Hukianhovi farm is situated on the beautiful Hinsala peninsula not far from the famous Manor of Laukko. Long years ago Hinsala was a large island in Lake Pyhäjärvi. This traditional rural landscape bears the traces of thousands of years of human habitation; there are ancient monuments, and the landscapes which figure in the ballad of Elinas tragic end. From the windows of the museum there is a view of Tuhnunvuori hill, classified by the Ministry of the Environment for its cliffs and crags. At the foot of the mountain there is the Devils Cave from which a subterranean passageway allegedly leads to the cellars of Laukko Manor.
Innumerable legends lend an exotic air to the village of Hinsala - tales of pagan gods, buried treasure, Klaus Kurki, who galloped his chariot to a terrible death, the great battle between Kirmukarmu and Hunnu. And it is only just out of living memory that these tales were still passed on by word of mouth.
The first mention of Hukia Farm and its owner, Olavi, dates from 1439. Since then the farm has been owned by Axel Gustaf Kurki (1728- 1800) lord of Laukko Manor, who lived out his old age in the Jop house on the same hill. Other historical figures to have spent time at Hukia include Juhana Fredrik Granlund, author and champion of all things Finnish, who was a friend and ally of Lönnrot (see later).
Today Hukia is owned and farmed by Eija and Pertti Sorri, who are simultaneously engaged in farmhouse tourism. The main building, Hukianhovi, was completed in 1990. It is built of Nordic close-grained pinelogs and surrounded by a grove of curly birch.
The building measures 23 metres by 18 metres, with a floor area of almost 400 square metres. It is designed in two levels. The main dining room seats 60, and there is a smaller functions room and all the necessary auxiliary facilities. From the balconies there are breathtaking lake views.
The cooking is done in a spacious farmhouse kitchen with custom-made soapstone ovens. The traditional delicacies of the Häme table are homemade right here.
Hukianhovi has been awarded the Uniquely Finnish seal of quality (ISO 9000). The bill of fare includes the traditional delicacies including rosolli salad of cooked root vegetables with flavoured cream, sweet baked potatoe and turnip specialities and homemade cheese. More modern creations include salad of prawn, of smoked fish, potatoes in cream and marinated roast of pork. And everything is homemade.
There is just nothing to equal a Finnish smoke sauna. The slightest breath of smokey aroma and the steady warmth of a large stove ensure the authentic invigorating experience enjoyed by Finns for two thousand years. The Hukianhovi Smoke Sauna has the recommendation of the International Sauna Club and the seal of quality Uniquely Finnish. It was also voted sauna of the year in 1998!
The sauna building is next to Laukko Manor, and is a modern link in the ancient smoke sauna tradition. Until a hundred years ago the folk ballad of Elinas tragic end, the most famous in Finland, was still lustily sung in the local saunas. This was duly recorded for posterity by J.F. Granlund and Elias Lönnrot, who is best known for compiling the Kanteletar and the Finnish national epic Kalevala.
Visitors can arrange to take sauna as an event in itself or by way of a stopover on a coach tour or lake cruise. Hukianhovi has a total capacity for 80 diners at a time. The smoke sauna is by the Hukianhovi jetty and is accessible by boat from Tampere. During the sauna ritual visitors can take dips in the lake, which has a sandy bottom. The smoke sauna can be heated for a small party, but up to a hundred visitors can enjoy it in the course of one evening. The sauna is available virtually year-round.
The dimensions of the Hukiahovi Smoke Sauna are true to the local tradition. It is a largest in the Pirkanmaa area and at least twenty people at a time can sit on its benches. The stove is one and a half metres square, the floor area is 25 square metres and the height to the roof is 3.5 metres. The choice of stump wood from the birch tree for the benches is also in keeping with ancient Häme tradition, and nowadays a great rarity. The logs of the walls have been hewn with a broadaxe and stuffed with linen.
At the sauna festival in Ikaalinen on 17 July 1998 the Hukianhovi Smoke Sauna took the first prize. The jury comprised representatives of the International Sauna Club and the association Löylynlyöjat , the suana connoisseurs. The verdict included the following merits: location, blending with the environment, aroma, fire safety, functionality, choice of firewood, water and, most importantly, quality of steam effect and the desire the sauna created to tempt bathers back again and again.
The old log farmstead was built in the 1800s and is now a museum housing everyday artefacts and textiles from the last two centuries.
Hukianhovi is happy to take reservations for lunch parties, guiding and catering services on the Klaus Kurki Trail, guiding and catering (at Hukianhovi) for passengers on the Tampere Cruise Lines. On the same premises we also cater for family gatherings, coffee sessions, meetings, training sessions, Christmas parties and PR events. Our services are available in winter, too. Activities available nearby include boating, swimming, tennis, minigolf etc.
