Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut, located in Kurjenrahka National Park, offers an opportunity to learn about the life of the Common Crane (Grus grus) and about the mire from the perspective of the cranes.
Opening hours
Open daily 8:00–20:00.
There is no staff at Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut.
Admission
Access to Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut is free for all visitors.
Contact information
More information on Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut is available by Customer service, Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, tel. +358 40 163 6200, info(at)haltia.com.
Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut is operated by Metsähallitus.
Connections
Public transport connections
- There is a bus connection (matkahuolto.fi) from Turku and Säkylä to Kurjenrahka. There is an express bus stop called “Kuhankuono” on the Turku-Säkylä road (road no. 204), roughly 700 metres from Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut.
- Local buses 21 and 23 (foli.fi) from the Turku Market Square run to the final stop at Tortinmäki. From there, the distance to Kurjenrahka is approximately seven kilometres. From the end of April to the end of September, there are a few connections on certain days that will take you to Kurjenportti, which is about 700 metres from Kurjenpesä.
Arriving by car
- When you are driving to the main information point of the national park, Kurjenpesä, turn west from the Turku-Säkylä road (no. 204) onto the Kuhankuonontie road (on the left side when arriving from Turku). The road leads to the parking area of Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut (Kuhankuonontie 67), on the northern side of Kurjenrahka Mire. The intersection lies about 35 kilometres north of Turku. There is a national park sign along road 204 before the intersection.
- Kurjenportti parking area, located at the beginning of the Kuhankuonontie road, is a larger parking area maintained by the municipality of Pöytyä. From there, you can take the path through the forest or walk along the Kuhankuonontie road to the national park’s main information point, Kurjenpesä. The distance is approximately 700 metres. Kurjenpesä also has a smaller parking area within a 100-metre walk of Kurjenpesä’s services.
Exhibition
The exhibition at Kurjenpesä explores the life of the Common Crane (Grus grus) and the four seasons of the mire from the cranes' perspective. The origin of the name of Kurjenpesä Nature Information Hut (“Crane’s nest”) is revealed to visitors as soon as they enter the hut; there is a pair of gigantic crane feet and a nest underneath them, which place visitors in the position of a baby crane. The hut also provides information on Kurjenrahka National Park. The exhibition has been designed to accommodate also persons with visual impairments.
Yard area
There is a cooking shelter, a lookout platform and a dry toilet, all fully accessible, on the yard of the nature information hut. An accessible access bridge (130 m) leads from the yard to the shore of Lake Savojärvi. The yard area also hosts the Kurkela meeting venue, which is available for daytime rent.
Accessible services
- Accessible trail (100 m) from the Kurjenpesä parking area to the Kurjenpesä yard.
- Persons with reduced mobility or visual impairments have been considered in the design of the exhibition on display in the nature information hut.
- Dry toilet.
- Cooking shelter.
- Lookout platform with a view over Lake Savojärvi.
- Recycling point.
- Access bridge (130 m) to the shore of Lake Savojärvi. The dock at the lake is also fully accessible.
- Kurkela meeting venue, available for rent.
- Karpalopolku trail (1.7 km)