Feel NORDIC - Lentiira

In addition to agriculture, Petäjäniemis Janne was also known for his skill in the production of horse halters and ropes. Horses were brought to him in Petäjäniemi. On site, the horses were measured and sewing patterns were made.

In the beginning, the holiday resort in Petäjäniemi was only operated in summer. Guests were accommodated in several summer huts and on the campsite. There was a continuously heated sauna on the shore of Lake Lentiira, in which you could take a sauna at any time. In addition, the resort had a few rowing boats with which you could go boating on the lake. The delicious food was either served in Pirtti, the heart of the main building, or offered to take away. The large oven in the Pirtti was wonderfully suitable for preparing different dishes.

The main building was rebuilt in 1948 after the war. During the war, almost all the huts in Lentiira were burned down. Over the years, the arsonists of the time also visited the house and told stories from the time when they threw fire bombs through the windows, and fled from the Russians over snow and ice to the other side of the lake. Once a wounded soldier was looking for protection and warmth here. But it was no longer possible to help because the enemy was already at the door. Trift workers once lived in the building. At that time, bunk beds were mounted on the walls in the narrow room to accommodate many workers.

In 1982 Eija and Toivo Heikkinen decided to continue on the path pointed out by Elsa Heikkinen. Toivo, Elsa's son, was an entrepreneur in the field of truck transport. The change of branch was a courageous decision for the family of four, who moved from Kuhmo back to Lentiira. Eija had many years of experience as a receptionist on a forest camp and later in the hotel restaurant Kainuu. As a shop assistant in the Alko store in Kuhmo, she also got to know the beverage industry.

The holiday resort was actively expanded and modernized. In 1984 three new huts were built and the main building was completely renovated. The Pirtti got a new kitchen and a variety of utility and storage rooms. A small smoke sauna was first built on the beach and expanded after a few years. The sauna building was given a relaxation room and a second electrically heated sauna room. More huts were built in a few years. A service building with a kitchen and sanitary facilities has been built on Lentiira's campsite.

Sports and leisure equipment was made available to guests. In addition to a few snowmobiles, there was a minibus to pick up guests from the airport. For decades, airport transfers, organization and implementation of hikes and leisure activities, game hunting and fishing trips, and accommodation and meals were the responsibility of family members and fewer employees.

After the modernization in the 80s, Eija was mainly responsible for marketing. Participation in domestic and central European tourism fairs was very productive. International guests visited Lentiira in all seasons. The largest proportion of international visitors were from Germany and Swittzerland. Fishing, hunting and winter outdoor activities were of particular interest to central European visitors.

Eija is a gifted and awarded baker and cook. The collaboration with famous tv-chef at the time, Jaakko Kolmonen, contributed to the transmission of traditional preparation methods. Traditional bread baking with the addition of pine bark was cultivated in Lentiira Holiday Village until the 1990s. The cultivation of tradition brought the company national fame and honor. It has received numerous awards from the tourism industry and has even brought "Company of the Year" recognition by Kainuu county.

Numerous national figures have visited the resort over time. They include, for example, Presidential Couple Mauno and Tellervo Koivisto, Councilor Johannes and Kyllikki Virolainen, and Presidential Lady Eeva Ahtisaari.  

Back in 2019, Petri decided to follow in his parents' footsteps, taking charge of Lentiiran Lomakylä. From summer 2024, Elise Heikkinen-Johnstone and Robert Johnstone started as the new entrepreneurs of the holiday village.