed on the spot with the surrounding nature and landscape in mind, offering privacy and lakeside views for our guests. Our restaurant serves traditional Finnish dishes made from local and organic ingredients, welcoming both our guests and passersby. In addition, our family offers workshops in traditional Finnish baking, such as Savonian blueberry rye pie (Savolainen mustikkakukko) and Karelian pasties. We aim to raise awareness and appreciation for our wonderful cultural, natural, and traditional environment here in the Finnish archipelago.

ABOUT US
Okkola Holiday Cottages & restaurant Niinipuu is a family business in the heart of the most beautiful Lake Saimaa, just a short ferry ride away from the mainland. We are located in Niinisaari-island in Eastern Finland. Our family has been renting cottages on the shores of Lake Saimaa since 1966. We offer our guests a place to truly relax and enjoy peace and quiet. Each cottage is set in its own private spot, thoughtfully designed to blend into the landscape, with energy sustainability, traditional Finnish cottage culture, and minimal noise and light pollution at the heart of their planning and design.
Restaurant Niinipuu serves traditional Finnish dishes in a beautifully restored stone barn, set in a protected yard environment. We use plenty of local and organic produce, such as the catch from nearby fishermen. In Niinipuu’s food workshops, guests are given a glimpse into an authentic Finnish country home inside an 18th-century log cabin, where we teach and share traditional Finnish recipes with those interested in our food culture.
Our guests from all over the world come to unwind, enjoy sauna experiences, delicious food, and the magnificent starry skies of the Finnish archipelago.

OUR IMPACT
Our cottages are thoughtfully designed and built to respect the surrounding nature, offering guests an authentic Finnish holiday experience in a pristine environment. We manage our PEFC-certified forests with a focus on biodiversity, treating them more like parkland than commercial woodland.

The cultural landscape around our reception and restaurant is preserved through the upkeep of traditional Finnish buildings. Guests can explore local history, livelihoods, and everyday life through artefacts and stories.

As proud partners of D.O. Saimaa and Geofood, Restaurant Niinipuu champions local producers and traditional recipes—offering specialties like barley flatbreads, potato cakes, Louhisaari drink, and traditionally smoked fish.

We are Sustainable Travel Finland certified and part of the We Speak Gay community. Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our support for local suppliers, maintenance of 3.4 hectares of pollinator fields, and deep care for our community and environment—values that lie at the heart of everything we do.

DETAILS
To learn more, contact: paula@okkola.fi

What are your minimum and maximum group sizes?
1-12

Do you require visitors to pre-book?
Yes

Do you have group rates?
Yes

Do you pay commissions to travel advisors?
Yes

What languages do you offer your services in?
Finnish, English and German

When are you open?The cottages and food workshops are open for business around the year with pre-booking. The restaurant is open for groups year-round (max 25 persons October - April, max 80 persons May-September). The restaurant is open without reservation June-August as follows: Tue-Sat 11-18, Sunday 12-15, Mondays closed.

What accommodations do you make for people living with disabilities?
We have one cottage (Niemelä) which is suitable for people with physical disabilities.