Kuninkaanpolku, esteetön Ekonpolku

The accessible Ekonpolku is part of the Kuninkaanpolku and is located in the most beautiful landscapes of Hartola church village on the bank of the Tainionvirta river. On your trip along the Ekonkoski nature trail, you will see both prehistoric monuments and lush and barren shoreline landscapes with their plants, birds, and insects. The nature trail is quite easy to navigate, has no elevation changes, and features information boards along its length. You can traverse the route with prams, rollators, or wheelchairs. There is also an accessible fishing spot at the arch bridge. The Ekon Manor, which houses the Itä-Hämeen opisto, and the manor's park with its old oaks and gazebos, tell of the former manor culture. The manor's name – Echo or Eko – comes from the Swedish word for “echo”. The manor yard indeed has exceptional acoustic conditions, and speech can be heard clearly in surprisingly distant places. The Tainionvirta river connects Lake Jääsjärvi to Lake Päijänne and, through it, to the Gulf of Finland. The Tainionvirta has several rapids, the first of which is Ekonkoski. The Tainionvirta is Finland's southernmost trout river, and from the Arch Bridge spanning Ekonkoski, you can often see well-fed salmonids resting upstream in the river. Along the nature trail, regardless of the season, you can hear a concert of birds. Many waterfowl also arrive early in spring to the Ekonkoski landscapes. During migration season, the riverside is an interesting spot for observing migratory birds. Otters in the Tainionvirta move in the river even in summer, but they are most easily seen in winter when they climb onto the ice. Look out for round-backed stones that suddenly start moving! Otter tracks can be seen right at the edge of the ice, from where they disappear into open water – the otter has dived to fish. Hartola's Kuninkaanpolku is a trail system consisting of four sections, forming a unified yet diverse whole.