This is the most enchanting route in Teijo National Park: Matildanjärvi Loop Trail

Teijo National Park is only less than a two-hour’s drive from Helsinki. It’s a fantastic national park to visit in Finland, perhaps by renting a car. Teijo national park’s most beautiful and popular trail is Matildanjärvi loop trail, which starts near the Teijo Nature Center at Matildanjärventie 84. There are also many charming accommodation options in the area, as it is located in the picturesque Mathildedal ironworks village by the Baltic sea.

The 5.5-kilometer Matildanjärvi trail encircles Matildanjärvi Lake, offering various breathtaking views. However, I wanted to experience the place as if it were entirely mine, without encountering others. So, what to do? I set my alarm to go off before dawn, and I headed into the wilderness before 7 AM. Here are some impressions from my journey.

Starting point on the map

Several resting spots with versatile structures

Trail length: 5.5 km (3.4 mi)

As I drove through Mathildedal village, it was quiet along the narrow lane. It was late August. The sun had already risen but had not quite reached the village yet. There were three cars in the national park main parking lot. The windshields of the cars were moist from the night, which I considered fortunate – it seemed I would indeed be the first person moving about this morning.

Mathildedal ironworks village is located by the Baltic Sea in the city of Salo, and Teijo National Park is directly adjacent to it. The national park features numerous lovely lakes, marshes, forests, splendid cliffs, and beautiful sandy beaches. It is truly a diverse destination.

The lakeshore was just a few steps from the parking area. A line of rental rowboats awaited the dawn by the dock, ready for the day’s rowers. The water surface was completely calm, and the landscape was serene. I crossed a small babbling brook and immediately arrived at a beautiful cliffside viewpoint.

A woodpecker tapped on a dead tree. Perhaps it had noticed that a louder sound resonates from dead wood than from a living tree. The message traveled far, even farther across the calm surface of the lake.

I savored the atmosphere and greenery of the expansive spruce forest.

The role of the first traveler in the morning is to collect all the spiderwebs along the path with their face. You’re welcome, next traveler!

Just as I had hoped, a delicate mist floated over the lake. Surely, as autumn progresses, the morning mist on the lake will become denser, and the morning sunlight will be warmer in its hues. In the fall, being an early riser definitely pays off.

I followed with my gaze the smooth cliffs descending into the water, adorned with traces of the old waterline. There were boulders in the shallow water, and the water was dark. I took off my shoes and socks; I wanted to feel the smooth, polished rocks shaped by the ice age glaciers under my feet.

After the rocky shore and the dense forest, the trail’s character changed momentarily. Narrow boardwalks emerged, surrounded by fragrant heather and dewy reeds from the night. Spiderwebs sparkled in the moisture and morning sunlight, wooden bridges enticed me to pause.

I passed a couple of resting spots; one could have stayed overnight there or even brewed a morning coffee. I had only water with me; I planned to take a break with it a bit further ahead. However, I did pause for a short while by the lakeshore because the view was so stunning. A grey heron glided low over the lake’s surface, almost skimming it. As majestic as it looked in the picture-perfect and tranquil setting, it let out such an ugly squawk that I started to laugh.

The gulls perched on Isoholma Island in the middle of the lake responded with their calls to the heron’s squawk. I enjoyed their cries. The sounds of two birds make me feel most at home: the song of the blackbird and the calls of the common gull.

A longer wooden bridge led over the mouth of Välioja brook. Can anyone cross such a bridge without stopping? Without leaning on the railing on both sides for a moment and looking at what the landscape and the water below reveal?

After the bridge, the landscape grew darker. We had reached the shady side of the lake; the morning sun no longer shone so brightly. The forest was vast and dimly lit, creating a mystical ambiance. Due to the tree roots and rocks, each step needed careful placement, slowing down the pace. Young great tits were chattering in the trees above, and some even came quite close to inspect who I was, out so early in the morning.

Now, I was closer to Isoholma Island than before. Seagulls, both herring and lesser black-backed, were basking in the morning sun at the island’s eastern tip. Seeing the lesser black-backed gull was a delight; it’s not a common sight by any means anymore.

Once again, a short boardwalk traversed a wet area and the reed sea it had cultivated. A quick glance at my feet made me wish I could return here in late autumn – unripe cranberries spread out like a carpet of pink and green pearls on both sides of the boardwalk.

Snores could be heard from the direction of the shelter. Almost instinctively, my steps quieted – I wouldn’t want to wake the sleeper by clattering on the boards.

The journey through the forest continued, and the trail ascended slightly.

For a moment, I thought I might be lost; I had missed some of the trail markers. A glance at the map clarified where I had gone wrong. For some reason, following the trail felt somewhat challenging and uncertain for a stretch. The forest was dense, and the path seemed to have wandered here and there. There wasn’t a clear path like in the picture above. However, with a bit of focus, it wasn’t difficult to continue forward. And getting lost here wouldn’t be dangerous; this isn’t exactly a wilderness.

I concluded that the next lovely lakeside spot would be a good place for a little break.

Sure enough, I found the perfect resting spot, and it was also getting quite warm. The sun had risen, awakening the lake to a new day. There was no activity on Isoholma Island; maybe there was no one there, or perhaps they were still asleep. By the way, there are two islands named Isoholma in Teijo National Park, one in Matildanjärvi lake and the other in the sea on Teijo Bay.

A rock and an old pine tree kept me company on the smooth rock as I once again removed my shoes and socks to have a water-drinking break right at the water’s edge. I gazed into the dark water and saw fish breaking the surface.

On the opposite shore, I could see the houses of Mathildedal village and pondered how the trail would continue from here. Soon enough, that would be revealed.

As the trail emerged back into civilization, I was momentarily sure that I had once again taken a wrong turn and ended up on someone’s driveway. The railing on the bridge was ornate, and there should have been water flowing beneath – but the stream was dry. A house was right next to it. I stood there for a while, trying to figure out if I was in the right or wrong place, but the map showed that I was correct. So, I continued along the road to Mathildedal Village Road. People were already up and about; one gentleman was picking up mail, and another was watering flowers. A runner passed by. The sun was scorching, and it felt relieving to turn back onto the shaded road leading back to the national park’s parking lot.

I had already begun to think that the final stretch of the trail would be a straightforward return to the parking area. But I was completely wrong! A sign indicated to turn left onto the Kariholma accessible trail, which cut through a beautiful forest of tall trees. Upon reaching the shore, I discovered an accessible cooking shelter and a truly charming lakeside view with sandy beaches and an accessible dock. A fisherman was on the dock.

I enjoyed the silence and shade of the sandy beach for a while. The only sounds in the world were the whirring of the fishing reel and the splash of the lure hitting the lake’s surface.

The path continued as a narrow, relatively steep slope. The bright red color of the bilberry leaves stood out against the morning sun, and the view was genuinely breathtaking and wilderness-like, even though we were almost back near the nature center.

At the highest cliff, an incredible vista opened up. I can totally understand why this trail is popular. It starts so beautifully and charmingly, varies along the way from boardwalks to rocky shores and dark forests, and towards the end, it even offers views like this.