Tourujoen luontopolku

Due to the steep banks of the river and the erosion-prone, wet, and silty soil, substantial bridge and stair structures had to be built in the area. In 2009, a section of the riverbank collapsed in the middle of the nature trail, and the slope was reinforced with boulders and cover soil.

The vegetation of the river valley grove and swamp grove is exceptional for the city and partly for the region. The rare touch-me-not balsam, which is uncommon elsewhere in the city, grows lushly along the trail. In early summer, you can often hear the nightingale singing on the trail, and the flute-like sounds of the blackcap echo in the forest. In winter, a few dippers enjoy the Tourujoki River, and woodpeckers can be heard in the forest. Owls are also winter visitors and are occasionally seen. At least the Ural owl, the boreal owl, the Eurasian pygmy owl, and the eagle owl have visited Tourujoki. If you spot an owl resting during the day, please leave it undisturbed and do not approach it unnecessarily.

The starting point of the trail is just over half a kilometer north of the city center as the crow flies. The information board for the trail and the protected area is located by the river, roughly at the southern end of the old cemetery. The end of the trail and a smaller information board are on Kankaankatu, north of the cemetery. There are nine checkpoint boards along the route.

The Tourujoki nature trail was renamed Heikki's Trail in June 2016 in honor of Heikki Sihvonen, who served as Jyväskylä's environmental protection planner for 35 years before retiring.

The principle of litter-free hiking is followed on Jyväskylä's nature trails. Please take your trash with you to sort at home. Walking dogs is completely prohibited in the Tourujoki nature reserve. The nature trail is not maintained in winter, but there are usually enough visitors to keep the trail passable. Be careful on the stairs and boardwalks of the nature trail, especially in slippery conditions!