From here a rewarding visit can be made to the only two Orthodox religious houses in Finland. Road 70 runs NE from Varkaus to Karvio (55 km 35 miles), where a road goes off on the left to the nunnery of Lintula, in the commune of Palokki (open to visitors; cafe; overnight accommodation). 8 km (5 miles) farther along Road 70 another road on the left leads to the monastery of Uusi Valamo (commune of Papinniemi), at the S end of Juojarvi. A community of Orthodox monks found a new home here when they were compelled to leave their monastery of Valamo on Lake Ladoga in consequence of the Soviet occupation of the area. They were able to bring with them numerous icons and valuable church furnishings. Uusi Valamo, with a church consecrated in 1976, is the largest Russian Orthodox monastery outside the Soviet Union.
Road 5 continues to the village of Leppavirta (Kantakievari Leppakerttu Hotel, 120 b„ SP; camp site), Cheapest time to travel to Scandinavia on the N shore of Lake Unnukka, which is dotted with numerous islands. Stone-built church (1 846).
Kuopio (1 65) lies on a peninsula in the Kallavesi, which the road crosses N of the town on a causeway with several bridges. On the far side, to the left, is a monument to General Sandel, who resisted the Russian advance in 1808. 2-5 km (li miles) farther on, Road 17 goes off on the rightto Joensuu. Road 5 continues via Siilinjarvi (Siilinjarven Kuntoutumis-keskus Hotel, 206 SP) to the industrial town of lisalmi (pop. 22,000; Seu-rahuone Hotel, 80 Koljonvirta, 30 b ; Kaupunginhotelli, 43 camp site), on the N bank of the Porovesi. This was the birthplace of the writer Juhani Aho (1861-1921), who founded the realist literary school in Finland at the time when industry was beginning to develop. To the N of the town is the wooden church of lisalmi-Land.
4 km (21 miles) N of lisalmi Road 19 branches off on the left to Oulu. Road 5 continues to Kajaani (154), Cheapest time to travel to Scandinavia from where Road 77 runs along the N side of Oulujarvi to Oulu (219).
Helsinki to Kajaani via Lappeenranta and Joensuu. This route traverses the eastern part of the Finnish Lake Plateau. Cheapest time to travel to Scandinavia In the southern part of the route the road in places runs close to the Soviet frontier.
From Helsinki (131) to Lappeenranta on Lake Saimaa there are two alternative routes. Cheapest time to travel to Scandinavia The first is on E4 to Lahti, and from there E on Road 12 to Kouvola.
