Soini offers ideal conditions for hiking and relaxing in the great outdoors. Its residents are particularly proud of the region’s pristine bog lands, forests and lakes. A wide range of marked hiking trails ensures that everyone can find a suitable route. The E6 European long-distance path, which runs from Kilpisjärvi all the way to Turkey, also connects Vuorenmaa in Soini with Ähtäri Zoo. The Arpainen hiking trail, which is part of the E6 path, allows hikers to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Suomenselkä formation and the meandering Kuninkaanjoki. In addition, you can find shorter routes, including the Hermanni and Kuninkaanpuisto trails.

The area also offers a wide range of other outdoor activities: cross-country cycling, birdwatching, hunting, fishing and berry-picking. In winter, visitors can make the most of the area’s numerous ski tracks and or go downhill skiing at Vuorenmaa Ski Centre. You can also enjoy a dip in a lake from one of the area’s numerous beaches, some of which have a lean-to or places for open fires.

Soini’s long history in its secluded location surrounded by forests still gives the village, with its wooden houses, its special atmosphere. Between the 18th and 20th centuries, the area was known for its tar-burning operations, and hundreds of the old tar-burning pits still remain. The old traditions are also commemorated by a memorial by Antti Maasalo. For anyone interested in military history or history in general, the Kuninkaantupa Museum and the local history museum make interesting places to visit. The studio of Reijo Kivijärvi, one of Finland’s most notable naïve painters, and the outbuildings, including a traditional smoke sauna and shingle factory, are also worth of a visit.