Kivitasku shortly
Kivitasku is a peaceful lakeside estate located in Central Finland Muurame. Unique features and harmonic nature makes Kivitasku a perfect place for celebrations, meetings, overnight stays, holidays and memorable sauna experiences. In the courtyard sheep and other farm animals welcome the guests.
Kivitasku offers rooms and venues, sauna services, travel services and handcrafts. The main venue for occasions is Villa Kivitasku, a blue unique log house that has got room for 60 guests and catering services can be arranged. Memorable occasions includes a sauna experience in the magnificent smoke sauna Haiku. Haiku-sauna is built from the aspens of the surrounding forest and takes up to 25 guests to enjoy its mystic atmosphere at a time.
Hostess Mella Nousiainen runs the company together with her son Sampo Nousiainen. They both are talented artisans. Mella has made the Villa home for her woolen art. Textiles and handicrafts are made from the wool of the estates own sheep. Mella gets inspired by Finnish nature, Finnish national epic Kalevala, folklore and stories. All that can be seen in her art. Carpenter Sampo is specialized in making furniture and restoring old furniture.
Farm host Hannu Nousiainen started to build his vision in 1986. The unique architecture of the buildings is also inspired by the Finnish national epic and combines eastern and western building traditions. In over 30-year history of family Nousiainen, Kivitasku has become a haven where all are welcome. Built with Karelian warmth, the courtyard calls its guests with an open heart to another time and space. Family, friends and guests gather there to enjoy the atmosphere, music, songs and good conversations. All that happens in Kivitasku, in the middle of Finnish nature.
About sustainability in Kivitasku
We are participating in Visit Finland’s sustainable travel training from the beginning of 2022. Responsible actions are already well visible in the responsible choices we make. Our plans also include acquiring the international Green Key certificate, which tells about environmental responsibility. At Kivitasku, responsibility and sustainability have been taken into account since the beginning (1995). How is responsibility reflected in Kivitasku everyday ?
Buildings
The principles of sustainable development are realized, for example, in the recycled materials of the outer wall of our main building; the demolition bricks come from the old Conservatory in Jyväskylä and the cobblestone streets of Voionmaa. We have used Kivilouhimo’s quarry material in many of our buildings. The wood materials come from our own forest and from local Ahonen’s sawmill in Muurame. In all of our construction, we have respected handwork: for example, the walls of the Villa are hand-hidden, as well as the salvos in the corners of the log walls are individually carved by hand. You can feel the handiwork in every building. Heat production in Kivitasku is done with geothermal heat and eco electricity, as well as with reserve fireplaces.
Accommodation and food service
Kivitasku’s ecological practices are also prominently featured in the accommodation and food services. There is almost no food waste, because the chickens and sheep efficiently take care of the leftover food. We conveniently put the rest of the food waste into the compost and thus get good soil for our beneficial plants.
Recycling
When sorting waste in Kivitasku, glass, metals, plastics and paper/cardboard are recycled. In the Villa, customers can use containers for recycling.
Handcraft with Finnish mytology
Kivitasku’s domestic, unique handicraft products are also ecological and produced in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The main raw materials in the products are wood and wool. Mella Nousiainen’s products are mainly made from the wool of Kivitasku sheep and dyed by hand. In addition, we use products from domestic wool manufacturers (Lahtinen felt factory and Koskenpää felt factory) as well as organic recycled materials from flea markets.
Wall textiles, elf, home, stable and sauna gnomes are inspired by Finnish nature, the Kalevala and folklore stories. They are unique in shape and in color. The accessories of some of the elves are made from old, washed and dyed everyday bedclothes and used linen cloths and towels. The products are moth-proofed, they are durable and individually handcrafted from high-quality natural materials.
Milieu
The milieu is also idyllically natural, peaceful with sheep eating grass in the forest and chickens running around the yard.
Hire a bike from Kivitasku!
Experiences by a bike route from Kivitasku: In Muurame, everything is close by – the idyllic country landscape, the Paijänne lake shore and Muurame’s services. Muurame is a short bike ride from Jyväskylä( 17 km) and you can easily add a visit to the beautiful archipelago scenery of Säynätsalo to your day trip. The Muurami area has a lot to offer, especially for nature lovers, as the area has plenty of ridges and slopes as well as beaches and rapids. The Muuramen mäkimannut route has downhills and uphills in the right proportion. When leaving Jyväskylä, the route goes along the asphalted road of Ronsuntaipale road through Metsätaipale and through the rural landscapes of Isolahti, after which you can stop to enjoy the services of Muurame or admire the sparkling waters of Muurame joki before the return trip. If you wish, you can continue the journey as far as Säynätsalo and go around Kinkomaa via the bike paths back to Jyväskylä. The route is a paved road and very hilly. The length of the route is about 40 kilometers. Muuramen mäkimannut introduction card and maps (pdf, opens new). can bee taken from Kivitasku freely.