Animals at the farm
Haltiala cows are let outdoors all year round. Cows can be seen in a pen behind the sheep barn in the winter and in the pasture in the summer. The Haltiala farm also has sheep, goats and hens. During the winter and spring, the sheep and hens are kept indoors. Goats go out all year round when the weather permits, except for the coldest time in the winter. Weather conditions determine the length of the grazing season and the outdoor activities of the animals.
Eastern Finncattle cows, representing a cattle breed of Finnish origin, have joined Haltiala’s herd of cows. The small and agile Finncattle cows are particularly well suited for assisting in the management of Haltiala’s extensive landscape areas. You can also find Varpu, Viivi, Virma and Valdemiina in the pen behind the sheep barn in wintertime. Cows like to go outdoors even in cold weather. They have free access to the yard all the time. From time to time, pigs also come to stay at Haltiala, which are borrowed from their home farms.
Opening hours
The Haltiala area is part of the Central Park outdoor recreation area. The farm area is open all year round from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. There is no entrance fee to the area.
You can visit inside the sheep barn from around Independence Day (December 6) to Epiphany, as well as in the spring after the lambs are born, from April to May. More detailed opening hours will be announced separately.
Dogs are allowed in the yard area when on a leash. Dogs are not allowed in animal pastures, outdoor pens and other forage areas.
For fire safety reasons, we may limit the number of visitors in the indoor areas of the sheep barn when necessary.
The staff will be happy to answer any questions about the animals or the operation of the farm, for example.
Sheep barn opening hours in spring 2025
Sheep barn is open from April 1st to May 4th, 2025, as follows:
• Tuesday and Thursday, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
• Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Please note that there might be a queue to enter sheep barn!
Services on the farm
General rules
- Only the animal keepers are allowed to enter the animal pens and outdoor pens.
- Feeding the animals is forbidden. The animals are fed according to their specific needs to ensure their well-being.
- Please behave calmly around the animals and avoid unnecessary noise.
- The yard and barbecue area must be empty from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. The area and animal facilities have recording camera surveillance and guarding.
Wanha Pehtoori
Restaurant Wanha Pehtoori serves visitors at Haltiala farm. There is a toilet in the restaurant. You can find information about events held at the restaurant on Wanha Pehtoori’s website. The farm is used as a venue for a number of events, including a popular annual Christmas event.
Wanha Pehtoori (wanhapehtoori.org, in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)
Wanha Pehtoori on a map(Link leads to external service)
Barbecue on Haltiala farm
There is a barbecue on Haltiala farm. The barbecue area is available between 7 am and 8 pm. The user must bring their own wood or charcoal. The barbecue cannot be reserved. Making a fire outside the designated places is forbidden.
Toilets
There is an accessible portable toilet in the yard of the farm.
Picking flowers and peas
Peas and flowers are sown in the fields near Haltiala farm, and visitors can pick them free of charge in July and August. The exact locations are marked on the farm’s information boards. The exact picking time varies depending on the ripening of the peas and the flowering of the flowers. The number of peas and flowers per visitor is limited to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy them.
The farmyard is covered with gravel. In the summer, all the animals are in pasture. Some of the pastures are located along the road, which is accessible, for example, with a wheelchair. Some of the pastures are along the river and are not accessible. The sheep barn is not accessible. There is an accessible toilet in the yard (portable dry toilet).
Services on and near the farm
There is a lot to see and experience near the Haltiala farm. Get to know the nature and recreation opportunities in the nearby area.
There are several hiking trails in the Haltiala area. The Haltiala route starts from the yard of the farm.
Haltialan route (4,6 km)
You can follow the Haltiala route and the checkpoints along the route via phone positioning. The route is not marked on the terrain.
Korpipolku, nature trail (1,2 km)
Korpipolku runs through the heart of the Haltiala forest from the edge of the primeval forest area to Kuninkaantammentie. Information boards along the way describe forest nature and its restoration. The Korpipolku trail is marked on the terrain by blue diamond-shaped symbols. Part of the route runs along duckboards.
Siimespolku, marked route (2,4 km)
Siimespolku is a marked ring trail in the Haltiala nature reserve. The ring trail is fairly easy. The one-way connecting route, marked with a dotted line on the map, runs partly on top of the rock and is more difficult.
Trails in the Haltiala primeval forest
Moving through the Haltiala primeval forest is only allowed on the trails and duckboards. There are a few information boards in the primeval forest.
Experience the nature of Haltiala from the deep forest to the flowing river.
Species observations in Haltiala
The iNaturalist application allows you to easily record your species observations on your phone. The artificial intelligence and other application users can help you to identify the species. The confirmed observations are recorded at the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF), where they serve researchers, authorities and nature enthusiasts.
Species observations in Haltiala (iNaturalist.laji.fi, in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)
Species observations in Haltiala(Link leads to external service)
Getting around and accessibility in the nature area
You can move on the wide hiking trails of the Haltiala area by bicycle and pram. Kuninkaantammentie is a wide and easy route from Pitkäkoski lodge to Haltiala farm. In winter, the hiking trails serve as ski trails that can be found on the Paloheinä webpage.
- Siimespolku in Haltiala forest is an easy gravel route. The cliff area on the route can be bypassed by joining the ring trail on the southern side of Haltiala forest.
- Haltiala nature trail, Korpipolku, runs along the duckboards part of the way. The trails in the primeval forest of Haltiala are partly covered with duckboards. In the primeval forest, it is forbidden to move outside the marked trails.
- Cycling is forbidden in the nature reserves along the river Vantaanjoki (Pitkäkoski herb-rich forests, Vantaanjoki riverbank and Ruutinkoski herb-rich forest). The area has narrow paths and stairs.
- Trail routes in the forest are not maintained in the winter, and there is no lighting.
General rules
In all outdoor areas, observe Everyman’s Rights and rules and move responsibly in nature:
Niskala arboretum
Niskala arboretum is a historically and scientifically valuable attraction and educational site with exotic tree species. The arboretum has its own guided tour, a tree species library, a special tree path and picnic tables. Niskala arboretum was granted nature reserve status in 1983. Niskala arboretum is located about one kilometre from Haltiala farm.
Niskala arboretum (vihreatsylit.fi/en)(Link leads to external service)
Fishing
The river Vantaanjoki, which flows in the Haltiala area, is a popular water for fishing. Moving along the riverside nature reserves (Pitkäkoski herb-rich forests, Vantaanjoki riverbank and Ruutinkoski) is only allowed along the designated routes. The fishing rights included in the fisheries management fee do not cover rapids and currents in waters with migratory fish stocks. Angling and ice fishing are always prohibited on rapids and currents.
Ruutinkoski: Fishing on the shore is allowed in the designated places. Pitkäkoski: Fishing is prohibited in the Pitkäkoski nature reserve that is owned by Helsinki.
Fishing areas and restrictions in Helsinki on the map(Link leads to external service)
Haltiala farm on the map
Photos of the Haltiala farm
