Shore of the lake as the spring ice lets go at Neituri Manor in Konnevesi, Finland

Spring · April–early June

What happens when the ice lets go?

Spring at Neituri runs from April to early June. The lake ice breaks up in a matter of days, migratory birds return to the bay, and daylight stretches by several minutes each day. It is the season of first swims, first terrace dinners and a forest turning green almost visibly.

What are the days like?

Days are cool, bright and steadily lengthening as April moves into May. Walks along the shore trace the ice as it retreats a little further each morning, and coffee is taken on the terrace as soon as the sun has warmth in it. Evenings gather around the sauna, and most parties take the year's first proper swim before the ice has fully cleared the bay. There is no fixed programme; the pace follows the melt and the light.

What is on the table?

Spring menus lean on early fish from the lake and the first herbs to appear in the garden. Dishes are light and clean, with smoking and curing used where tradition calls for it rather than as decoration. The chef adjusts the week's menus as the season's produce actually arrives, so no two spring stays eat quite the same meals. Meals are taken indoors or on the terrace depending on the day's warmth.

Spring bay of the lake seen through the pines on the Neituri estate
First terrace coffee and a book on a bright spring morning at Neituri Manor
Long spring light over the lake, lengthening days at this lakeside retreat in Finland

Tell us who is coming, and when.

Neituri is let to one party at a time, so every stay begins with a conversation rather than a booking engine. Send your dates and party size and you will hear back within one working day.

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