Location and arrival

The Kintulammi nature reserve is located in Teisko-Aitolahti, about 20 kilometers northeast of the center of Tampere.

By car

Arriving in the area takes place from the direction of Tampere by turning from the Aitolahti-Sorila intersection onto Pulesjärventie. From Pulesjärventie, turn to either Kintulammentie (P2 – on the map) or Keltolahdentie (P1 – on the map) to the parking places in the area. When arriving at the Keltolahdentie (P1) parking area, you should put Keltolahdentie 47 in the navigator. When heading to the Kintulammentie parking area, a good address for the navigator is Kintulammentie 378. Please note that the parking areas are limited and the driveways leading to the area are narrow. You have passing places. So be careful when entering the area.

By public transport

Nysse lines 28A and 90 run 1-2 times an hour to Sorila stop no. 5218. From the stop, you can walk about 3 kilometers along Pulesjärventie to the alignment path leading to the area. Of course, you can turn at the Kintulammentie branch, which is approx. 1.6 km from the bus stop. Pulesjärventie is quite busy and there is some heavy gravel truck traffic on the road. Walking from line 28a or 90 is NOT RECOMMENDED, especially with children or large groups for safety reasons.

On weekdays, there is a connection from the Sorila stop to the southern end of the Kintulammi trail according to the schedule at www.nysse.fi/aikataulut-ja-reitit/linjat.

By bike

There is a very good opportunity to arrive in the area by bike. The Järvien reitti cycling route passes through Teisko in the immediate vicinity of the area. The "Viitapohja loop" along Pulesjärventie is very popular among cycling enthusiasts anyway. It is possible to arrive from the center of Tampere along the light traffic route all the way to the Aitolahti-Sorila intersection. From the intersection, it is about 1.6 km along Pulesjärventie to the Kintulammentie (P2) turn to the area.

Maps

Kintulammin retkeily- ja luonnonsuojelualue (TRE_L201 - pdf)

See more map information in the link Hiking map in the upper left corner.

Nature and sights

Kintulammi is a valuable, large and unified regional entity by nature. It contains many kinds of forests and, in addition to them, marshes, rocks, lakes and small bodies of water. Kintulammi is the third largest protected forest area in Pirkanmaa after Seitseminen and Helvetinjärvi national parks. It is a nationally valuable and significant area. The forests in the area have been used for economic purposes in the past, but in practice, for example, clear-cutting has not been done for decades when the area was a camping forest. The forests vary in age and degree of natural condition, but most of the forests are mature or old. The most common forest types are fresh forest (blueberry type) and dry forest (lingonberry type). Decayed wood, which is important for diversity, is already abundant in some places, and it will increase as the forests age and develop into a more natural state. Kintulammi also has bogs, the vast majority of which have been drained in the Finnish way for forestry. The first ditches were made in the mid-1940s. The largest swamps in the area, Laukkisuo and Ruutanansuo, have been drained, but smaller ravens and sedges have been spared without being drained.

A special feature of Kintulammi's forests are the ancient, stout tall pines, or aihki. The oldest of them are up to 300–400 years old, which means they may have been young trees already in the middle of the 17th century, when Queen Kristiina ruled Finland along with Sweden. Aihki are typical of former crown parks, which is what most of the Kintulammi area has been like. The largest of them is in Vattula's old nature reserve, but the pine tree on the northeast side of Saarijärvi, protected as a natural monument, and a few others can get close. Thanks to the thick carapace, the aihki have survived past forest fires, but the fires have often left their traces at the base as charred fire pits. Old fire stumps in different parts of the region also reveal that there have been more forest fires in the past. Nowadays, there are hardly any forest fires, but in the western part of the Kintulammi area there is a small area that burned in 2010. Burnt and charred wood, like rotting wood, is very important for forest species.

The species of Kintulammi have many species of old forests and species that thrive in large, uniform forests. Metso is just such a species, and Kintulammi is one of its strongest occurrence areas in Pirkanmaa. Examples of other species in the area are the ground woodpecker, flying squirrel and the cape frog. There are few rarities in the plants, but for example the regionally endangered species of herttakaksikko and pussikämmekka grow in the area. On the other hand, the decaying trees are home to a large number of woodpeckers and rare species, such as the regionally endangered ruffed-pigeon and placental parakeet.

With pacification as a nature reserve, the area can develop mostly in a natural state and its natural values will improve. In Kintulammi, some forests are restored by burning and, for example, felling to produce rotten wood. Restoration aims at restoring the natural state and natural development processes. In the forests, we want to maintain the continuity of rotting wood and fires. In swamps, restoration practically means damming and/or filling in ditches so that the dried-up swamp starts to drain again. The partly undrained Kylmäsuo and some smaller marshes will be restored in the coming years. When walking in the area, you can think about what the forests and marshes will look and sound like centuries from now.

In the area you can get to know or come across e.g. to the following matters:

Flying Squirrel

With good luck, you can meet the flying squirrel in the eastern part of the area, jumping from one tree to another at dusk. It nests in a hole made by a woodpecker wound in the trunk or in a nest under the shelter of a bushy spruce.

Capercaillie

Our largest woodcock bird, the ruffed grouse, which longs for large forest areas, thrives in Kintulammi.

Aihki

The old, huge evergreens have been growing in the area for many human generations. These wooden elders are uniquely majestic apparitions that tell a story from centuries ago.

White grove

The pacified species of palm tree, white poplar grows relatively abundantly in the area.