Cafe Vuopio
During the winter season, the cafe is open at weekends, by reservation and special days and events, informed separately.
Cafe is located in a historic house built in 1814 — the oldest residential building in the village. Step inside and enjoy homemade pastries, traditional Finnish comfort food and the authentic atmosphere of old Lapland.
We host a variety of events and private gatherings throughout the year, bringing people together in this unique setting. In summer, the cafe is open every day.
Tapahtumia
Cafe Vuopio
Cafe
Events, meetings, private gatherings and tailored programmes.
Sweat and savoury treats, cakes, pies and other baked goods are also available to order takeaway.
Everything served in the cafe is homemade. All pastries are lactose-free and mostly made from gluten-free ingredients.
However, all allergens are handled on the premises.
Marja Kuusela
Baker, cook, cleaner, handyman, gardener…
This business is run entirely by the entrepreneur.
Whatever you need, just get in touch — we’ll make it happen.
Story of Cafe Vuopio
The first settlers arrived in Kairala at the end of the 1600s. At that time, the village was known as Kairavuopio. The early inhabitants lived on both sides of the river and began cultivating the land.
One of the oldest families in Kairala was the Jaakkola family. The last master of the farm, Jani Jaakkola, reintroduced the traditional Lapland turnip to local cultivation. Jani was a creative and enterprising figure in the entire municipality of Pelkosenniemi. After restoring his old family home, he opened a summer café there. The current café was established in 2024, following in Jani’s footsteps, on the neighbouring property.
During the war, the buildings on the eastern side of the river were burned down. There are several stories about why the western side of the Kitinen River was spared; one of them tells of a young woman who made an impression on a German officer and managed to influence the outcome.
The café operates in the oldest residential building in Kairala, completed in 1814. The farm is called Marttiini, and when Mikko Talvensaari bought the house at the end of the 1800s, he even changed his surname to Martin. Mikko Martin was known in the region as a folk healer and a “blood-stopper.”
The cafe’s name, Vuopio, refers to a bend or bay in the river (also known as uopaja) and also echoes the village’s old name, Kairavuopio. Another inspiration for the name was the novel Fishing for the Little Pike by Juhani Karila, who was born in Kairala.