Kuopio Governor Palace

Väinölänniemi is a district in the city of Kuopio, Finland. It is more commonly known for the Väinölänniemi Peninsula (nicknamed Vänäri), located in this district and surrounded by Kallavesi, with its beaches, sports fields and park areas.The area includes J. V. Snellman Home Museum, Kallavesi High School, Kanttila (Home of Minna Canth), Old Kuopio Museum, Kuopio Provincial Government Building, Kuopio Academy of Design, St. Nicholas Cathedral, VB Photography Center, and the three parks: Väinölänniemi Park, Piispanpuisto and Brahe Park. There is also a prestigious Musta Lammas Restaurant and Hotel Scandic Kuopio.

St. Nicholas Cathedral (Finnish: Pyhän Nikolaoksen katedraali; Swedish: Helige Nikolaus katedral; Russian: Никольский собор) is the main church of the Kuopio Orthodox Parish in Väinölänniemi, Kuopio, Finland, and also the seat of the Orthodox Diocese of Karelia. The church was completed in 1903 and is dedicated to the memory of Saint Nicholas. The church, built between 1902 and 1903, was designed by the master builder Aleksander Isakson from Vyborg. The facade is plastered and painted to look like red brick, but there is also genuine brick under the plaster. In appearance, it resembles red-brick simultaneous garrison churches. The iconostasis was made at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in Saint Petersburg and was donated by Nikolay Bobrikov, the Governor-General of Finland. There are eight bells in the cathedral. The church was consecrated by the second Orthodox Archbishop of Finland, Archbishop Nikolai in 1904. The church was renovated in 2003-2004 and reopened by Archbishop Leo Makkonen in 2004. During the renovation, the gilding of the iconostasis was renewed and the interiors of the cathedral were completely renovated.

The Snellman Park (Finnish: Snellmaninpuisto) is the oldest park in the city of Kuopio, Finland, located at the Vahtivuori district in the city center between the Kauppakatu and Minna Canthin katu streets, in the adjacent block of Kuopio Cathedral. The park covers an area of 1.4 hectares. Today, the park and its surroundings are part of the larger Kuopio National City Park, established in late 2017. The park is named after J. V. Snellman (1806–1881), the senator and the Fennoman, who influenced the affairs of the Grand Duchy from Kuopio, among other places. Prior to the park phase, the first main market in the city, known as Kustaantori ("Gustav Square"), Suurtori ("Grand Square") or Kirkkotori ("Church Square"), was located in the Snellman Park area. From 1842, trees were planted in the area and around the cathedral, initially aspens. In the 1850s, the old market square was moved to the site of the current Kuopio Market Square, and the former market square began to be converted more widely into a park. The park was known as Kirkkopuisto ("Church Park") for its close location to the cathedral. In the middle of the park, a bust of J. V. Snellman sculpted by Johannes Takanen was unveiled on July 3, 1886, which largely led to the use of the park’s current name. The park area has been modified in several phases; in 2018–2019, as part of the renovation of the park, a large part of the older stand will be felled. In this case, weak trees can be removed and enough space is cleared for the light that the new tree seedlings need.The Finnish Heritage Agency classifies the Snellman Park and Kuopio Cathedral and its surroundings as a nationally significant target area for the built cultural environment (Snellman Park, Kuopio Cathedral and wooden blocks).

The Kuopio Museum is an Art Nouveau-style museum building completed in 1907 on the edge of Snellman Park in Vahtivuori, Kuopio, Finland. The Kuopio Museum is the third oldest specially built museum building in Finland after the Helsinki's Ateneum (1887) and the Turku's Art Museum (1904). It has national romantic features and was inspired by Finnish castles, such as St. Olaf's Castle and Vyborg Castle. The building's architect was J. V. Strömberg, who designed a significant number of Kuopio's public buildings at the turn of the 20th century. The Kuopio Museum houses the exhibition facilities of the Kuopio Museum of Natural History and the Kuopio Museum of Cultural History. The museum is visited by an average of about 30,000 visitors a year.

Kuopio City Library (Finnish: Kuopion kaupunginkirjasto) is a municipal and regional library in Kuopio, Finland. The main library building is located in the Vahtivuori district. There are also 13 other library branches in the districts of Kuopio and three bookmobiles.The current building of the main library in Kuopio was designed by architect Matti Hakala and was completed in 1967. Prior to that, the library was located in the same premises as the Kuopio Museum. In the spring of 2021, the new Hila building between the Kuopio Museum and the library building, designed by architects Aki Davidsson and Jaana Tarkela, was completed. This contributes to the reunification of the main library and the museum, and has been named the Kantti Quarter (Kantti-kortteli), which cherishes cultural heritage.

Kuopio Cathedral (Finnish: Kuopion tuomiokirkko, Swedish: Kuopio domkyrka) is a stone Neoclassical-style Evangelical Lutheran church in Kuopio, Finland, and the seat of the Diocese of Kuopio. The cathedral was built between 1806 and 1815. There is a bust of Johan Vilhelm Snellman in the square in front of the cathedral.According to George Renwick, during the Finnish War, it was briefly used as a stable by the invaders.

Vahtivuori is a district in the city of Kuopio, Finland, located between the city center and Lake Kallavesi. The southern boundary of Vahtivuori is Minna Canthin katu, the western boundary is Vuorikatu, the northern boundary is Suokatu and the eastern boundary is formed by Lake Kallavesi. The neighboring parts of Vahtivuori are Maljalahti in the north, Väinölänniemi in the south and Multimäki in the west.Among others, Kuopio Cathedral, Kuopio Museum, Kuopio City Library, Kuopio Art Museum, Snellman School and Port of Kuopio are located in the Vahtivuori district. The area also includes Muikkuravintola Sampo restaurant (muikku means "vendace"). Several events are organized by the Kuopio Passenger Port every year, such as the Kuopio Wine Festival. The district has changed considerably over a hundred years as a result of human activities, including civil engineering. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the surface of Lake Kallavesi extended almost to Maaherrankatu between Suokatu and Lukkarinkatu. The land has thus grown significantly and new apartment buildings have been added to the area.

Maljalahti (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmɑljɑˌlɑhti]; literally translated "crater bay") is a district in the central part of the city of Kuopio, Finland. The northern boundary of the district is the Savonia railway (with the exception that the Kuopio bus station north of the line belongs to the area), the Hatsalankatu street in the west, Suokatu in the south and Lake Kallavesi in the east. Neighboring parts of Maljalahti are Puijo and Linnanpelto in the north, Itkonniemi in the east, Vahtivuori and Multimäki in the south and Hatsala in the west.The Kuopio Railway Station, the Kuopio Prison and the Hapelähteenpuisto park, among others, are located in the Maljalahti district. Before the winter, there was an ice rink in the park. There is also a park in the Maljalahti district named after the author Minna Canth.Construction of a new residential area has begun near Maljalahti, just outside the grid area. New houses will be built next to the Savonia railway and in the area where there used to be a winter storage area for boats.

Kauppakatu (lit. "market street") is a street in the center of Kuopio in North Savonia, Finland. The length of the street is about 1,500 meters. The street starts from Makasiinikatu from Kuopio Harbor and ends at Sairaalakatu. The street runs along the southern edge of Kuopio Market Square. Kauppakatu intersects with 19 streets and has ten traffic light-controlled intersections along it. After the completion of the underground project, Kauppakatu will become a pedestrian street at the market square, between Vuorikatu and Ajurinkatu.Most of the restaurants in the center of Kuopio are also located along Kauppakatu or in its immediate vicinity.

Kuopio Lyceum High School is an upper secondary school (lukio) for students aged 15–19. Kuopion Lyseon lukio is located in Kuopio, Finland. Originally established as a boys' school in 1872, Kuopion Lyseo opened its doors to both sexes in 1977. The origins of Kuopion Lyseo can be traced further back to Viipurin Triviaalikoulu that was established in 1534 and relocated to Kuopio in 1777. Kuopion Lyseon lukio is one of the most academically prestigious upper secondary schools in Finland. It is the fifth highest scoring school in the Finnish Matriculation Examination and its International Baccalaureate class has consistently had one of the highest average final examination scores in Europe. Around 450 students are currently enrolled in the school. Kuopion Lyseon lukio has been an IB World School since 1994 and as such administers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The school building from 1826 is designed by Carl Ludvig Engel.

The Port of Kuopio (Finnish: Kuopion satama) is an inland harbour in the city of Kuopio, Finland, on the shore of Lake Kallavesi. The passenger harbour of the port is located in the Vahtivuori district on the Maljalahti bay. The cargo harbour for the cargo ship traffic is located in the Haapaniemi district, about two kilometers southwest of the passenger harbour.Kuopio's passenger harbour is the busiest port for passenger traffic in the Vuoksi drainage basin and the Lake Finland. There are many cruise companies and restaurants, and in addition, the harbor has market stalls. The Kuopio Wine Festival is held at this market square near the harbour. The passenger harbour area is one of the centers of summer tourist activities alongside Kuopio Market Square. The harbour is often filled with walkers admiring Lake Kallavesi, market traders, diners on the terrace and those going on a cruise.

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival presents site-specific contemporary art covering all artistic forms from sculpture and environmental art to dance, live art and performance. The annual festival is held in Kuopio, Finland. The first ANTI Festival was organized in 2002 by The Arts Council of Northern Savonia. The ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival Association was established in 2005 to coordinate the festival. With an emphasis on performance, ANTI has become Finland's leading presenter of live art, showcasing innovative developments in sonic and visual arts. The festival features site-specific and time-based works that are presented in various public spaces such as streets, office buildings, parks, shopping centers, and privately owned sites. The choice of locations depends on the festival's theme and the nature of the artworks. The festival program includes artworks created by invited artists as well as artists selected through an open proposal process. The name "ANTI" means "gift" in Finnish, reflecting the festival's mission to make art accessible to all. The artworks presented at ANTI Festival are free of charge, allowing people who may not typically engage with art to become accidental participants and viewers. The unsuspecting audiences, those who come across the art by chance, often experience the disruptive potential of the works most profoundly.In 2007, Artistic Director Erkki Soininen was replaced by Gregg Whelan, who was appointed as Co-Artistic Director of ANTI. Whelan also works as a performance-maker, writer and co-artistic director of Lone Twin and Lone Twin Theatre.In 2013, ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival launched the ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art, an international art award with a prize of 30,000 euros. The Live Art Prize has been awarded since 2014, recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of live art.