Commercial collaboration Bella Lake Resort
Google Reviews: 4.5/5 Travel time from Helsinki: 4h 15min by car Food experiences at: Bella Lake Resort serves an excellent local food breakfast either enjoyed from the buffet table or served in the Suite Food experiences nearby: Restaurant Kuopion Saana is located next door in Bellanranta, where you can have delicious lunch, dinner and brunch in a unique lake environment. The restaurants in the center of Kuopio are only a couple of kilometers away, and you can check out Bella Lake Resort's delicious recommendations, for example. Accommodation types: Semi-detached Suites for two people are located right at the edge of the water and each Suite has its own terrace and pier where you can take a dip directly in the lake. Some of the suites also have their own sauna. More information and reservations: bellalakeresort.fi
Bella Lake Resort is a unique resort destination in the whole of Finland because it is located right on the shore of the lake and almost within walking distance from the center of Kuopio city. At Bella Lake Resort, it is therefore possible to combine the ultimate relaxation by the water and, if you wish, you can go to the city to eat and shop in a few minutes. However, the guest has no need to leave Bellanranta Beach Area considering that the breakfast is the best, lunch and dinner can be had at Restaurant Kuopio's Saana next door, and if desired, Wolt can be used as room service and order various delicacies from the Kuopio restaurant of your choice delivered directly to your door. The minibar in the suites of Bella Lake Resort offers refreshments, small snacks and, among other things, local Iso-Kallan Panimo brewery beer and wines. Local breweries Iso-Kalla Brewery and Rock Paper Scissors Brewing Co are also located in Bellanranta Beach Area, so you can easily stop by to enjoy the breweries' offerings and grab some to take home.
On the Way to Kuopio
We went ex tempore to celebrate Midsummer at Bella Lake Resort by car for a couple of nights. Our well-established gourmet stops along Viitostie road are Heinolan Heila and TeaHouse of Wehmais. You can enjoy local food in Heila, and there is a versatile local food market shop where you can take delicacies with you to your destination. It should be mentioned that in connection with Heila there are also versatile and efficient electric car charging options. At TeaHouse of Wehmais, the selection of teas is of course a real asset, and a scone to accompany it, or even a comprehensive afternoon tea set if booked in advance. It seems that at least sometimes you can also get food there. We stopped at Heila on the way out, and when we arrived, our road took us to Kenkävero in Mikkeli for the first time. Kenkävero was a positive surprise and there you can find a manor-style restaurant, a summer beach cafe and a local food boutique. Clothes and designs are also available. However, electric car charging options are weak and there are only two available slow charging stations.
Among other foodie destinations on our list is still Tertti Manor, where we haven't had the chance to stop by so far. If you're craving a burger, you can drive in the other direction through Jyväskylä and stop along the way at the Hankasalmi Grill Room, which has the title of the best burger in Finland, but due to its great popularity, you should reserve a little more time for this route option, because according to what we've heard, there will be a queue.
When we arrive in Kuopio, our standard pitstop is always Kalakukkoleipomo Hanna Partanen local well-know artisan bakery, where we go to grab meat pies, donuts and Karelian pies. As the name suggests, kalakukko (baked-in fish pie) are also available, among other things. As a tip, if your arrival is in the evening, you should make a reservation by phone in advance for the delicacies you want to ensure their availability when you arrive.
Weekend in Bellanranta Beach Area
Bellanranta is a wonderful destination by the lake, where many different activities are available. Right next to Bella Lake Resort is Bellanpuisto Park, where you can find a mini golf course and padel courts. There are water activities in Bellanranta Beach and Saana in Kuopio has a versatile spa in addition to a restaurant. Kuopio's Saana spa has a couple of different saunas, a traditional and award-winning smoke sauna, jacuzzi and cold pools, and a large heated outdoor pool. The spa seemed to be also popular with the locals and no wonder.
Bella Lake Resort has a total of 18 suites and each has its own pier with direct access to the lake. The service is unhurried, so everyday rushes are forgotten when you drive through the gates of the Resort. There are several charging points for an electric car and the price is only €10 per day, so you can easily charge the battery overnight for the next day's adventures or the journey home. Bella Lake Resort has been opened at the end of 2023, so everything in the entire destination is brand new and the suites represent wonderful wooden architecture.
We had the pleasure of staying in Bella Suite with a sauna, which had its own log sauna. The suite was air-conditioned, well-equipped and, compared to similar accommodations, rather spacious. On your own terrace, you could enjoy the lake views in your own peace, and the retracted terrace kept the wind comfortably at bay, as the weather during our visit was not hot, although it was perfect.
Tasty times all the way from morning to evening
The first morning we tried the buffet breakfast in the main building of Bella Lake Resort. We really appreciate that in the breakfast offer, more emphasis has been placed on quality than quantity. Breakfast consisted of, among other things, Karelian pies from Sorsa's home bakery in Liperi, artisan bakery Leipomoliike Irene Partanen's kalakukko, homemade granola with yogurt, homemade meatballs from Highland cattle and an omelette made with love from real ingredients, which, without lying, was probably the best omelette we've eaten while exploring different destinations. On the second morning, we ordered breakfast in the room and the in-room breakfast included a large selection of familiar delicacies from the buffet table, and the breakfast also included chia porridge. We definitely recommend ordering breakfast in the suite at least one morning, because the environment for unhurried relishing in your own peace is the best possible.
For dinner on the first night, we headed to Restaurant Kuopio's Saana. We had previously tasted Hanna Partanen's meat pies, so the hunger situation didn't quite make it possible to enjoy according to the long formula. To start with, we shared a tasting plate for two to whet our appetite, and for the main course we enjoyed a tasty risotto. On the second day, we lingered at Kuopio's harbor square, marveling at the peaceful Midsummer and stopped at the terrace of Kalla Lounge to eat, of course, the food of the Burger5 summer kitchen, which has the title of the best burger restaurant locally.
In accommodations that do not have their own restaurant, room service is often a strength, because restaurant delivery app Wolt offers a wide range of options from the entire city's restaurant offering, and the order is not tied to just one of the accommodations' own restaurants. On Midsummer's Eve, we couldn't bear to go to the city again, so we ordered authentic Neapolitan pizzas from the popular Italian Pizzeria Sorrento, which we then enjoyed while admiring the lapping of the lake.
Overall, our stay at Bella Lake Resort exceeded our expectations. Local hospitality, a wonderful location near the center on the shore of the lake and great activity opportunities. Of course, we tried the fast-paced mini-golf course, worked up a sweat playing padel and relaxed at Kuopio's Saana spa. Next time on our list is a visit to Luoto Kuopio for dining.
