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Tourism Oulu & Oulu Guide

One of largest northerly cities in the world, Oulu has grown from an ancient trading centre to a modern city, packed with museums and galleries, and host to numerous cultural and music festivals every year. These include the Oulu Music Video Festival, the International Children’s Film Festival and the Musixine Music Film competition, the rock festival Qstock, Jalometalli Metal Music Festival and Jalometalli Winterfest, the Festival of Irish Music, the Oulu Music Festival in winter, the Oulunsalo Music Festival in summer. It is also famed for hosting the Air Guitar World Championships!

Founded in 1605 by King Carl IX in the Bay of Bothnia at the mouth of the Oulujoki River, and facing the castle built on the island of Linnansaari, Oulu has developed from being an ancient trading centre to a modern city with a world-wide reputation for hi-tech competencies. With a population of 130,000, Oulu is Finland’s 6th largest city.

Tourist attractions Oulu

It is also the cultural capital of Northern Finland, with many artists, writers, and musicians living in the city, including the ‘shouting choir’ of Mieskuoro Huutajat, otherwise known as The Screaming Men. Every year Oulu hosts a large number of festivals and concerts, with almost every genre covered, from rock to jazz, classical to folk, even holding a Festival of Irish music in the summer. It is home to the Oulu Music Video Festival, the Musixine Music Film Competition, the Air Guitar World Championships, the rock festival Qstock, the Oulu Music Festival of winter, the Oulunsalo Music Festival in the summer, and the International Children’s Film Festival in November.

There are numerous museums in the city, including the impressive Tiedekeskus Tietomaa, Finland’s first Science Centre which has themed exhibitions throughout the year, which houses a giant movie theatre, the Sirius science store, the Saturnus café-restaurant, and the observation tower, accessible by a glass elevator. If you are interested in the history of the region then a visit to the North Ostrobothnia Museum will pass many an hour. View a miniature of the city as it was in 1938 or enjoy the ethnological collection of Lappish items, collected by the ethnologist Samuli Paulaharju. Near the city the Turkansaari Open-Air Museum has over 40 museum buildings, including a church built in 1694 and the old country manor house of Ylikärppä, completed in 1894.

60 km to the north, on the shores of Iijoki, is the Kierikki Stone Age Centre and the Stone Age village. Finland’s largest prehistoric and cultural history centre’s permanent exhibition showcases discovered objects and the history of the region, and gives an insight into how people used to live during the stone age.

The Bay of Bothnia’s largest island, Hailuoto, is located around 50 kilometres from Oulu, the ferry trip taking about 25 minutes. Hailuoto is a very popular recreational spot due to the island’s intrinsic beauty – it is one of Finland’s National Landscapes – with around 600 summer cottages, and a permanent population of 1,000 people. There is a traditional fishing village, wind mills, the lighthouse of Marjaniemi, and magnificent sandy beaches.

Tourist Attractions in Oulu

Accommodation & hotels in oulu, restaurants, cafés & nightlife in oulu, activities & sports in oulu, shopping in oulu, travel & transportation in oulu.

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Credits: Olli Vainio

Oulu plays host to international meetings with a northern twist.

Welcome to oulu.

As the biggest commercial, logistics and cultural hub in the region, Oulu is often called the Capital of Northern Scandinavia. It’s a vibrant city that holds over 700 events annually, including one-of-a-kind experiences such as the World Air Guitar Championships, Polar Bear Pitching, The Irish Festival of Oulu and Qstock music festival.

Where in Finland?

Population:  210 000 Flight connections:  Easily accessible with frequent one-hour flights to and from Helsinki

Distance from Helsinki: – Plane 1 hour – Train 6–7 hours – Car 600 kilometers, 7 hours

Oulu Convention Bureau Hallituskatu 36 A, 2nd floor 90100 Oulu [email protected]

Northern lights and bright summer nights

Oulu seasons are distinct, ranging from the midnight sun of summer to polar nights accented by the Northern Lights in winter. The city’s seaside setting and four rivers lend Oulu a calm, aquatic vibe, and the nearby countryside and wilderness beyond provide a variety of possibilities for pre- and post-conference tours.

Cutting edge expertise and education

Oulu was named one of the top 13 growing global ”brain belts”, which attract some of the smartest people to work on cutting-edge technology. Oulu has been designated the world’s smartest city twice and conducts leading research in key ICT-based industries like health technology, printed intelligence, and cleantech. Oulu is also the home of 5G and the Internet of Things – there’s even a revolutionary 5G hospital scheduled for build in the city. Oulu’s success depends on its strong emphasis on enterprise and education – some 25,000 students attend the city’s two universities, and over one-third of Oulu’s inhabitants hold a university degree.

A memorable meetings city

Oulu seamlessly combines green initiatives with northern hospitality and modern technology. Located at the junction of major traffic routes, Oulu is easily accessible by plane and train. Public transportation runs smoothly, and the city centre is compact and walkable. With a variety of innovative meeting venues and plenty of accommodation options, Oulu offers a relaxed atmosphere for networking and doing business.

Explore Oulu

Plan your trip to oulu: best of oulu tourism.

Essential Oulu

Oulu Is Great For

Eat & drink.

Art & history

The great outdoors

• De Gamlas Hem Hotel & Restaurant
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Oulu
• Lapland Hotels Oulu
• Scandic Oulu City
• Original Sokos Hotel Arina
• Ravintola Uleaborg 1881
• Ravintola Hella
• Ravintola Sauraha
• Ristorante Pizzeria Da Mario
• Sokeri-Jussin Kievari
• Ainolan Puisto
• Nallikari Beach
• Toripolliisi
• Kauppahalli
• Snowshoeing in Hietasaari, Oulu, Finland
• Ice fishing trip in Nallikari, Oulu, Finland
• Oulu Private Transfer from Oulu city centre to Oulu airport
• Guided Walking Tour in Oulu with Sausage Roasting
• Small-Group Guided Walking Tour of Oulu City Center

Surpri­sing sights, refres­hing natu­ral des­ti­na­tions, delicious food, exhi­la­ra­ting expe­riences, and a good night’s sleep under­neath a bright, star­ry sky, if you feel like it – what more could you ask for on a holi­day? That’s right. And the des­ti­na­tion is all rea­dy and wai­ting, too: the Oulu region is at your fin­ger­tips.

The Oulu region fasci­na­tes with its varie­ty. You can easi­ly take a trip from the urban city set­ting to the sout­hern­most fell area in Fin­land or a geo­lo­gical­ly rare natu­re des­ti­na­tion sha­ped by the Ice Age. Cul­tu­re, food, music, and other thrills await you throug­hout the region that extends from ski slo­pes to the coast and the arc­hi­pe­la­go bey­ond. Wrap all this up with accom­mo­da­tion at a city hotel, a natu­re des­ti­na­tion, or a vil­la with a view, and a won­der­ful holi­day is gua­ran­teed!

The­re are also plen­ty of inte­res­ting events to catch almost any day of the year, no mat­ter if you fancy sports, cul­tu­re, his­to­ry, or music fes­ti­vals. Tra­vel­ling in Oulu can also be irre­sis­tibly res­pon­sible.

Disco­ver the brigh­test stars of Oulu

Memo­rable moments, places, and people

The eight unique loca­tions in the Oulu region offer you unfor­get­table moments around the year – through four chan­ging, genui­ne sea­sons! You can disco­ver the enti­re region and its selec­tion of delec­table expe­riences through Visi­tOu­lu.

Poh­jo­la Rou­te is pac­ked with easi­ly acces­sible treats!

As easy as a holi­day can get: the Poh­jo­la Rou­te offers eve­ryt­hing from des­ti­na­tions to res­tau­rants and accom­mo­da­tion to acti­vi­ties. The invi­ting expe­riences of the Oulu region and its roads allow tra­vel­lers to choo­se the rou­te of their pre­fe­rence – this applies to moto­rists, fami­lies, natu­re ent­husiasts as well as tho­se favou­ring public trans­port. You can tra­vel the full length of the Poh­jo­la Rou­te or just parts of it, for get­ting in touch with beau­ti­ful natu­re and a mul­ti­tu­de of things to see.

Succeed with OCB

Oulu Con­ven­tion Bureau (OCB) is the official con­fe­rence office of the city of Oulu. They are a free-of-char­ge, inde­pen­dent expert rea­dy to help you arran­ge a success­ful event. The event orga­ni­ser is res­pon­sible for the actual arran­ge­ments, but Oulu Con­ven­tion Bureau pro­vi­des assis­tance with their ser­vices, compre­hen­si­ve know­led­ge of Oulu as a con­fe­rence, congress and event des­ti­na­tion, and the con­nec­tions of a network of ser­vice pro­vi­ders and the city orga­ni­sa­tion. 

An abso­lu­te must for a res­pon­sible tra­vel­ler in Oulu is to ride around by bike. After all, Oulu is a world-famous cycling city – even entit­led the win­ter cycling capi­tal of the world by some. So, act like a local and ride a bike, even a ren­tal one.

City of Oulu, Finland Public service point of the City of Oulu:

Telephone: 08 558 558 00

The oulu.com website is managed by BusinessOulu, a public utility of the City of Oulu.

• 1.1 Tourist information
• 1.2.1 Early history
• 1.2.2 From the Middle Ages to the 16th century
• 1.2.3 The founding of the city and the 18th century
• 1.2.4 The 19th and the 20th century
• 1.2.5 Recent history and modern day
• 2.1 By plane
• 2.2 By train
• 2.4 By boat
• 3.1 By foot
• 3.2 By scooter
• 3.3.1 Zones
• 3.3.2 Prices
• 3.4 By hop-on-hop-off bus
• 3.5 By bike
• 3.6 By train
• 3.7 By taxi
• 3.8 By dial-a-ride
• 5.1 Public swimming pools
• 5.2 Indoor activities
• 5.3 Annual events
• 7.2 Mid-range
• 7.3 Splurge
• 9.2 Mid-range
• 9.3 Splurge
• 10.1 Medical help

Oulu ( Swedish : Uleåborg ) is the biggest city in Northern Finland , with about 210,000 inhabitants (in 2021). The adjacent town of Kempele is also handled in this article.

Understand [ edit ]

Oulu is the capital of the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. It is the fifth largest municipality in Finland by population and the largest and most important in Northern Finland. As a result of two consolidations of neighbouring municipalities, first Ylikiiminki in 2009, and then Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo and Yli-Ii in 2013, its land area is over 3,000 km² (five to ten times the size of other similar sized cities in Finland). As urban area it comes fourth, after the capital region, Tampere and Turku.

Historically Oulu has been known for its salmon and wood tar and production. Today it is however more known for its high-tech focus, with free wireless Internet access, Panoulu , in the city centre. A lot of Finnish IT companies, including Nokia, have offices in Oulu or nearby areas. In 1988 Jarkko Oikarinen wrote the first IRC server and client here. Oulu is also home to Oulun Kärpät, a successful hockey team playing in the top Finnish league, Liiga.

Oulu will hold the title of European Capital of Culture in 2026.

Tourist information [ edit ]

• 65.010637 25.481367 1 Oulu Tourist Information , Hallituskatu 36 B ( right next to the railway station ), ☏ +358 8 558 41330 , [email protected] . M–Th 09:00–17:00, F 09:00–16:00 . Can help visitors to Oulu city and the wider region. ( updated May 2001 )

History [ edit ]

Early history [ edit ].

The history of the Oulu area of course reaches all the way to the end of the Stone Age. During the Stone Age, the location of the current city was still underwater, but around 1800 BCE (when the stone age ended), the coastline had risen inside the current city borders. The Oulu river has been an important trade river since the Stone Age since it offered connections to the east and the west, as well as the south by the sea. During the Iron Age, the population in the Oulu area most likely lessened a bit, although the Sami population persisted through the Iron Age. During the Iron Age, the southern Finnish peoples such as the Finns Proper and the Tavastians made hunting, trade and taxation travels to the north.

In the 12th century, Oulu became an important spot for trade and hunting trips by the Karelians, including the people from the flourishing population centres of the shores of the Lake Ladoga.

From the Middle Ages to the 16th century [ edit ]

It is commonly interpreted that the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323 placed Oulu inside the Republic of Novgorod, but according to some historians, Ostrobothnia was shared as a collaborative area between the two nations, Sweden and Novgorod. Although, in the year 1345 Sweden attached the regions all the way to Kemi as a part of Turku Diocese. The possession of the area became controversial, and during the next centuries the Novgorodians and later on Russians made raids to Ostrobothnia all the way to Oulu. The first armaments of the Oulu Castle were made in 1375. The fortification was known in Swedish as "Uleåborg", "Ule River Castle". After the founding of the castle, the city started to slowly evolve close to the castle, which was colloquially known as "Uleåstad", "Ule River Town".

Oulu, Kemi , Tornio and Ii were given the right to serve as trading centres by the Swedish King Gustav I of Sweden in 1531.

During the Russo-Swedish war of 1590–1595, the fortification was turned into a small castle. In the Treaty of Teusina (1595), Russia acknowledged the Oulu area as a part of the Kingdom of Sweden.

The founding of the city and the 18th century [ edit ]

Oulu is the oldest city in Northern Finland. It was founded with the same Swedish name of Uleåborg in 1605 by the King Karl IX at the mouth of Oulujoki river, on the opposite bank of Oulu Castle. In the beginning there were around 400 residents in the city. The city got its full city rights in 1610, and during the 17th century even some small-scale industry was born in town since the only rifle manufacturing plant in Finland was in Oulu. The first pedagogium in the city was founded in 1611 and in 1682 it was transformed into a trivial school.

The Oulu Castle was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1793 and never rebuilt.

The 19th and the 20th century [ edit ]

During its history, the city has suffered 8 Great Fires, and in 1822 the city was severely damaged in one, and during its reconstruction, the city centre got the look it still has today.

In the 19th century the trivial school was transformed into an upper comprehensive school and a gymnasium school was attached to it. In 1872 the first Oulu private lyceum was opened and it was transformed into the Oulu Lyceum in 1883.

The city was greatly affected by wars, and Oulu was a battlefield for the Whites and the Reds in the short civil war. The Winter War was seen in the city when the Germans built different training, maintenance and cadre centres in Oulu. In the Continuation war, Oulu was bombed heavily and some trace from the bombings is still seen in some of the older buildings in the city centre.

The 20th century brought industrialisation to the city and the borders became too tight for all population and the city borders were expanded by adding some smaller neighbouring municipalities to the city.

The University of Oulu was founded in 1959, although Oulu had been proposed as a university town since 1917. The new university got a great reception since it was the first one in Northern Finland and the people didn't have to go all the way to Southern Finland in order to get academic education.

Recent history and modern day [ edit ]

Nowadays Oulu is known especially as a technology city and the economical engine of Northern Finland. Technopolis, founded in 1982, was the first so-called technology village of the Nordic countries.

The latest expansions of the city alongside with the population growth of the city proper have made Oulu the 5th biggest city and 4th biggest urban area in Finland. It is by far the biggest city in the northern part of the Nordic countries.

Modern Oulu is known all over Finland with the nickname "Paska kaupunni" ("Shitty City") due to a graffiti made at some point in the 1980s to a wall in the address Uusikatu 22. The urban tradition of drawing the graffiti again and again has persisted to this day.

Other nowadays known things related to the city are the Toripolliisi statue (1987), the Oulu Market Hall (1901), the Marketplace granaries, the hockey team Oulun Kärpät, Tietomaa Science Centre, the annual Air Guitar World Championships, the Starboy tradition, the Oulu dialect and Rössypottu.

Oulu is also one of Finland's "cycling capitals" with over 20% of residents cycling daily – the cold weather notwithstanding. In fact, due to the prioritizing of clearing snow from the main bicycle network, even at temperatures below -20°C you will see many people out and about on their bikes.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ].

Transport: Bus routes 8 (to Teknologiakylä) and 9 (to Heikinharju) run between the airport and central Oulu, taking 30 min. The bus stop is to the right as you exit the terminal. There are usually two buses an hour M-Sa 06:25-21:00, otherwise hourly to 01:20.

The airport is in Fare Zone B, and the centre is Zone A, so you need a ticket for Zone AB. Adult fare is €5.80 (cash to the driver or use the transport app) but double after 23:00 - see "Get around" below for practicalities. The ticket is valid for transfers for 60 min. However the airport hotel and the southern municipality of Kempele are in Zone B, so tell the driver then you only pay for that Zone.

The main city stop for the lines 8 and 9 is Kaupungintalo . The bus doesn't stop on the Pekuri stop in the city centre at all. The university is on bus route 8, else change downtown to buses 1 (Jylkynkangas), 2 (Ritaharju), 3 (Aaltokangas), 5 (Kaijonharju), 18 (Kaijonharju) or 23 (Haukipudas-Ii): tell the driver "Yliopistolle" ( ILL-yo-piss-toll-e ) meaning "to the university". You can also take the bus 48 or 52 from other bus stops.

Taxis might cost €35; Otaxi is the main airport operator.

Car rental: all the main car rental firms are found at the airport. Book in advance as they have small fleets here, and their kiosks may have limited staffed hours.

By train [ edit ]

Oulu is on the main railway line between Helsinki and the far north of Finland. Day trains by VR run from Helsinki to Oulu every hour or two via Tampere, taking 6 hours; they continue north to Kemi and either Rovaniemi (all year) or Tornio and Kolari (some trains in season). There are also sleepers (which take cars) on the Helsinki-Oulu-far north route. See Finland#Get around: By train for ticket deals and general advice. The cost from Helsinki can be as low as €27 (less than €20 for students with a VR-approved student card) if bought well in advance.

By bus [ edit ]

Trip duration from Helsinki varies between 8 and 15 hours and costs around €25-50, but using the cheaper Onnibus, you can get trip with a price as low as €15. Direct bus connections are available also from Turku , Jyväskylä , Lahti , Kuopio , Pori , Joensuu , Vaasa and Rovaniemi . Coming via Tallinn or Stockholm , there may be coach connections from the port with arranged transfer, mostly via Kamppi.

From Sweden it is possible to travel to Oulu by changing bus in Haparanda , probably needing a walk to Tornio central bus stop from where you can continue to Oulu. If you arrive from Northern Norway , you need usually to transfer at Rovaniemi, at summertime a direct bus route between Tromsø and Oulu of Eskelisen Lapin Linjat may operate. Timetable and information from Matkahuolto and Onnibus [dead link] .

The bus station is right next to the railway station, but on the other side of the tracks.

By boat [ edit ]

There is no ferry, but for arriving with your own boat, Oulu has four marinas dotted around the estuary of the Oulujoki river. The main one is right next to the marketplace.

By car [ edit ]

Oulu is on Finnish National Road 4 , which runs the length of the country from Helsinki via Jyväskylä to Oulu, continuing north to Kemi, Rovaniemi and Utsjoki on the border with Norway. The highway is part of E75 between Northern Norway and Athens.

Route E8 runs along the coast from Turku through Rauma, Pori, Vaasa and Kokkola to Oulu, continuing north as E75 to Kemi then as E8 to Kolari and eventually Tromsø.

City parking: Kivisydän underground car park stretches the length of the centre. There are two entrances: Hallituskatu 1, a block north of the market place off Rantakatu, search map for "Kivisydän Torin Ramppi". Hallituskatu 20 is at the junction of Hallituskatu and Uusikatu, search for "Kivisydän Uusikadun Ramppi."

Park & ride: use the free parking lot of Prisma Limingantulli (Nuottasaarentie 1) and take Citybus line C to the city centre. It runs every 30 minutes and costs €1.50 each way, cash and mobile ticket only. You can check the timetables [dead link] on the web. The Citybus stop is on the northern side of the hypermarket.

When coming from the north, you can also park at Ideapark Oulu mall (Ritaharjuntie 49) and take Bus 3 to the centre, though this is unlikely to save you any money (unless you travel alone) since you will have to pay the normal bus fare.

Get around [ edit ]

By foot [ edit ]

For being the fifth largest city in Finland the city centre is small compared to, say, Tampere or Turku. The whole of the city centre is easily walkable, and the walking conditions are good. There are usually free walking route maps distributed at the Tourist Information.

By scooter [ edit ]

Swedish Voi , German Tier and American Bird and Lime have electric kick scooters for rent, to use in the centre. Tier has also electric bicycles.

The public transportation is operated by Oulun joukkoliikenne (Oulu PTA) [dead link] . Single ticket ( kertalippu ) within about 10 km from the city centre costs €3.30 (€1.70 for children ages 7-16). Between 23:00–04:30 a single ticket costs €6.60, but night services are limited. The bus drivers usually understand some English, but best plan your trip beforehand. To plan your route in the city, use Google Maps' public transport features. It gives you the most convenient route to where you want to go, including walks to/from bus stops, which bus lines to use and where to switch buses. You can also use Oulu's own journey planner, Oulun liikenne , but it's not as good. Few third-party phone apps like Nysse do the job better. The buses have trackers which let the customers see where the bus is on a map and how long you have to wait for it. There are screens on bus stops that use this technology, but the previously mentioned Nysse also takes advantage of this feature (granted you have an internet connection, of course).

You can use the app Oulu Public Transport by iQ Payments or Waltti Mobile by LMJ to purchase the ticket. After purchasing the ticket from the app, show it to the driver and you're good to go. You cannot buy tickets in advance with the app, so you must buy it right before you need it.

There are day tickets available, you can buy them from the tourist information or Oulu10. You can also buy a day ticket for one day from the Waltti Mobile app or 1, 2 or 7 day tickets for zone a from Nallikari Holiday Village.

Using the bus is simple. If you pay with cash, you just tell your destination to the driver (and if you're young, you should tell if you're under 16 or not; the bus drivers will almost automatically take you as an adult).

If you pay with a Waltti-card (more info in the section With Waltti Travel Card ), you just press the card against the reader (a machine with a blue ring on it). If you want to load more money (or "value" ) on the card, you just give the driver the money and ask to load the card with it ( "lataa arvoa" ). The loading of value in the buses costs €2 whereas you can load it freely in select R-Kiosks or ticket machines in, for example, Oulu10 (Torikatu 10, but temporarily located in Saaristonkatu 8), Shopping centre Valkea, OYS (the University Hospital), the University and the Airport.

You can also use NFC payment with Visa, Mastercard or Eurocard (Diners Club and American Express do not work) or a mobile device with Apple Pay, Pivo or Google Pay: the payment card or mobile device is displayed to the reader device, which then says "Lähimaksu hyväksytty" ("Proximity payment accepted"). The system calculates the fare combining all trips paid with the card/device: a new single ticket fee will not be charged until the 90-minute changeover period has ended, and a day ticket will be substituted when those are relevant.

Most buses display the information on the upcoming stops, as of May 2021, but it is still good to have a downloaded map with your current location on your phone. The displays are slow, so check the name of the previous stop to yours and press the stop button after that.

Taking a bike to the bus costs €2/trip, and if the bus is full, you might have to wait for the next one. You can take your bike on some taller long-distance buses (e.g. to Tyrnävä) which have narrow hallways, elevated floors and single middle doors (as opposed to doubles), too, but you need to ask the driver to put the bike in the luggage container of the bus. Taking a folding bike on the bus is free (if the bike is folded, that is) but some bus drivers don't know that (since folding bikes quite rare).

The validity of single and value tickets is 60 minutes when travelling in one zone or two zones, and 80 minutes in three or more zones. You can transfer from one vehicle to another within the validity of your ticket. A-City ticket is valid only in citybus. The validity of A-City ticket is 30 minutes.

The bus stops are named so that the name of the stop is followed by either an E or a P . The letters stand for E telä (South) and P ohjoinen (North), implicating the direction of the buses passing through the stop.

Be careful when using the bus in the city centre, since not all buses stop in all bus stops. When using the stops Pekuri and Kaupungintalo , remember that the lines 1-17 stop at Kaupungintalo, whereas lines 20-57 stop at Pekuri. City bus lines (A, B, C) stop at Kaupungintalo E. If unsure, check if the number of the line is found on the sign on top of the bus stop.

Some bus lines include:

A longer, but more interesting line to Kempele than 50. You see more of new, wooden residential buildings as well as brick ones. Also passes through Kaakkuri shopping hub and Metsokangas, similarly to number 2.

Zones [ edit ]

Public transport system Oulun joukkoliikenne is divided into zones from A to D that radiate from the centre. The urban area within about 10-km radius from the city centre is zone A and the regions further from that are B, C and D. Nearly all the hotels, University of Oulu and the main sights are in zone A. The airport, Kempele and Haukipudas are in zone B, Ii, Muhos, and Liminka are on zone C. Only Yli-Ii and Hailuoto are in zone D. The number of zones you travel through during your trip will determine your fare. A detailed map of the zones is found here (PDF) [dead link] .

Some places of interest in each zone:

Zone A: The whole city centre, Nallikari and Hietasaari, University of Oulu, OYS, Limingantulli, Oulu Music Center, Oulu Car Museum, Kaakkuri, Ruskotunturi, Ideapark Oulu, Pateniemi Sawmill Museum, Meritoppila DiscGolfPark, Oulu Climbing Centre

Zone B: Oulunsalo and Oulu Airport , Turkansaari Outdoor Museum, Kempele and the shopping centre Zeppelin, Haukipudas, Kiiminki and Koitelinkoski Rapids

Zone C: Ii , Ylikiiminki, Muhos, Tyrnävä, Liminka and Liminganlahti Bay, Lumijoki

Zone D: Yli-Ii, Hailuoto (kind of)

Prices [ edit ]

Single Tickets

With Waltti Travel Card

You can also get a Waltti bus card (recommended if you visit Oulu often) from Oulu10 which reduces the prices a bit. The card costs €3 and you can load money to it either online or in buses, select R-Kiosks and Oulu10. You can load any amount you want in Oulu10, previously mentioned ticket machines (or select R-Kiosks, but in the buses, you have to round the price you want to the closest €10 (although sometimes the drivers accept €5's, too). As mentioned before, loading money in buses costs €2.

24-hour ticket

You can purchase a 24-hour ticket from the app Oulu Public Transport (by iQ Payments) or, more newly, Waltti Mobile by LMJ. You can also buy it from Oulu10 and Oulu tourist information, and some options are available in the Nallikari Holiday Village. When you buy a ticket that is valid for more zones, you can still use it to travel between less zones (i.e. when you buy an AB ticket, you can also use it in A or A-City).

By hop-on-hop-off bus [ edit ]

To get a good look around Oulu, with English commentary, try Potnapekka [dead link] (in Finnish). Half train, half bus, it operates during summer months (June to August) on two routes, via Nallikari or Hupisaaret, through roads for light traffic. Both routes leave from the city hall (at the centre of Oulu) and the journey lasts about one hour. You can hop off and in on the way.

The bus starts from the city hall, and there is a ticket booth where you can buy tickets and get free route maps there. Single tickets cost €8/adult and €4/child from 5 to 14. Children under 5 travel for free. Family ticket is €20. Day tickets cost €15/adult and €8/child from 5 to 14. Family ticket is €50.

• Potnapekka Nallikari: City Hall–Pikisaari–Nallikari–Market Square–City Hall
• Potnapekka Oulujoki: City Hall–Hupisaaret–Värttö–Peltola–Myllytulli–City Hall

By bike [ edit ]

This "Amsterdam of Finland" is well renowned for its good bicycle routes, which get you around the city easily and safely even through the cold winter. To rent a bicycle, try Pyörä-Suvala, Lekatie 27. If you're staying at Nallikari Camping, Leiritie 10, they also have bikes to rent for visitors, costing €12/day. Bike paths are cleared of snow in the winter and you usually won't have to have studded tires because the ground is rarely icy or slippery.

When biking, be sure to use the special bike lanes (usually marked with red). You can take the bike through the shopping centre Valkea, but you have to walk the bike. Take care when cycling through Rotuaari pedestrian street, you're required to give way to pedestrians when cycling. There are even experiments with projecting the bike lane signs directly onto the surface — very helpful in winter — but as of early 2021 it's only a trial in one location.

Oulu also has had an extensive bikesharing system, which opened in August 2019. It had 60 stations with 10 bikes each, and the cost was €5/day, €10/week and €20/season. After paying the fee, you were able to bike around for free for 30 minutes, after which it cost €1/hour. The hourly fee could be avoided by returning the bike in 30 minutes to the station and taking a new one immediately. You needed a debit or credit card in order to rent the bikes.

The system was taken down, at least for now, because there were problems with the operator. They're planning on bringing the bikes back, but it is unsure when it will happen. More information in the webpage [dead link] .

You're unlikely to use the train within the city area. However you can ride between Kempele and Oulu on the long distance VR Helsinki-Oulu-Kemi trains, and between Oulu and Muhos on the trains to Kuopio, fares for both routes about €5.

In the summer there are some steam-hauled trains between Kempele, Oulu and Haukipudas, mainly used as an attraction.

By taxi [ edit ]

• Menevä Oulu , ☏ +358 50-471-0470 (head of office) , toll-free: 0800-02120 (booking) . Also bookable by app or web. Fixed price based on calculated route and time if destination address given when booking by app or web. Flag fall M–Sa 06:00–18:00: €4, other times and holidays: €7; 1–4 persons €0.90/km + €0.90/km, 5–8 persons minimum €20, €1.60/km + €0.90/min (July 2020) . ( updated Jul 2020 )
• iTaksi , ☏ +358 102 120 000 , [email protected] . Also bookable by app or web. Fixed price based on calculated route and time if destination address given when booking by app or web. €4.00/6.00+€0.90/km+€0.85/min .  
• Fixutaxi , ☏ +358 100 6060 , [email protected] . Also bookable by app. Fixed price based on calculated route and time if destination address given when booking by app. Daily 06:00–18:00 €0.99/km+0.90/min, evenings and nights €1.17/km+€0.99/min, minimum fare €10; prebooking €10 .  
• Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi, Uber, Bolt

By dial-a-ride [ edit ]

Although meant for the elderly, the dial-a-ride service Onni can be used by anyone and can be a great way to get to the destination which is close to the city centre or inside it. Check the schedules here [dead link] (Click the lines to see the map of the route).

The bus drivers usually speak at least a little English. Order by calling ☏ +358 8 5584 4015 , and give your name, location and destination. It is best to call the ride a couple of days before your trip, but you can also get it right before the ride. The trip costs €3.30 for adults and €1.70 for children.

See [ edit ]

• 65.01377 25.46409 1 Market Square ( Kauppatori ) is a hotch-potch of styles: old red granaries, renaissance revival architecture and 1970s brutalist concrete. But during the brief warmth of summer, its terraces, cafes and market booths are busy and lively, though the main market hall is closed in 2019 for re-building. The area is presided over by Toripolliisi , the often photographed statue of the Market Square Policeman. He's a squat stubby young-old figure, as if weighted down by his responsibilities.
• 65.019 25.4825 2 Oulu Museum of Art ( Oulun Taidemuseo ), Kasarmintie 7 ( 500 m north of centre ), ☏ +358 44 7037471 . Tu-Su 10:00-17:00 . Two-storey museum with a wide variety of modern artwork. Around 8 exhibits a year. Plenty of information in English, except for small, temporary exhibits. €8 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0185 25.4856 3 Tietomaa Science Centre ( Tiedekeskus Tietomaa ), Nahkatehtaankatu 2 ( 500 m north of centre, near the Art Museum ). M-F 10:00–17:00, Sa Su 10:00-18:00 . The oldest science museum in the country, mostly kinematic and interactive, great for pre-teens but plenty for adults to enjoy. It is partially located in the former Åström leather factory, and you can ride the glass lift up the 19th-century brick water tower. Adult €15, child (6-15) €11 . ( updated Jul 2019 )
• 65.0173 25.4678 4 Oulu Castle ( Oulun linna ). Cafe daily May & Sept 11:00-19:00, June & late Aug 11:00-20:00, July & early Aug 11:00-21:00 21:00 . The castle was damaged by attack in the 18th century and finally blown to pieces in 1793 when lightning struck the gunpowder magazine. What you see now is the maritime observatory built on the ruins; it's set in a pleasant park, and you can climb the tower for views. There's a café (Tähtitornin kahvila) within. The cellar (same hours) displays info on the castle - mostly in Finnish, but there's more in the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. Free . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• Franzénin puisto is the leafy little park facing the cathedral, with the statue of Frans Michael Franzén (1772-1847), an Oulu-born poet. The statue is also the eldest public monument in town.
• 64.963421 25.503019 6 Oulu Automobile Museum ( Oulun Automuseo ), Automuseontie 1 ( next to national road 847, 5 km south of the city centre; Buses 9, 50, 52, 59 take you there. ), ☏ +358 8 5521 600 . M-Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 09:00-15:00 (summer, closed on Sundays in the winter) . A car museum with 40 cars and 20 motorcycles and some traffic related paraphernalia on display. A couple of really interesting vehicles like the largest car ever built in the Nordic countries (a truck for a dam company), the remains of a Ford "killed in action" during World War II and a "motorcycle" where the rider sits inside a large wheel. The car museum also has a restaurant open for lunch. Adults €7, children €5 .  
• 65.0196 25.4798 7 Hupisaaret park, Fountains and salmon stairs ( Hupisaaret, kalatie ) ( a short walk from the city centre ). 24 hr . The beautiful park of Hupisaaret (lit. Fun Islands) is a lush area with little paths and bridges crossing beautiful little streams. The longest fish path of Finland, 750-m- and 64-stair-long fish path is on the northern part of Hupisaaret park. Take a picnic or just stroll around the renovated park where you can also find the soon-to-be-mentioned Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. Tietomaa and Oulu Museum of Art are also found near the park. ( updated Nov 2015 )

• Madetojan & Pokkisenpuisto are the little parks along the stream just north of the centre, divided by Aleksanterinkatu. The statue is of Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947), an Oulu-born composer who ranks alongside Sibelius.
• 65.01653 25.48611 10 Kruununmakasiini ( a short walk from Tietomaa ). In Sweden (to which Finland belonged from the 1300s to 1809), a "Kronomagasin" was a state-administered warehouse in which grain and other foodstuffs collected as tax were stored. Unfortunately, one can't go inside the warehouse any more since today it functions as an office for an architecture company. It is worth checking out from the outside though, the old wooden building sticks out amusingly from the 1980s apartment buildings and offers a reminder of the historical aspects of the city. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.01729 25.45811 12 Sailor's Home Museum ( Merimiehenkotimuseo ), Pikisaarentie 6 , ☏ +358 50-316-6897 . The Sailor’s Home Museum is on the idyllic island of Pikisaari near downtown Oulu. The museum is in the oldest surviving wooden building in Oulu, also known as Matila House, and is the former home of sailor Isak Matilainen. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.02518 25.48283 14 The Blue House ( Sininen talo ), Valtatie 42 ( on the other side of the river, accessible by walking the 2-km trip to Tuira; you can also take the buses 11, 17, 35, 36, and 40 to Kalliola P ). The Blue House is the former home of the Finnish teacher, ethnographer and writer Samuli Paulaharju. Paulaharju lived there from his birth in 1919 until his death in 1944. The year of construction of the house is unknown, but the log structure of the house is probably from the end of the 19th century, and the house is said to be haunted. The building sticks out from the newer, blocky apartment buildings well. Again, not the biggest attraction for tourists, but if you have some extra time and are interested in history, be sure to check out the building. The house is still lived in, so do not enter the yard or the house . ( updated Jan 2019 )
• Old and new Oulu . The historic northern part of the city centre offers architecture from the 19th century, by architects like Carl Ludvig Engel and Johan Jacob Ahrenberg. In order to see chraming, old wooden buildings, head out to the neighbourhoods of Raksila and Pikisaari. The Kasarmi neighborhood offers some historically important buildings since it used to be a barrack area, built in 1881. Most of older Tuira has already been torn down, but some old hospital buildings still remain in the Tuiranpuisto park. Catch the bus number 23 to the nearby town of Ii to see the old neighbourhood of Iin Hamina. The buildings there are built right next to each other, creating small alleyways between the houses. For newer architecture, the neighborhood of Toppilansaari is a go-to destination. It is under construction, so expect to see cranes at work. The same goes for the newer part of the Hiukkavaara neighborhood. ( updated Mar 2019 )
• 64.948 25.7068 15 Turkansaari Open Air Museum , Turkansaarentie 165 ( the nearest bus stop is 1.5 km away, and buses 41, 41A and 49 take you there; you have to take the bus 40 back to Oulu; easier accessed by car, go toward Kajaani and turn from Turkansaari sign ), ☏ +358 44 703 7191 . 10:00-18:00 . Turkansaari is a nice open air museum with pretty old wooden buildings showing glimpses of local history. The museum is located on three islands in the Oulujoki River 12 km upstream from downtown Oulu. The museum is the second-oldest open air museum in Finland. It was established in 1925 when the island's wooden church dating back to 1694 was restored to its original location. The museum islands host a number of old buildings relocated to the museum to save them from demolition. When the weather permits, coming to the outdoor museum by bicycle is recommended. The total distance from the city centre is 16 km. Free entry, except on Midsummer eve . ( updated Aug 2019 )

• 65.0869 25.3915 17 Pateniemi Sawmill Museum ( Pateniemen sahan museo ), Sahantie 21 ( 10 km from the city centre; the bus number 21 takes you 750 m away from the museum; by car, take the motorway toward Kemi, leave from exit 13 to the left and go forward until the road ends ), ☏ +358 50 316 6898 , [email protected] . Su-Th 11:00-16:00 . A museum of industrial history in Oulu. The museum is in an old drydock storage building. ( updated Sep 2019 )
• 65.0055 25.5629 18 Oulujoki church , Oulujoentie 69 ( take the bus 7 toward Saarela. Leave at the stop Oulujoen kirkko P; by car, drive toward Kajaani, turn toward Oulunsuu and then from the third exit on the second roundabout ), ☏ +358 8 531 3500 . Built in 1908, the Oulujoki church is the only remaining wooden jugend church in Northern Finland. It is pretty, and a common wedding church. You can visit the church via Sunday masses at 10:00. ( updated Apr 2020 )

Do [ edit ]

• 65.0146 25.4626 1 Oulu City Theatre ( Oulun Kaupunginteatteri ), Kaarlenväylä 2 . Plays in Finnish. Prices vary from €15 to €40 for a single adult ticket. Half-price tickets are available for people under 26 .  
• 65.01104 25.46546 2 Cinema Finnkino Plaza ( Elokuvateatteri Finnkino Plaza ), Torikatu 32 . Completed in 2007, Plaza movie theatre features one of the biggest movie screens in Finland. Most of the movies shown on theater's eight screens are original English versions and are subtitled in Finnish and Swedish, though some children's movies are dubbed in Finnish. Admission €10.30–13, before 17:00 on weekdays €7. Add €2 for 3D movies. Ticket sets of 5 or 9 tickets are available, bringing the price per admission down to €9.90 or €9 respectively and no extra for 3D showings .  
• 65.0246 25.4827 3 Cinema Star ( Elokuvateatteri Star ), Kalliotie 6 ( Tuira region, northern-side of Oulu river ), ☏ +358 8 554-2711 . The oldest still functioning (yet very modern) movie theatre in Oulu, Star movie theatre features 3D digital movies. Most of the movies shown on the theatre's three screens are original English versions and are subtitled in Finnish and Swedish, though some children's movies are dubbed in Finnish. Star was nominated as Finland's most disabled-friendly establishment in 2007. Admission €7.5-10. Sets of 5 tickets are available for €37, bringing the price per admission down to €7.4 to all shows except for 3D movies, which cost extra .  
• 65.01181 25.47022 4 Rotuaari , Kirkkokatu . From the French word trottoir , meaning pedestrian street, this is the main shopping street of the city a place for live entertainment mainly during summertime, but also on weekends all year round. Part of the street was renovated and refitted with heating in 2011, which should keep the street ice free even during the coldest winter months.  
• 65.0306 25.4116 5 Nallikari ( bus 15 takes you there; by car, head north either via the motorway or the road 8156 toward Tuira and change to the road toward Hietasaari ). A summer visit is preferred, but you can bathe outside all year round in Eden spa's cozy temperature of +26°C. A bone-chilling dip in the freezing Oulu river can also be taken at the swimming spot of Tuira all year round.  
• Cycle or walk . In the summer, rent a bike or walk to the beach in Tuira on the north side of the river Oulujoki, a popular place with locals, passing through Ainola park and over the dam on the way. From there head eastwards, crossing back to the south side of the river and onwards to Värttö. Visit Koivurannan kahvila in an old house by the river, Kasamintie 51. Then head back to the centre for a total 8-km trip or take the bus number 7, 9 or 10 back to the centre.  
• Football: AC Oulu play soccer in Veikkausliiga, the top tier. Their home ground Raatin Stadion (capacity 5000) is 2 km north of town centre. The playing season is April-Oct.
• 65.0224 25.4903 6 Kesän Sauna ( Summer's Sauna ), Koskitie 58 ( By the Tuira beach ), ☏ +358 400-599-932 , [email protected] . 17:00–19:00 . A floating public sauna, open during June, July and August. Run by volunteer workers. €5 . ( updated Jul 2019 )
• 65.028 25.44 7 [dead link] Vauhtipuisto , Hietasaarentie ( the bus number 15 takes you to a bus stop which is 250 m from the park; the hop-on-hop-off buses Potnapekka and Kaarle also drive to the park; if you want to save your money, you can walk or bike the scenic route to the park over the river delta; 3 km from the city centre; by car, head north and leave toward Hietasaari ), ☏ +358 40-556-7533 , [email protected] . 1–27 May: weekends 11:00–18:00; 2 June–12 August: daily 11:00–19:00 . Vauhtipuisto amusement park is a family hangout, a fun park in Hietasaari area close to downtown of Oulu that is created for all children and childlike minded. Vauhtipuisto creates memorable experiences and offers a large variety of rides and attractions for the youngest members of the family and for the bit older ones. Vauhtipuisto doesn't offer as thrilling experiences as a proper amusement park, but it is a nice place to visit, especially for those with small children. Admission to the park area is free. Admission to attractions is either by individual ticket or by a wristband. The core and the main attraction of Vauhtipuisto has from the very beginning been a little playground for the little ones offering impulses for games, playful interaction and do-it-yourself activities and experiences. You can find bouncy castles, a mini train, merry-go-rounds, car tracks, mini roller coaster, fairytale track, a Kakaravaara playhouse village and many more exciting things €14/20. The park area is free, but the rides cost . ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.0644 25.5377 8 [dead link] Ruskotunturi , Ruskotunturintie ( by car or by bus and a 1.8-km walk: the buses 1 and 2 operate to the nearest bus stop "Raitotien risteys"/"Raitotie"; Zone A; by car, take the motorway to the north and leave from exit 11; from the roundabout take the first exit toward Rusko ), ☏ +358 40-178-1341 , [email protected] . A small skiing centre in the suburbs of Oulu. Features regular slopes, children's slopes and two snowparks for freestyle skiing. You can spend a day in the winter if you are a beginner downhill skier or just want to do something physical for a day. Not exactly a skiing trip destination, since the hill is only 50 m tall and the longest slope is 390 m. In the summer, Oulu Action Park operates some activities (such as paintball and gravity races) there, but the main focus is on the skiing centre. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.0458 25.422 9 Meri-Toppila DiscGolfPark , Paalikatu ( a 5-km bike ride from the city centre; also reachable with the buses 4, 20, 21 and 26 ). A disc golf track in the suburb of Toppila. Bring your own frisbees. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• Stroll along the City Stream (Kaupunginoja/Plaanaoja) and see all the different parks and statues alongside it. The park district was built to control mass fires which Oulu experienced a lot. The stream and the parks were lit a couple of years ago with orange/red lighting to commemorate the history of the parks.
• Ghost-hunting . Oulu has been called the ghost capital of Finland with countless buildings said to be haunted. To fill your visit with spiritual activity, stay in the Lasaretti (old military hospital) or De Gamlas Hem (old nursing home) hotel, join the Ghostly and strange stories from Oulu guided walk, visit the ruins of the Oulu castle to catch a glimpse of the Witch Montonen who died in his cell with his face clawed, or have a drink with an eerie man in the pub Jumpru, though no matter how much he drinks, it seems like his pint never empties...
• 65.04527 25.43444 10 [dead link] Oulun Kiipeilykeskus , Paakakatu 7 ( a 5-km bike ride from the city centre, also reachable with the buses 4, 20, 21 and 26 ), ☏ +358 45-180-1403 , [email protected] . M-F 12:00-21:00, Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 10:00-20:00 . A climbing centre inside the former power station building of the former Toppila pulp mill in Meri-Toppila, Oulu. A fun and safe climbing experience for everyone. Features a bouldering hall with 300 m² of climbing wall and warm-up room, campus board, fingerboards, gymnastic rings and a smaller separate training wall and an Autobelay wall with five lines for climbers that go all the way to 12 m. The rope hall is 16 m high and you can climb both top rope and lead. Adult €18, under 18 €15, under 14 €13 . ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 65.0102 25.4966 11 Adventure Park Huikia ( Seikkailupuisto Huikia ), Pikkukankaantie ( most buses take you there, but at least 2, 4, 8 and 9; Zone A ), ☏ +358 400-551-975 (mobile) . A considerably expensive "adventure park" near the main swimming pool of Oulu. The park's courses are mainly many metres up on the trees where you move with, e.g., cable ropes. A fun and exciting experience for everyone. €26 . ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.013354 25.461169 12 Kayaking, biking or stand up paddling ( SUP ), Kiikeli & Nallikari ( Kiikeli is an island next to the market place; Nallikari is easily reached by Potnapekka, Kaarle or public transport bus no. 15 ), ☏ +358 41 433 8602 , [email protected] . The Oulu River delta offers an exceptionally good frame for stand-up paddling and kayaking, so why not try it out? The boards/kayaks are easily rented in either Kiikeli or Nallikari, although the former one has better selection. Use the internet reserving system ( http://www.lappis.fi/index.php/sup-varaus-online/ ) or call the renting company to assure that there are boards available for you. SUP €25/hr, €35/2 hr and €50/day . ( updated Jul 2018 )
• 65.0326 25.4115 13 Oulu Zipline , Nallikarinranta 15 ( Bus no. 15 or walking/cycling from downtown ), ☏ +358405930532 , [email protected] . summer . A zipline near the beach in Nallikari. It runs for 250 m along the shoreline. It starts from a 20-m-high tower and ends near the Nallikari lighthouse. It is possible for two people to go at the same time. €20 . ( updated Jan 2020 )
• 65.016848 25.465021 14 Oulu Water park , Linnansaari ( next to the market place, just cross a bridge to the north ), [email protected] . In the summer, opens in June . A "water park" meaning a floated obstacle course in the Oulu river delta. Right next to the Oulu castle ruins and cafe, so you can get a coffee or a cold beer after! €12+€5 for cloackroom and wetsuit . ( updated May 2021 )
• 65.005 25.8032 15 Sanginjoki outer forest ( 25 km east from Oulu ). The forests surrounding river Sanginjoki are a popular trekking site near Oulu. Old-growth forest and a fishy river with nice rapids. Fishing requires permission. Having exceptional nature values there are plans to form a large nature reserve here. ( updated Mar 2021 )

Public swimming pools [ edit ]

• 65.0091 25.4987 16 Oulu swimming pool ( Oulun uimahalli ), Pikkukankaantie 3 ( Raksila ), ☏ +358 8 558-48100 . M-W F 06:15-22:00, Th 07:00-22:00, Sa Su 08:00-16:45 . One of the largest public swimming pools in Finland. There is a big pool often reserved for swimming clubs, lap pool, diving boards (not always open), activity pool, water slide, and two pools for children. In addition to the pools facilities include separate gyms for weight training, gymnastics, judo and boxing. Cafe upstairs with a view to the pools. €5.50 for the pools or the gym, if you have an ISIC Student card, then it's €3.20 . ( updated Oct 2018 )
• 65.0199 25.4645 17 Raatti swimming pool ( Raatin uimahalli ) ( Raatti, northwest from the city centre ), ☏ +358 8 558-48105 . M W–F 06:15–21:45, Tu 07:00–21:45, Sa Su 08:00–20:45 . Public pool and gym. Smaller than Oulu swimming pool, renovated in 2010. Pools include children's pool, teaching pool, two 25 meter pools and a cold-water pool. €5.50 for the pools or the gym, if you have an ISIC Student card, then it's €3.20 . ( updated Oct 2018 )

Indoor activities [ edit ]

• 65.0116 25.4765 18 Pelibunkkeri and Megazone , Pakkahuoneenkatu 17 . Indoor minigolf, air hockey and fussball tables. Megazone is a futuristic laser tag adventure mainly for groups, with a possibility of playing with random others.  
• 65.0011 25.4587 19 Oulu bowling alley ( Oulun keilahalli ), Isokatu 97 . Over twenty bowling lanes near the city centre. €15-18 per hour per lane, plus €2.50 for shoe rental. Also pool and snooker tables.  
• 64.99364 25.45734 20 Superpark Oulu , Tyrnäväntie 16 ( Limingantulli; the citybus line C takes you right to the park; or you can use the lines 3, 9, 50, 52, 52K, 53K, 59, or 59S, but using them requires more walking ), ☏ +358 10-325-2400 , [email protected] . M–F 13:00–20:00, Sa Su 11:00–19:00 . Indoor activity park for all the family. The Freestyle Hall boasts a skate and scooting park, the extremely popular AirTrack tumble track, and a range of ramps and trampolines. The Game Arena features a hockey radar, disc golf, and basketball for those with a competitive streak. The Adventure Area has climbing walls, exhilarating slides, and a pedal car track. SuperPark Oulu also has a play area called Adventure City for small children. €19 . ( updated Feb 2018 )

Annual events [ edit ]

• Snow sculpture competition is held at Nallikari winter village, 4 km west of the centre. February.
• Snowmobile races are at Raksila Stadium just east of the centre. February.
• Winter music festival is held at various city venues in late March, programme for 2020 TBA.
• Hässäkkäpäivät is punk and hardcore music in early July.
• UFOP - Uleaborg Festival Of Psychedelia - is a modern music and art event at Tukikhota, northern part of the city, in mid-July.
• Qstock is the biggest rock festival in Northern Finland, with as much as 40 000 visitors, held in the Kuusisaari and Raatti areas of Oulu in late July. Mostly Finnish artists, but some foreign artists with usually 1-2 big foreign names performing. 2022 lineup includes Electric Callboy, Limp Bizkit and Stratovarius. €84 (Friday)/€94 (Saturday)/€134 (F Sa). If visiting on Friday, be sure to check out the band Radiopuhelimet. The band has been the final performer of Friday in Qstock every year since the festival's inception.
• Elojazz : jazz gigs in Rauhala area and various parks and bars.
• Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music .
• Li­te­ra­ry art fes­ti­val Muusa­juh­lat .
• Koiteli elää! is a small rock festival at the Kiiminki rapids, 20 km northeast of Oulu. Tickets sell out within few minutes, so be quick with it.
• Air Guitar World Championships reckon to usher in world peace and climate stability by annual frantic mime-guitar.
• Oulu Music Video Festival .
• The Irish Festival of Oulu is the Irish-themed folk music, cultural and world music event, which takes place in early October.
• Lumo Light Festival ( Lumo-valofestivaali ) fills the city centre with light artworks for a weekend in late November.

Buy [ edit ]

• Oulu Market Hall
• 64.9616 25.5232 1 Verkkokauppa.com ( Verkkokauppa.com ), Kaakkurinkulma 4 ( 8 km from Oulu centre; bus zone A ). M–F 09:00–21:00, Sa 09:00–18:00, Su 12:00–18:00 . Very large home-electronics. The best spot for electronics, computers, digital cameras, and mobile phones, in Oulu.  
• 64.9023 25.5379 2 Zeppelin ( at freeway 4, 10 km south of the city. Bus zone B ). The largest shopping mall in northern Finland, with over hundred different stores.  
• 65.0769 25.4455 3 Ideapark Oulu , Ritaharjuntie 49 ( Buses 2 and 3 to Ritaharju take you to the shopping centre in about 30 min; Zone A ). 10:00-20:00, 10:00-18:00 . 50 shops, 10 km from the city centre. ( updated Nov 2015 )
• 65.011331 25.473089 4 Shopping Centre Valkea ( Kauppakeskus Valkea ) ( 150–200 m from the Tourist Info ). A shopping centre in the heart of Oulu that opened in 2016. It offers a warm, covered street "Kesäkatu" (which is part of a public street in Oulu), and a number of shops and cafes on both sides of it. This is the place for most young people to hang out in town. Usually safe, but has gained a bit of a bad reputation due to the cases of harassment of young girls and drug sales on the "summer street". Nonetheless, the presence of security guards and youth workers has been increased when these defects have been surfaced, and the shopping centre is a safe place to visit. ( updated May 2021 )
• 64.99675 25.46072 5 Power Limingantulli , Nuottasaarentie 4 ( Citybus line C or 3, 9, 50, 52, 53 or 59 ), ☏ +358 30-50305 . A competitor of Verkkokauppa.com, but closer to the city centre. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 64.993898 25.467364 6 Kärkkäinen , Alasintie 12 . A controversial department store chain, since it is founded by Juha Kärkkäinen, who has been in collaboration with a neo-nazi organization.  
• 65.010244 25.49072 7 Raksila hypermarkets ( Raksilan marketit ), Tehtaankatu 1-5 ( most buses take you there from Kaupungintalo E, including the Citybus B; or you can walk the 1-km trip from the city centre. ). Hypermarkets Prisma & Citymarket M-Sa 08:00-21:00, Su 10:00-21:00 . The Raksila markets (or more officially the Raksila Mall) are the place to go if you need something from the store for a cheap price. The markets are big, but the cheapest option if you're on a budget. They are found close to the ice hockey rink of Oulu and the city centre. The buildings are definitely a contemporary ensemble from the 1970s, but function well and do their job. The markets are going to be renewed completely by 2021, and they will build brand new ones on the spot of the current-day parking lot. ( updated Nov 2018 )

Due to the limited opening hour culture in Finland , most places in Oulu will close a bit too early for the taste of a foreign visitor. If you are in desperate need of something from the grocery store late at night (which means after 21:00 for Finns) or early morning, the options are narrowed down to some gas station stores like Shell HelmiSimpukka and Neste K (which tend to be outside the city centre, usually open until 24:00) and the grocery store Sale Raksila (open until 24). Three shops (S-Market Kaakkuri, Kastelli and Tuira) have been open 24/7. If you need to get somewhere warm in the middle of the night in the winter, other places that are open 24/7 are the McDonald's at Rotuaari and the "summer street" of the shopping centre Valkea (yet no shops there are open in the night). The railway station building is open 04:00-01:20

Eat [ edit ]

Budget [ edit ].

Oulu is a place for eating pizza and other fast foods. For €10-15 you can get a pizza with your choice of (usually three) toppings. Try one of the more interesting choices of toppings such as reindeer, kebab and mayonnaise. Also there are many restaurants that have a pizza buffet for €12-16 which includes a drink. A number of restaurants serving international cuisine or fast food are found in Oulu, including Indian, Greek, Mediterranean, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Thai and Chinese kitchens. For American-style fast food there is McDonald's and Finnish equivalent Hesburger, but best burgers can be had at a tiny and ever-crowded Kauppuri 5 (Kauppurienkatu 5).

• 65.01184 25.47738 1 Pizzeria Romeo & Vienna , Hallituskatu 22 . Some of the biggest pizzas in Finland are served here.  
• Stalls on the Market Place have local delicacies such as fried vendace ( muikku ) or salmon.
• Pannukakkutalo Renesans , Aittatori 9 ( on waterfront by Market Square ). M-Sa 11:00-20:00, Su 12:00-20:00 . They serve pannekoeken - Dutch crêpes - with over a hundred sweet or savory toppings to choose from. ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0776 25.4482 2 RAX Pizzabuffet , Ritaharjuntie 49 . The pizza buffet chain has one restaurant in Oulu. Buffet €9.95 . ( updated Oct 2018 )
• Katri Antell-lounasravintolat . The local bakery operates several lunch eateries both in central Oulu and the suburbs. Lunch about €6–8 .  

• Café Provence , Kempeleentie 7b , ☏ +358 8 882-1414 . M-F 10:00-14:00 . Simple cafe serving lunch. ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0182 25.5248 3 Koivurannan kahvila , Kasarmintie 51 , ☏ +358 8 333-944 . Open only in the summer months . A café right at the Oulu river. Also has rowing boats for rent.  
• 65.0124 25.472 5 Coffee House Oulu ( Coffari, Koffari ), Pakkahuoneenkatu 16 , ☏ +358 44-788-6760 . M–F 08:00-20:00 Sa 10:00–21:00 Su 11:00–20:00 . The most popular café in Oulu is right next to the Sokos Hotel Arina, and is a modern, trendy café with nice staff. Outlets to charge your phone are found on many seats. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.0123 25.4742 6 Puistokahvila Makia ( Makia ), Otto Karhin Puisto , ☏ +358 44 788 6180 . M–Th 07:30–20:00 F 07:30–22:00 Sa 09:00–22:00 Su 09:00–20:00 . A stand-alone park cafe in the centre of Oulu. Lunch and salad buffet available. A popular place for university students and foreigners to hang out in the city centre. ( updated Oct 2018 )
• 65.0126 25.4675 7 Café Piha , Kauppurienkatu 7 . M–Th 10:00–21:00 F Sa 10:00–24:00 Su 12:00–18:00 . A modern cafe-restaurant with many power outlets. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• 65.0115 25.4667 8 Café Rooster , Torikatu 26 ( Right next to the movie theater ), ☏ +358 20-711-8280 . A popular cafe-restaurant-pub in the middle of Oulu. ( updated Feb 2018 )
• Ravintola Indian Cuisine , Kajaaninkatu 38 ( next to railway station ), ☏ +358 8 530-1640 . M-Sa 10:30-22:00, Su 13:00-20:00 . They do a good Indian lunch buffet for €11. Excellent price to quality ratio on the à la carte menu. Try their garlic chicken tandoori or Lamb Hyderabad.  

Mid-range [ edit ]

During lunch time, usually 11:00–15:00, most restaurants serves food for reasonable prices. Lunch restaurants and lists in Oulu can be found at lounaat.info .

For typical, if a bit boring, French-Scandinavian dining, use hotel restaurants , such as Sassi (Radisson Blu) and Frans & Camille Bistro (at the Arina hotel in the town centre).

• 65.01321 25.46539 9 Ravintola Toripolliisi , Facing marketplace . M-Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 14:00-22:00 . Gastropub fare in nice surroundings indoors or out, in the corner of the marketplace. Mixed reviews for food quality. ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0076 25.4644 10 Crecian , Kirkkokatu 55 . A "taverna" serving Greek food in a Greek-styled environment.  
• 65.01149 25.47482 11 Oskarin Kellari , Uusikatu 26 2 krs. , ☏ +358 8 311-3191 , [email protected] . Large servings of non-nonsense food, steaks and such at reasonable prices. It used to be right across the street from the railway station, but nowadays neighbours the Forenom apartment hotel. ( updated Oct 2018 )
• 65.01688 25.45939 12 Sokeri-Jussin Kievari , Pikisaarentie 2 . Finnish "countryside food" restaurant on the island of Pikisaari, accessible by pedestrian bridge from the Market Square. It operates in a former storage building, which is one of the oldest buildings in Oulu. The seaside outdoor seating is a nice place to dine in the summer. Try out reindeer tongue or blood pudding soup!  
• 65.011825 25.46929 13 Pannu , Kauppurienkatu 12 ( next to the McDonald's in Rotuaari ), ☏ 0207 9282 00 (extra charge) , [email protected] . M-Th 11:00-22:00, F 11:00-23:00, Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 12:00-20:00 . An atmospheric cellar restaurant in the heart of Oulu. ( updated Mar 2019 )

Splurge [ edit ]

• 65.01343 25.46275 14 Ravintola Uleåborg 1881 , Aittatori 4-5 ( on waterfront by Market Square ). M-Th 17:00-23:00, F Sa 17:00-00:00 . Pricey but consistently high quality food, service & ambience. ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0124 25.4729 15 Ravintola Puistola , Pakkahuoneenkatu 12-15 . M-Sa 08:00-20:00 . Good Scandinavian food, but it's the pizza and pastries that draw most admiration. ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.01399 25.47639 16 Ravintola Hella , Isokatu 13 . M-Th 16:00-22:00, F Sa 16:00-23:00 . Classic Finnish food, lunch is good value for money. ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.015792 25.475911 17 Kitchen and Bar Oula , Kirkkokatu 3 ( inside Lapland Hotels Oulu ). Su–Th 17:00–22:00 F 17:00–22:30 Sa 15:00–22:30, . Traditional Finnish ingredients are made into tasty dishes in this chain hotel's restaurant. ( updated Jan 2024 )

Drink [ edit ]

Drinking in Finland can be an expensive activity, a typical pint (either 0.4 or 0.5L) of domestic macro lager is typically around €6 and up. Typical Finnish beer is European lager, but also more interesting Finnish and local (breweries Maistila, Sonnisaari and Hailuoto are local) craft beer is available at a few pubs, as is imported stuff. Do try lonkku , a long time Finnish favorite long drink of gin and grapefruit juice.

• 65.01267 25.46747 1 1bar , Kauppurienkatu 5 . Probably the best cocktails in town, a small dancefloor, sofas and electronic, rap and house music.  
• 65.0107 25.4696 2 45 Special , Saaristonkatu 12 , ☏ +358 8 881-1845 . Open every night. Weekdays gigs and meeting place of modern drunkards after 01:30, weekends crowded.  
• 65.01224 25.47155 3 Amarillo , Kirkkokatu 15 , ☏ +358 8 312-3100 . Nice bar on the 1st floor and a night club underground. Also, the Tex-Mex-style kitchen is open M–Th 11:00–00:30, F Sa 11:00–23:30, Su 12:00–23:00.  
• 65.0595 25.47823 4 Caio , Sammonkatu 10 , ☏ +358 8 556-2286 . Nice and quiet bar with music, billiards and food near the University of Oulu.  
• 65.012192 25.465794 5 Graali , Saaristonkatu 5 . 14-03 . Cozy pub with atmosphere and a fireplace.  
• 65.0123 25.4799 6 Hevimesta , Asemakatu 20 . Hard Rock and Metal club. €1 beer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays til 01:00.  
• 65.01331 25.46846 7 Kaarlenholvi/Jumpru , Kauppurienkatu 6 . Genuine Oulu. Pub downstairs with warmed up patio offers the authentic overview of locals. Nightclub upstairs attracts younger clientele and exchange students. Long queues weekends, so arrive early (before 23:00) to avoid waiting.  
• 65.01375 25.46813 8 Kuluma , Kauppurienkatu 5 . 11:00–02:00 . If you fancy cocktails, this is the place to go. Some cocktails include a fire-breathing display.  
• 65.0122 25.4705 9 Oluthuone Leskinen , Kirkkokatu 10 , ☏ +358 8 311-7993 . 12:00–02:00 . Irish-style pub with the best selection of beers in the city. Very crowded on Friday and Saturday nights.  
• 65.01284 25.47522 10 Sarkka , Hallituskatu 13-17 . 09:00–02:00 . You think you are pro? Come here at 09:00 and see if you have what it takes!  
• 65.01269 25.47983 11 Yöhuikka , Mäkelininkatu 13 . F Sa 11:00–04:00 . A small gay friendly nightclub. Fresh decor. Cloak room €2, entrance free .  
• 65.01271 25.46656 12 Jumpru Pub , Kauppurienkatu 6, 90100 Oulu , ☏ +358 8 562-4510 , [email protected] . 12:00-16:30 . A reportedly haunted pub in an old with a rich history. Age limit 20. ( updated Apr 2022 )
• 65.011791 25.481893 13 Snooker Time ( Snookeri ), Asemakatu 28, 90100 Oulu , [email protected] . Su–Tu 16:00–01:00 W–Th 16:00–02:00 F–Sa 16:00–04:00 . A laid-back alternative-style bar. Cheap drinks and a lot of things to do like pinball, darts and – of course – billiards ( updated Jan 2024 )

Sleep [ edit ]

• 65.0208 25.4848 1 Hotel Lasaretti , Kasarmintie 13 , ☏ +358 20-757-4700 . One of the cheapest, yet most historical hotels in Oulu. It's in Hupisaaret, the recreational area of Oulu, 1 km from centre.  
• 65.0303 25.4203 2 Nallikari Lomakylä-Camping , Leiritie 10 , ☏ +358 44-703-1353 . Absolutely the cheapest place to stay in Oulu. It's next to Nallikari beach 4 km from centre. 79 cottages with shower, toilet, cooking equipment and television. No breakfast served, but you can purchase breakfast at nearby Hotel Eden. Bus number 15 takes you to the city centre. €36/4-person cottage .  
• 64.9284 25.5139 3 Kempeleen Moottorimaja , Sohjanantie 3, Kempele , ☏ +358 8 515-566 . Clean rooms with refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee machine and television. Breakfast €4/person. The motel is 9 km south from the city centre, access by car, buses no. 50 and 52(A/K) or taxi. Single €25, double €40 or €50, quad €65–75 .  
• 65.01256 25.48002 4 Best Western Hotel Apollo , Asemakatu 31–33 , ☏ +358 8 522-11 , fax : +358 8 372 060 , [email protected] . Good value for money, a clean and modern hotel in the city centre. There are 70 rooms, some are tiny. B&B double €90 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0131 25.48073 5 Scandic Oulu Station ( previously Cumulus Oulu ), Kajaaninkatu 17 ( Two blocks west of railway station ), ☏ +358 8 882-7111 . Clean, efficient mid-range hotel, central location, good for business or leisure visit. B&B double €170 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 64.9442 25.4505 6 Finlandia Hotel Airport , Vihiluoto 10 ( 4 km east of airport off road 815 ), ☏ +358 8 514-5100 , fax : +358 8 5145 200 , [email protected] . reception 07:00–23:00 . A decent hotel 5 minutes drive from the airport. With Spanish restaurant El Sabor. Double €100 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.0116 25.4749 7 Forenom Oulu Uusikatu ( Apartment hotel Forenom ), Uusikatu 26 , ☏ +358 20-198-3420 , [email protected] . Apartment hotel in the ex-premises of Omenahotel Oulu. 123 rooms, free Wi-Fi and shared kitchen and laundry room. Rooms include code lock, coverlets and towels, WC and shower, hairdryer, TV, microwave, fridge and electric kettle. ~€100 . ( updated Mar 2016 )
• 65.0276 25.4139 8 Break Sokos Hotel Eden , Holstinsalmentie 29 ( Nallikari beach 5 km west of centre ), ☏ +358 20-123-4905 . Spa hotel on Nallikari beach. Good for beach activities, hotel is tired-looking. B&B double €130 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• Radisson Blu , Hallituskatu 1 ( next to the marketplace ), ☏ +358 8 887-7666 . Splurge hotel built in the 2000s. Probably the most expensive hotel room in Oulu is found here, with the presidential suite costing around €1000 per night. ( updated May 2021 )
• 65.0116 25.4651 9 Scandic Oulu City , Saaristonkatu 4 ( city centre ), ☏ +358 8 543-1000 . Pricey hotel of the Scandic mid-range chain. Double room €130 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.01533 25.47614 10 Lapland Hotels Oulu ( formerly Holiday Inn ), Kirkkokatu 3 ( Next to the cathedral ), ☏ +358 8 881-1110 . Slick modern hotel. Double €130 . ( updated Jun 2019 )
• 65.01216 25.472505 11 Original Sokos Hotel Arina , Pakkahuoneenkatu 16 ( in the centre, about 250 m from the tourist information ), ☏ +358 8 312-3111 , [email protected] . A modern, cosy hotel. If you're travelling to Oulu to see the Air Guitar World Championships, this hotel is next to Rotuaari Stage, the competition venue. It is quite expensive, though, the most basic room costs around €120/night. There are two restaurants in the same building as the hotel and multiple others right around the corner. The nearest normal bus stop is 250 m away, and a citybus stop is found right outside the door. ( updated Oct 2018 )
• 65.004657 0 12 De Gamlas Hem , Kirkkokatu 54 ( about 1 km walk to the south from the tourist information centre; the buses 3, 9, 50 and all 52's also take you there; he nearest bus stop is Kyösti Kallion Puisto ), ☏ +358 75 325 7605 . Check-in: 15:00 , check-out: 12:00 . A historic hotel-restaurant opened for hotel use in 2018. The building used to be an eldercare home ("De gamlas hem" is Swedish and means "home for the elderly"). A boutique hotel in a protected, supposedly haunted, building. High quality restaurant and conference services available. 14 000 m² of sports services available for hotel guests in the nearby Hukka sports centre. There is also the charming "five o'clock tea" for the hotel guests, included in the room price. €120 . ( updated Sep 2019 )

Stay safe [ edit ]

Oulu is, on the whole, a very safe city, but avoid getting into arguments late in the night in fast food joints. Pickpocketing is remarkably rare, but it doesn't harm you to keep an eye on your belongings just like in any other place.

Even though crime, especially towards foreigners, otherwise is rare, Oulu has experienced a lot of bike thefts, so make sure to keep your bike locked when you go shopping etc.

There can be some drunks in Rotuaari, the "summer street" of Valkea, the Mannerheim park and some other places in the city centre, but they shouldn't cause any harm to travellers.

The police are helpful and friendly, although some might lack English skills. If you have non-emergency cases or questions, you can contact the police department of Oulu at ☏ +358 29-546-0211 . The central police office is at Kirkkokatu 13.

Medical help [ edit ]

In case of emergency, contact the emergency number ☏ 112 .

For non-emergency but urgent cases, contact the number ☏ 116117 (OYS emergency centre) for a free evaluation of the situation.

If you are unsure about calling the emergency number 112, it's always better to call than not to call.

The emergency centre is not a health centre, but a place where urgent and severe cases are handled. For smaller, non-urgent cases, call ☏ +358 8 5584-4333 .

There are also private health centres, where you can get an appointment faster. These include Terveystalo, Mehiläinen and Pihlajalinna, all of which have multiple locations in Oulu, including in the city centre.

• 65.00699 25.52011 2 Oulun Yliopistollisen Sairaalan päivystys ( Oulu University Hospital Emergency Centre ), Kajaanintie 50, entrance A1 ( the bus stop name is OYS Päivystys ("Oulu University Hospital ER"); all buses with the destination "OYS" go straight to the hospital; there is limited parking available, and it costs €1/hr. ), ☏ +358 8 315-2655 . 24 hr daily . Oulu University Hospital is the main hospital in Northern Ostrobothnia and the biggest hospital in Northern Finland. The waiting times can be long, but the more urgent your situation is, the less you have to wait. ( updated Feb 2018 )

Connect [ edit ]

The panOULU (public access network OULU) network provides wireless internet access to everybody in its coverage area.

The tourist information centre has a computer with free internet access.

Usually, there is free Wi-Fi in cafés, although the connections might not be the strongest. The same goes with Oulu PTA's buses.

Go next [ edit ]

• Hailuoto is the largest island in the Gulf of Bothnia and a good destination for a day trip. Accessible by a free of charge ferry, either with own car or by bus. In February you can drive there on an official ice road (dates varying by year).
• Iso-Syöte on the way to Kuusamo is the closest destination for downhill skiing and the southernmost fell of Finland. Here are also Syöte national park , Iso-Syöte national hiking area and Pikku-Syöte recreational forest. Koskilinjat arranges day trips to the slopes during the winter season.
• Kuusamo by Finland's eastern border is a gateway to Lapland, with the ski resort Ruka , the legendary Karhunkierros hiking route (80 km) and Oulanka national park .
• Koitelinkoski — rapids of Kiiminkijoki-river, about 25 min by car from Oulu.
• Ii has a beautiful old town and is 35 km away.
• Vaala municipality on the shores of Lake Oulujärvi about 90 km southeast of Oulu.
• Helsinki , the capital of Finland

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15 Fun Things To Do In Oulu: Northern Peace Meets Coastal Finland

Posted on Last updated: August 6, 2021

Categories Finland

Expert travel storyteller Jordan Adkins, founder of InspiredByMaps.com, brings a decade of adventures across 101 countries and 450+ UNESCO sites into rich, off-the-beaten-path narratives, melding ecological expertise with genuine, seasoned travel insights. His full bio can be found here.

Finland’s fourth-largest city Oulu offers urban culture and a convenient jumping on point to the exceptional nature of Northern Finland and Lapland.

Sure, Oulu might be more famous as a tech hub and business city, but there are still enough exciting things to do in Oulu to keep tourists busy for a few days!

Prosperous Oulu ideally located on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia is a mixture of beautiful parks, waterfront beauty, Nordic design, and relaxing cafes.

Life is easy here (if you ignore the harsh winter). While things are considerably more animated in the long summer days, Oulu offers something unique and exciting no matter which season you visit in.

And yes, we are well aware Finns might scoff to here that Oulu is on our list of top places to see in Finland , but hear us out. There is a lot to love here. Especially if you enjoy really getting to understand local culture and off-the-beaten-travel trave.

Once known for wood production, tar, and salmon and famed within Finland as a significant hub for the one-time tech darling Nokia, Oulu, the world’s northernmost tech hub, is making a comeback.

Today is a substantial and diverse high-tech center as arising from the proverbial ashes of Nokia, particularly within IT and wellness technology, and Oulu, as a result, is experiencing some of the most dramatic population growth in the Nordics, fostering innovative new companies and exciting global players.

There is no glitz and glory tech and gimmicky novelty apps here, but a more reserved tech scene being built around R&D for a sustainable long-term future.

One bitten, twice shy as they say.

Sadly this reserved scene means you won’t find the cool millennial startup spaces and accompanying hipster districts that you can find in Tallinn , Taipei , and Vienna – but with time, I hope these will come as Oulu realizes that to attract the top talent it needs … more.

It’s a fun destination for a few nights as part of a more extensive trip, but Oulu, as of right now, is not a stand-alone destination. No matter how cheap the flights are to its airport (the second largest in Finland…)

Best combined as part of a Northern adventure to Lapland and Rovaniemi , and easily reachable by train from Turku , Tampere , and Helsinki in the South, Oulu is a quirky little stop with plenty of hidden delights and off-the-beaten-track charm to warrant a visit.

15 Fun Things To Do In Oulu: Northern Peace Meets Coastal Finland 🇫🇮

Page Contents

1. Wander The Idyllic Wooden Town of Pikisaari

2.  get inspired by finnish originality in oulu’s design shops, 3. embrace the arctic spirit with a stay at the lapland hotels oulu, 4. head to the nallikari beach hidden in beautiful woodlands, 5.  lose hours in conversation over coffee and pulla like a true finn, 6. hire a car and discover the best of finnish nature, 7. put your brain to the test at the tietomaa science centre, 8.  make friends with fluffy siberian huskies at loihakka, 9. embrace seasonal nature at the hupisaaret islands city park, 10. delight in the unique tastes of nordic nature at oula, 11. tempt your tastebuds at the oulu market hall, 12. get historical at the northern ostrobothnia museum, 13. party like a finn in the diverse oulu nightlife scene, 14. glimpse the surreal northern lights in oulu, 15. get your creative fix at the oulu museum of art.

A tranquil wooden town and industrial area await sightseers just across the river from Oulu’s Market Square – easily connected by a flashy modern bridge no less!

Pikisaari was named after the pitch distillery established here in the 17th century; the neighborhood was also a vital boat building located there at the time. Oulu’s oldest wooden buildings are now found here, although sadly, many were burned to the ground by the British in 1854 during the Crimean War.

Yes, I had to do some googling as well, but the Baltic was a theatre during the Crimean War, known in Finland as the Åland War, which makes sense given the proximity to Saint Petersburg, the Russian capital. Poor Oulu suffered from being under Russian control at the time.

Today many of  Pikisaari’s residents are active artists and craftsmen since, in the 1970s, the City of Oulu gave over the site of the former wool mill to the Arts and Crafts School of Oulu. Besides hosting a cute artisan crafts store, there is also a lovely café, a fine dining restaurant, and several parks, beaches, and outdoor walkways/cycle paths that follow the riverside.

Finnish design is so very en vogue right now, and it is easy to see why. The design here is a way of living, more than just pretty objects but something to be woven seamlessly into life – part of everything around you but never drawing or distracting focus.

Attention to detail and quality is paramount – and the epitome of good design is an intractable timeless quality, meaning when you find something you like, you know you will have it for life.

As the celebrated Finnish designer and architect Alvar Aalto famously said: “ Nothing is ever reborn, but neither does it totally disappear and that which has once been born will always reappear in a new form.”

While Oulu doesn’t quite have the  fabulous design scene of Turku , there is still plenty of local creatives producing wonderfully unique works for you to admire – or better yet, take home and cherish for a lifetime.

One of the best places to browse such works is at Kure, a store that stocks an eclectic range of Finnish design products , including those already globally famous and more up-and-coming designers.

They also have a relaxing lounge area to sip coffee and ponder how much you can realistically fit in your suitcase for the flight back home. You could also try Lovi for wooden creations from the forests of Finland, Merimaaria for women’s clothing and home furnishings, or Finlayson for gorgeous Finnish textile designs.

Centrally located with many of the top Oulu highlights right on your doorstep, the recently renovated  Lapland Hotels Oulu offers you a luxurious stay influenced by the authentic styling, hospitality, nature, and myths of Lapland.

Elegant yet understated, the entire hotel honors the ultra-clean Lapland wilderness, with clean design and charming views – plus most importantly generous rooms with comfortable beds for a night of uninterrupted sleep.

Excellent materials from the pillows to the adaptive mattresses are core to the concept here, and the small details are never lacking. For example, wirelessly streaming your electronic devices to flat-screen TVs is easy. There is an array of high-quality bath products, and a well-stocked mini-bar and mini-store in the lobby offer creative and tempting Finnish food products.

While the atmospheric Kitchen & Bar Oula is known for exceptional take of Nordic nature in its food and drink menu, I was always drawn to end my night in the sophisticated swimming pool and sauna – Uniquely Finnish and the best possible way to calm and relax before sleeping.

Of course, if you want to really spoil yourself, then indulge in a premium room or suite which boast private in-room sauna and balconies so you can heat up and then cool off in blissful serenity with a beautiful view towards the Oulu Cathedral, that majestically dominates the city center of Oulu.

Trust me – it’s ridiculously addictive, and you will feel fabulously refreshed afterward.

Another must-do is the breakfast buffet (which also is included) offers a taste of Traditional Finnish cuisine, with an exceptional bread selection, Finnish fish specialties including three varieties of salmon, smoothies, berry soup, made-to-order omelets and being Finland, plenty of coffee.

You can even start your day with the famous Mustamakkara / Finnish Blood Sausage  – originally from Tampere  but served here with a faithfully Lappish twist in that it is made with reindeer meat!

Overall, Lapland Hotels Oulu offers the chance to stay unique in Oulu, to experience the effortless harmony and tranquillity of Lapland in an urban surrounding with friendly staff and a mystical ambiance. A proudly Finnish company, if you don’t manage to get to the vast wildernesses and rugged landscapes of Lapland, the  Lapland Hotels Oulu at least gives you a taste!

Just a short 45-minute walk from Oulu City Center lays Nallikari, a seaside resort popular as a local ‘living room’ year-round. In the summer sunbathers flock here to this one-kilometer long sandy beach, and the area is crowded with cyclists, beach volleyball players, and families all enjoying the warm weather.

In winter, however, the sea freezes over in solid ice, and you have the opportunity to walk on sea ice, try ice-fishing or practice your photography with this bizarre landscape.

I visited during autumn and enjoyed the gorgeous colors, quiet ambiance, and sipping coffee at the Nallikari Restaurant while enjoying the views.

There is not much going on, which actually added to the appeal for me. While walking is the most picturesque way to get to Nallikari, you can also take local bus routes 15 and 15N.

Ahhh, coffee and pulla – could there be anything more Finnish. Combine it with a sauna, and you have essentially summed up life in Finland. Pulla, a cardamom coffee braid bread, should always be served where ever coffee is available in Finland. While many Finnish families bake it at home, you can also stop by Cafe Tuokio in Oulu to try this iconic duo.

A modern cafe with an easy-going atmosphere, delicious Karelian Pies , and board games, Tuokio is perfect for a rainy afternoon, chatting with friends, or just watching the world go by.

All of the coffee served here comes from freshly ground beans and, according to them, roasted with pure love, courage, and adventure – perfect for fuelling up between all the other fun things to do in Oulu. If pulla is not your thing, they also have baked pastries, cakes, gingerbread, sandwiches, and an amazing hot chocolate.

Salty and sweet with something for everyone tastes, the relaxing atmosphere at Cafe Tuokio in Oulu beckons you in and invites you to stay as long as you want. You could also try Cafe Rooster , which has a more modern, trendy atmosphere or Potnia Artisan Coffee Roaster in the Oulu Market Hall.

Sure, there is a lot to see and discover in Oulu – but everyone knows Finland is a country that appreciates nature, and so to really experience it you need to hire a car in Oulu and spend a few days exploring it! In fact, you can camp almost anywhere you want in Finland, so it is even easier to get amongst it.

A world of wild contrasts, between the annual seasons, awaits you if you are ready for an adventure. Swimming holes transform into nature’s ice-skating rinks, forests change colors from lush green to deep oranges,  beaches, and the sea into otherworldly ice-scapes – thick enough to drive on, and long warm summer nights gradually evolve into the dark, short winter days.

Water is never too far away, and dense forests eternally loom nearby. Not to mention open bogs, quaint farmland, or rocky seashores – all quintessential parts of Finland’s varied natural scene and frequently found in dramatic interplay.

Finland is actually Europe’s most forested country, with around 70% of the land covered with trees. There is a lot of choice near Oulu – you can head in any direction and find something interesting.

Still, popular options are the Sanginjoki Forest with marked trails and spots to make fires, Pilpasuo, an undrained swampland developed on a 3,000-year-old seaside meadow and Hailuoto, the largest island in the Gulf of Bothnia and one of Finland’s national landscapes.

The first science center opened in Finland back in 1988, today the Tietomaa Science Centre still offers an unforgettable experience to visitors and a fun environment for learning, enjoying yourself, and engaging in entertaining exploration.

The Science Centre Tietomaa was one of the most recommended things to do in Oulu when I was asking locals for advice. With more than 150 hands-on attractions and demonstrations across its themed exhibitions, I quickly understood why.

The Science Centre Tietomaa also opened new exhibitions every year, exploring different fields of science and technology. I particularly enjoyed the M.O.B sea-themed display with its speedboat simulator and the X or Y looking into genetics.

The Science Centre also boasts a  giant screen cinema showing intriguing 3D films that are guaranteed to take your breath away. It’s actually the second-largest screen in Finland and does an incredible job of bringing nature scenes to life right in front of your eyes.

The main exhibitions are located in a converted former power station – which is rather fitting. Also, part of the Science Centre Tietomaa is the Tietomaa tower, a local landmark of the Oulu cityscape that used to serve as the water tower of the tanning plant. Here a beautiful glass-walled elevator whisks you up 35 meters to the top floor of the tower for extraordinary views over Oulu.

Husky dogs are undeniably cute and cuddly, as well as being fierce runners – so it should come as no surprise that embarking on a sled dog tour or visiting a husky kennel is one of the top things to do in Oulu.

If you have ever wondered what it is like to drive your own dog team, then Oulu is an excellent place to try out this unique and rare experience while enjoying nature in a different sort of silence. Or maybe you just want to pat and take selfies with all these gorgeous animals – I won’t judge (and in fact, that was my first priority!).

For husky adventures in Oulu, Loihakka is your best bet with fifteen years of experience in husky safaris around Northern Finland and in the Oulu region. All their dogs are individuals in their own right, and the team here takes pride in showcasing cheerful and well-tended dogs. The latter is always happy to give visiting explorers an unforgettable experience in the wilderness.

All year round Husky Kennel Visitings can be organized for a very reasonable cost where you are warmly welcomed to meet all the charming individuals of their husky pack. Still, Husky sledding in winter is obviously the highlight.

From  January to April (weather and snow permitting), get a crash course in the history of Siberian Huskies, their use, and the handling of the dogs than actually get amongst all the wagging tails of friendly huskies as they take you for a wild ride!  A unique opportunity to try mushing (driving) the sled yourself and to feel the primordial power of the ancient breed in Finnish nature.

Loihakka also offers various other programs such as ice-fishing and Arctic firelight dinners if you want to combine multiple experiences together.

Just outside the Oulu city center is the Hupisaaret Islands, all connected by a series of small bridges and hosting various bike paths, museums, greenhouses, and a warm summer cafe. If you are short on time, this is the perfect place to plan a quick escape and take in the beauty of Finland in all seasons.

Snow-covered in winter, bright orange and yellow in Autumn and bursting with flowers in spring – the Hupisaaret Islands City Park is always a joy to visit.

Opened in the 1860s and located in the delta of the River Oulu, be sure to stop and pose on the iconic white bridges located around the park. Another highlight is the observation platform built to look out over the salmon climb with 64 steps constructed so that the fish could bypass the monstrous hydroelectric dam to reach their upstream spawning grounds.

If you are lucky enough to visit in Autumn, you have a good chance of seeing this natural phenomenon up close and personal, which is very unusual for an urban environment.

I firmly believe food is an essential component of how we experience travel, and if you also want to let your taste buds experience North Finland and Lapland, then the tasting menu at Kitchen & Bar Oula is the perfect way to do it.

The mains and tasting menu option here is very reasonably priced for Finnish standards, served in a sophisticated yet casual setting that allows you to totally relax and enjoy the experience. Across the menu, you will find game food from the northern forests and fells as well as fish and seafood from lakes of Lapland and the Arctic Ocean.

Wild berries, herbs, and vegetables all make features, while their charcoal grill adds an authentic Lappish taste to meat and fish. Kitchen & Bar Oula makes heavy use of fresh seasonal ingredients, so the menu changes accordingly, but some intriguing elements include reindeer, almond potatoes, fried lichen, and Nordic mushrooms.

I had the surprise menu, which is ever-changing but was delicious, well-thought-out, and it perfectly combines Lappish and Finnish ingredients with Oula-esque inventiveness and daring spirit. The reindeer tartare was fabulously invigorated, as was the King Crab soup and cloudberry sorbet. Needless to say, the wine pairings are also highly recommended and perfectly matched to every course.

Really there are no bad choices to be made across the entire menu as everything is focussed on the idea that the intense flavors of Lapland don’t need magic in the kitchen, as they are magical enough by themselves – so the chefs here are merely accentuating nature’s work.

If you want to discover Authentic Finland, an excellent place to start is through their food – and while I might have an obsession with modern fusion dining and innovative restaurants, sometimes you can’t go past the classics. And for this, I give you the Oulu Market Hall, a historical gem on the Old Market Square in the center of Oulu opened way back in 1901.

For over 110 years, locals have faithfully flocked to the  Oulu Market Hall, as it has always maintained its reputation for high-quality food and craftsmanships. Today you can find plenty of ready-made food products,  the best quality raw materials for cooking and baking, fresh bread, fish, meat, cheeses, or even taste more modern Asian flavors.

There are also several cafés, perfect for satisfying hungry tourists whose energy is waning but still wants to explore Oulu. The daily reindeer soup special is always a popular option.

All the stall owners are friendly and are happy to share their decades of experience and passion for local cuisine, so be sure to take the time to pop in and sample whatever takes your fancy, or grab a seat and a coffee. At the same time, you watch everyone go about their daily life. Silent observation is oh-so-Finnish, after all!

Don’t forget to take a photo with Toripolliisi (The Bobby at the Market Place in English) bronze sculpture located outside the front door. Made by sculptor Kaarlo Mikkonen in 1987, Toripolliisi is now somewhat of an icon in Oulu and honor all the policemen who once patrolled the market square here.

If you want to learn more about the history of Oulu, there is no great place to head than the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. Telling the story of Oulu, Northern Ostrobothnia, and Finland memorably, there is a collection of roughly 80,000 items and a sizeable archive of photographs collected here since the museum opened over 120 years ago.

There are many highlights here spread across multiple floors, including a Koiramäki (Doghill) exhibition based on the popular children’s books by Mauri Kunnas, and displays delving in into the harsh working-class life in the Vaara district of old. There is also a large scale model of Oulu city center from 1938  – showing the city as it was before the bombings of World War II.

Interestingly the museum is actually older than the building it is currently housed in as the original building (on the same site) burned down in 1929 and was rebuilt in 1931. The modern building is in the stark architectural style of 1920s classicism, which is somewhat notable in itself.

What? You thought we could round off a list of things to do in Oulu without talking about drinking and experiencing authentic Finnish culture?

In winter, Finns drinks because there is nothing else to do – and in the brief summer they drink to celebrate, after all, there is no time to waste! Pubs and bars often don’t close until late, and while Finns are not known for their small talk, if you give them a chance (and maybe force the first minutes of conversation), they are proficient in English and in Oulu delighted to chat the night away with exciting foreigners.

 Just brush up on your Finnish facts beforehand – they will love it!

Helsinki might claim to be the nightlife capital of Finland, but Oulu has the advantage of a vivacious and adaptable nightlife scene fuelled by a large student scene. Not to mention everything is centrally located, making it extremely easy to bar hop and explore.

Want to enjoy perfect cocktails in intimate surroundings, to chat with locals until the sunrises – or just relax with a refreshing beer in a warm environment…Oulu nightlife has something for everyone!

Listing all the fun bars, clubs, and cocktail bars in Oulu is an entirely different article, but we have put together just a quick few of our favorites…

Viinibaari Vox is a stylish little wine bar with a large selection and intimate surroundings perfect for conversations. At the same time, Cafe Kuluma is a more typical Finnish bar – well known for its flaming Rammstein drink. Peppers Karaoke is legendary and a great place to see Finns come out of their shell while owning Finnish and Western love ballads, or to dance the night away in pure euphoria, you can’t go past the three-story Mango Nightclub.

A word of warning, however, Finns, when drinking often gets a quality called ‘Sisu,’ it can’t be translated, but basically, it means they will just go for anything, no matter what the obstacles are. High prices, northern winters, work the next day – Some Finns won’t stop at night when enjoying their night out, and trying to keep up with them is often a fool’s task.

Go at your own pace, know your limitations, and don’t feel the need to keep up with these seasoned pros on your authentic Finnish drinking experience in Oulu, and you will be just fine!

In Finland, people used to think the Northern Lights resulted from the flick of a fox’s tail through a snowdrift. While Rovaniemi might be a more famous Aurora spotting destination – it is also possible to see the work of this busy little firefox in Oulu during the dark part of the year.

Now, if you didn’t already know, the bright dancing lights of the aurora are essentially collisions between electrically charged particles sent out by the sun and gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The most frequently seen auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is manufactured by oxygen molecules while Nitrogen collisions produce blue or purplish-red aurora. The converted all-red auroral displays are created only at heights of 200 miles by high-altitude oxygen and are the rarest of all exhibitions.

The Northern Lights can only be seen in an irregularly shaped oval centered over the magnetic pole in the Northern or Southern hemisphere. In most occurrences, the auroras are mirror-like images in North and South, occurring at the same time, shape, and color.

However, because one hemisphere is in darkness while the other is in the light, it is impossible to visibly see both displays at the same time.

Areas without ‘light pollution’ are then, of course, the best places to watch for the lights and luckily Oulu has plenty of dark wilderness on its doorstep – if you have hired a car in Oulu then you can head out to some popular auroral spotting areas only a short drive from the city. The Hupisaaret Islands City Park near the Lapland Hotel Oulu is also a nice, dark spot to view them from within the city.

The aurora season in Oulu is from September through to mid-April. The rest of the year, it is simply too bright to view the Northern Lights in Oulu. The Northern Lights are always unpredictable, however, and there is absolutely no guarantee they will make an appearance while you visit Oulu.

While you can use an Aurora forecast app in Oulu and then dash down to the Hupisaaret Islands City Park for a good chance of seeing the action, the best way to see the displays is on an experienced tour with a guide who knows all the best photography spots.

In Oulu, there is only one reputable operator: Salamapaja, offering photography tours and workshops in the Oulu area. If you are visiting during the Northern Lights season, get in touch with the team here as they will have a better idea of local weather conditions and recent aurora activity.

Oulu might be more famous for business trips and high-tech, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little high-brow culture to your trip.

For this, all you need to do is head to the beautiful Oulu Museum of Art on the edge of the Hupisaaret Islands park. The displays of the Oulu Museum of Art provide a systematic cross-section of the visual arts of the wider region, investigating distinctive themes and collections, and showcasing highpoints from Finnish and international art.

Many of the annually changing exhibitions involving topical contemporary art without forgetting local and regional perspectives and feature both celebrated and young local artists to watch.

Establish in 1963; the Museum now hosts more than 4000 works of art – too many to fill one building, so many are loans out and can be spotted around the cities public buildings and spaces, including schools, public parks, and libraries.

I should also mention that the Oulu Museum of Art is worth visiting in itself as the old Brothers Åström factory building that previously houses the famous tanning factory’s offices and the canteen.

Attractive and charming, both inside and out, the Oulu Museum of Art is one of the top things to do in Oulu for any culture vulture or admirer of art.

Must-see attractions in Oulu

Oulu has one of Finland's liveliest market squares, and its position at the waterfront makes it all the more appealing. The square is bordered by several…

This huge, excellent science museum can occupy kids for the best part of a day with a giant, 35m-high IMAX screen, hands-on interactive exhibits exploring…

Turkansaaren Ulkomuseo

Set across two river islands on the scenic Oulujoki, this open-air museum is a collection of traditional wooden buildings, from loggers’ cabins to stables…

Pohjois Pohjanmaan Museo

The Museum of Northern Ostrobothnia in the city park has almost too much information to take in at first bite. It covers the earliest habitation of the…

Hupisaaret Park

Just north of the city centre on the Hupisaaret Islands, connected by small bridges, this great park has bike paths, museums, greenhouses and a summer…

Oulun Tuomiokirkko

Oulu’s imposing cathedral was built in 1777, but then came the great fire of 1822, which severely damaged the structure. Prolific architect CL Engel…

Oulun Taidemuseo

Oulu’s art museum is a bright, spacious gallery with excellent temporary exhibitions of both international and Finnish contemporary art, and a cafe.

Merimiehen Kotimuseo

This house-museum on Pikisaari belonged to a local sailor. Built in 1737, it is the oldest house in Oulu and was transferred here from the city centre in…

Top Things to Do in Oulu, Finland

Places to visit in oulu, explore popular experiences, top attractions in oulu.

Other Top Attractions around Oulu

What travellers are saying

• Nallikari Beach
• Ainolan Puisto
• Toripolliisi
• Turkansaaren Ulkomuseo
• Hupisaaret Park
• Botanical Garden, University of Oulu
• Outdoors Oulu Oy
• Kauppahalli

A Guide on Things to do in Oulu

Oulu is the largest city in the sparsely populated northern region of Finland but despite its remote location, it’s fast becoming an alternative Finnish destination to visit.

Oulu is known for its long association with Finish technology companies and the city has a huge focus on science and tech that you will keenly feel when traveling here. Combined with the natural attractions in the surrounding region and the unusual festivals held here, this all makes Oulu a rather unique city to travel to.

Oulu is one of the largest northerly cities in the world. It’s a great place to visit in summer if you are searching for the fabled Midnight Sun when the sun never sets, while in the darker months of the year you are guaranteed to see the Northern Lights, particularly if you head into the countryside.

It’s is a wonderful city to explore and to help you to plan your trip, here are our favorite things to do in Oulu.  

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Table of Contents

How to get to Oulu

Oulu is located on the northeast coast of Finland in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, overlooking the frigid waters of the Gulf of Bothnia that separates the country from Sweden. On a map, the city looks completely isolated in the far northern reaches of Finland and geographically, it is. Thanks to the excellent Finish transport system though Oulu has never been easier to reach.

Helsinki, the Finnish capital, is located over 600 kilometers to the south, while the popular tourist destination of Rovanaeim – known as the capital of Lapland – is around 200 kilometers further north. This strategic location between north and south has grown Oulu into the hub and into the large city that it has become today.

The airport at Oulu is one of the busiest in the country, after Helsinki of course, and offers regular connections domestically to the capital, to Tampere, to Rovaniemi, and to Turku. Domestic flights connect Oulu easily and conveniently with the rest of Finland while a few international flights also ensure that the city is connected to cities in the nearby Baltics too.

If you are traveling from further afield then Norwegian Air and Finn Air have flight routes from Helsinki that connect all over the world, as far as Asia to the east and the US to the west.

These airlines offer many cheap flights to Finland and you can find great deals throughout the year. At Helsinki, you can then connect onward to Oulu on a domestic flight with these airlines ensuring the journey is as smooth as can be.

From Oulu Airport there are regular bus connections to the city center, a journey of just half an hour each way.

If you would rather travel overland, however, then Oulu is well connected by road and rail to the the rest of Finland too although due to the vast distances involved, it is not the quickest way to travel.

The country’s main train line runs from Helsinki in the south to Rovaniemi in the north with a stop at Oulu along the way. From Helsinki to Oulu is a journey time of around 9 hours with Finnish Railways, on comfortable, modern trains if you take the overnight sleeper option or there are also several faster trains during the day which complete the journey in around 6 hours.

Bus travel is another way to get to Oulu and from Helsinki, you can expect the journey to take at least 9 hours if not more. There are no real advantages to taking the bus over the train as in many cases the longer, less comfortable buses can be more expensive.

Traveling around Oulu and to the surrounding towns in the region can be achieved quickly and efficiently using the public transport system, with inexpensive tickets and extensive routes. A popular way to traverse the city is by bicycle and you will find that Oulu is very cycle friendly.

What to Expect in Oulu

Oulu is a modern European city that is easy to navigate and pleasant to explore. It’s a safe place to visit and you will find it to have a welcoming charm.

The local language is, of course, Finnish, however many of the locals will speak great English and will be happy to help you out. Finland uses the Euro as their currency and there are plenty of ATMs around the city and at the airport where you can withdraw money.

Perhaps the most important thing to note about Oulu when planning your trip here is that due to its very northern location the weather and time of year that you visit the city can very much dictate what you can do and what you can see.

Oulu Finland is far enough north that you can see the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. In the summertime, the days are endless while in winter the night never ends. Summer sees great weather although temperatures will still never rise much more than 30 Degrees Celsius.

Winter sees incredibly low temperatures, and you can expect lows of -40 Degrees Celsius in the coldest months. Be prepared for this unusual Arctic climate and plan your trip accordingly.

Where to Stay in Oulu

Oulu has a fantastic range of accommodation and there are many excellent hotels available that are kept to a high standard.

It’s best to book in advance, particularly in summer, as the number of rooms in the city is low due to the fact that Oulu is not an established tourist destination as such and caters more to business travelers.

There is still a mixture of budget and high-end options available though and the quality is always going to be good.

Best Western Hotel Apollo – The Best Western Hotel Apollo is one of the most comfortable and well-regarded hotels in Oulu. There are a range of room styles available from economy options through to more luxurious suites.

If you book in advance then the basic rooms can have excellent savings attached to them. The Best Western is right in the city center and puts on a delicious buffet breakfast each morning.

Lapland Hotels Oulu – Lapland Hotels Oulu offers guests premium, luxury rooms for a great price. The rooms are all styled to exude a Finnish vibe that takes inspiration from Lapland, and you will find yourself immersed in the local atmosphere and culture if you choose to stay here on your travels.

The hotel has a high-class restaurant serving Finish delicacies alongside a busy bar and excellent spa facilities.

Radisson Blu Hotel Oulu – The Radisson Blue is a firm favorite amongst both business travelers and tourists in Oulu because the international chain offers uncompromising standards and great value.

You can expect excellent service, cleanliness and you will find that the hotel is in an excellent location that overlooks the waterfront. There’s a restaurant, bar, and even a swimming pool.

Things to do in Oulu

The northern lights.

One of the best things to do in Oulu is to see the vibrant illuminations of the Northern Lights in the night sky. In the right season, it’s possible to experience this dramatic light show almost every night for weeks on end.

The Northern Lights season runs from September through to March although the darker the sky the more likely you are to see them.

Oulu’s cold climes make the for the perfect skiing destination and outside of the city you will find many fantastic ski resorts and places to learn and to practice through the winter months.

As well as traditional downhill runs, a popular sport in winter is cross-country skiing, as to get around anywhere you need to be able to handle yourself on a pair skis in this extreme climate.

Oulu Market Hall

The city’s market hall is one of the most historic sites in Oulu and can date its foundations back to 1901.

It’s long been the retail center of the city and today you can find many wonderful handicraft stalls and boutique shops selling local goods and produce from around the region.

A Finnish Sauna Experience

Finns are renowned for their love of saunas and you can’t visit Oulu and not have an authentic Finnish sauna experience at least once.

You can find saunas across the city including in many of the city’s hotels and public swimming pools.

In the dead of winter, sauna’s become particularly popular, as do, conversely, ice baths – another local experience you may prefer to avoid.

Air Guitar World Championships

Once a year Oulu plays hosts to one of the most unique events in Europe, the Air Guitar World Championships.

In August the city becomes the main stage for this unusual festival which is competed in by air guitar enthusiasts from across the world.

Places to visit in Oulu

Tieteoma science center  .

Oulu is a hotbed for technology development and many local Finnish tech companies are based across the city. To showcase the scientific pursuits of Oulu, the city created the extraordinary Tieteoma Science Center.

The museum lets visitors delve into topics as wide-ranging as prehistory and the Northern Lights and even has an air guitar area too. There are lots of interactive exhibitions and displays at the science center, as the aim is to encourage and to inspire people to get into science.

Oulu Castle

Oulu Castle dates back to the late 16th century when it was built to protect the developing settlement from potential incursions along the river, particularly from the rising Russian Empire.

A century or so later, the Russians did in fact attack and destroy the castle, and the form you see today was built again in later years and not used as a fortification but as an observatory. There’s a small museum on the site that tells the history of Oulu and its castle.

Hailuoto Island  

Hailuoto Island is a beautiful place to visit that’s located just a short ferry ride away from Oulu in the Gulf of Bothnia.

The island is sparsely populated but is full of outstanding natural scenery and it makes for a wonderful day trip away from the busier mainland. In winter, when the sea has iced over, you can even cross the bay by car on the ice road that forms, a unique experience in itself.

Nallikari Beach

Oulu might not be the first destination that comes to mind when you think of a beach holiday, but the enduringly popular Nallikari Beach is one of the best places to visit in the area.

Locals and travelers will visit any time of year, to enjoy the water during the hotter summer months or even to plunge into the icy waves during winter.

Tours to do in Oulu

Visit a reindeer farm.

Reindeer are found in the areas to the north of Oulu, and close to the city there are several reindeer farms which offer visitors the chance to learn more about these magnificent animals.

As well as being a chance to see the beautiful scenery of northern Finland, the farms are working farms and provide an insight into local culture as reindeer is very much a meat that is a huge part of the local diet.

A popular farm to visit is Poropanuma, which is found an hour’s drive to the north of Oulu.

Dog Sledding

One of the best things to do in Oulu in winter is a dog sledding tour. In the north of Finland, dog sleds are still very much an authentic and practical way to travel during the cold, dark months of winter, when snow and ice continually blanket the ground.

There are many local tour companies that can arrange husky adventures across the beautiful landscapes of Lapland from Oulu.

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Sam, a seasoned traveler across four continents and 49 countries, is a leading authority in travel planning. Her website, Travelling King, offers tailored itineraries and expert guides for seamless trips. Sam's expertise in luxury travel, fast travel, and destination guides keeps her at the forefront of the travel community.

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Oulu travel guide

Oulu is a Finnish city in the northern part of the country with over 200,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth-largest city in Finland and the main city in the north of the country.

The province of Oulu is considered to act as a transition zone between northern and southern Finland, separating the Lapland region from the rest of the country.

Things to see and do in Oulu

The city of Oulu may be less well known than the likes of Helsinki or Rovaniemi , but it has some interesting buildings and museums to see.

Oulu is also known for its forests and lakes, which offer a wealth of outdoor activities at all times of the year.

Oulu Market Hall

Oulu’s market square acts as the city’s focal point. The square is not only home to Oulu’s central market, but also to the city library, the theatre and the old salt warehouses.

In addition, the market square is home to one of the city’s most iconic statues, the Toripolliisi , in honour of the policemen who patrolled the market square in the past.

Hupisaaret Islands City Park

The Hupisaaret islands are located very close to the centre of Oulu. They are several small islands in the Oulu estuary that are separated from each other by picturesque streams.

The islands, which are connected by white bridges, have parks, meadows and groves of trees. There is also a children’s playground, a barbecue area, a cafeteria open in summer and a greenhouse on the different islands.

The Oulu Museum Of Art (OMA)

The Oulu Museum of Art (OMA) , located very close to the city centre, has several temporary exhibitions throughout the year, as well as some educational events.

The museum’s extensive collection focuses mainly on the art of the city of Oulu and the Northern Ostrobothnia region in general.

Tietomaa Science Centre

The Tietomaa Science Centre , open to the public since June 1988, is Finland’s first science centre.

Tietomaa is located in the buildings of a former leather processing factory. Thus, the main exhibitions are located in the former power plant of the factory and Tietomaa’s observation tower , which has a glass lift outside it, is a water tower of the former factory.

Oulu Cathedral

Oulu Cathedral , designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, is one of the places not to be missed if you visit the city.

This neoclassical building is located right in the centre of Oulu . The church, which belonged to the Evangelical Lutherans, burned down in the fire that ravaged the city in 1822 and was rebuilt on the same site. After 12 years of construction, Oulu Cathedral was completed in 1844.

Northern Ostrobothnia Museum

The Northern Ostrobothnia Museum was founded in 1896. The main theme of the museum is the North Ostrobothnia region itself: its origin, history and activity in the region and more specifically in the city of Oulu. The museum is located in the Hupisaaret Islands Park.

The ground floor of the museum houses various temporary exhibitions that rotate throughout the year and a children’s exhibition based on the books of Finnish children’s author Mauri Kunnas. There is also a large-scale model of downtown Oulu in 1938.

Nallikari beach

Nallikari beach is an ideal place to enjoy both in summer and winter . It is located just over three kilometres from the centre of Oulu.

Nallikari offers all kinds of activities in the different seasons. In summer it is possible to sunbathe, swim, practice different sports and do activities with the children. In winter, when the sea is frozen, it is possible to walk and ski on the ice-covered sea . It is also possible to find some snow sculptures.

How to get to Oulu

Plane, train and bus are the three most recommended means of transport to reach the city of Oulu .

Oulu Airport is the second largest airport in the country, with connections to many cities in Europe. It is located only 15 kilometres from the centre of Oulu and can be reached by bus.

In this case, train and bus are less recommended options for getting to Oulu due to the length of the journey. The train from Helsinki to Oulu takes about 6 hours to complete the journey and the bus takes about nine hours. It is possible to take the night train and sleep in one of the train beds on the way to Oulu.

How to get around the city

The city of Oulu is not very large, so it is possible to get around the city on foot or by bicycle . If you prefer, public transport works well and can help you get around the city.

Oulu has cycle paths connecting all the most important points in and around the city. These are maintained during the winter, so you can use them even if you are travelling in winter.

Where to stay in Oulu

Oulu offers a wide range of accommodations to suit all types of travel. In the city centre, it is possible to find high-quality hotels at affordable prices .

If you prefer, there are other alternatives for accommodation . One of the most interesting is the campsite next to Nallikari Beach. This accommodation is especially recommended if you want to take advantage of your trip to do activities in the forests and natural parks in the area.

Where to eat in Oulu

Oulu has all kinds of restaurants and bars , so it won’t be difficult to find one that you like. However, we recommend eating at the Oulu Market , where you’ll find some of the region’s typical dishes, including salmon.

We hope you found our travel guide to Oulu helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.

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Top 7 BEST Things to do in Oulu (Finland)

Looking for the best things to do in Oulu? Read this post and find out!

This beautiful city is known for its stunning waterfront square, Kauppatori, and the charming police statue Toripolliisi. Whether you’re a fan of culture or science, this city has something for everyone.

From the Tietomaa Science Centre to the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum, there’s plenty to learn and explore here in Oulu. At the Tietomaa Science Centre, visitors can experience interactive exhibits and movies in 3D on a big cinema screen. The Northern Ostrobothnia Museum offers an exciting look into the region’s history with informative displays and artifacts.

If you’re looking for more of a cultural experience, then you won’t want to miss out on visiting the Oulu Museum Of Art. This museum showcases artwork from local artists and gives visitors an insight into life in the area. You’ll find paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more on display here.

Oulu has a vibrant nightlife scene with some excellent bars and clubs near Kauppatori square. And suppose you’re up for some outdoor adventures. In that case, you can explore the natural beauty of this region by kayaking down the Oulujoki River or taking a stroll along the Bay Of Bothnia – both are sure to be unforgettable experiences!

No matter how long your stay is in this wonderful city, one thing is certain – you will leave with lasting memories! So come explore all that Oulu has to offer – from science centers to art galleries to outdoor activities – it’s waiting for you!

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Table of Contents

Kauppatori and Toripoliisi

This is an open-air marketplace in Helsinki close to Oulu. It is also known as ‘Market square’ and has some appealing sea views. The market hall is a significant popular tourist attraction of Market Square. It is to honor the policeman who served the Market Square area and the seafront in the year of1901.

This place is a nearby tourist attraction in Oulu, especially for purchasing fresh fish, cheese, bread, and meats only found in Lapland .

Here the old granaries are converted into handicraft shops, unique restaurants , and cafes, which were earlier used for storage. You can visit this beautiful place from Monday to Thursday (8 am to 5 pm), whereas, on Friday and Saturday, it is open from 8 am to 6 pm and from 8 am to 3 pm, respectively.

Hupisaaret Islands

It is an amazing city park in the Myllytulli district in the central part of Oulu. The main highlight of the city park is its white wooden bridge, which was constructed at the same time the Park was created in the 1860s.

It consists of a group of islands, among which Plaatansaari, Pakolansaari, Kiikkusaari, Lasarentinsaari, and Paratisiisaari are the largest. The scenic view of this Park is panoramic, with enchanting views of small brooks and waterways segregating the Park area into a different group of islands.

Each island of the Park has its attractions. For example- Palokansaari Island is famous for its Northern Ostrobothnia museum, Kikiisaari island is famous for the University of Oulu Botanical gardens, and so on. It is a beautiful family destination with excellent opportunities for island hopping.

Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!

I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!

• Booking.com  – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
• Airbnb  – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
• Skyscanner  – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
• SafetyWing  – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
• GetYourGuide  – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
• My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon)  – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
• Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon)  – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.

Tietomaa is Finland’s first science center and one of Oulu’s best things to see. Tietomaa features in Oulu sightseeing locations because it allows you to see more than 150 exhibits and demonstrations to learn science and entertainment. It also organizes alluring science exhibitions for all age groups.

Another reason Tietomaa is popular is its big-screen cinema shows spectacular sci-fi 3D films like- the depths of oceans, the darkest jungles, the infinite reaches of space, etc.

The 45-meter Tietomaa observation tower with the glass elevator is another biggest highlight, which also serves as the factory’s water tower. You can visit up to 35 meters with the glass-walled elevator to get an awe-inspiring view of the city.

Nallikari Beach

It is the ultimate relaxation spot in summer and offers a range of beach activities in Oulu. The summertime at the beach is perfect for sunbathing, having romantic sunset views, and swimming, whereas, during winters, the beach completely turns into a frozen water body.

The beautiful beach stretches half a kilometer with plenty of accommodation facilities in the form of spa hotels , cottages, camping sites, and a series of restaurants and eateries.

In winter , you can enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, and fat bikes here, while in summer, you can enjoy water adventures like- mini-golf, sub-boarding, kayaking, and canoeing. The lovely beach is also ideal for sports like volleyball, football, and beach soccer.

Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?

Remember this:  anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!

The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with  SafetyWing  was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.

I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.

Read my post about  why you should get travel insurance  for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from  SafetyWing  – they’re the best, in my opinion.

Go Skiing and visit Syöte

Syöte is a tourist hotspot in Oulu best known for its two downhill skiing slopes: Iso-Syöte and Pikku-Syöte. While the former is famous for skiing, the latter is renowned for its snowboarding parks. The Syöte National Park is also admired for hiking and mountain biking in the summers.

The Park features pristine forests and beautiful adventure-filled trekking pathways. It also provides amazing opportunities to enjoy the nights with campfires.

Both Iso-Syöte and Pikku-Syöte come with tourist accommodations in the form of luxury resorts. The Park also houses mogul and wave slopes with nature safaris to make things more interesting.

Turkansaaren ulkomuseo

It is an outdoor museum that lets you learn and experience the old life in Oulu. The museum sprawls across the three islands of the Oulujoki River, featuring 40 traditional wooden buildings with old farmhouses portraying the exact picture of Oulu’s rural culture.

The beautifully maintained old countryside settings with the vintage structures and the old wooden church from 1964 will transport you back to the old days in Oulu.

Some of its most beautiful structures include – Yli-Tornio old personage, Sanginjoki’s Sorvo hut, and Maikkula’s Yli-Juruus house.

The museum is also famous for giving you a detailed insight into the summertime rural work demonstrations and for hosting events like- Tar week, Midsummer celebration, Jaakko Days, autumn market, etc. Visiting this museum is one of the best things to do in Oulu.

What are my favorite travel must-haves?

As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!

• Warm packable jacket  – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
• Transparent toiletry bag  – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
• Kindle Paperwhite  – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
• Powerbank  – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
• Travel Adapter  – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.

Rokua Geopark

Getting close to nature by visiting this Geopark in Oulu is one of the most relaxing things to do in Oulu. Rokua is a beautiful Oulu landscape covered with boundless forests, shimmery lakes , envious shorelines, and rivers. It is also a part of the Global Geopark Network. It is located nearly 200 km to the south of the Arctic Circle. It is a UNESCO-recognized outdoor destination in Oulu. The Park covers a total area of 1,300 sq. meters.

It features the Ice Age theme, housing the millennia-old bedrock with significant historical background. The Park’s main areas are- Rokua Eskers and Dune Area, Lake Oulujarvi, and the Oulujoki river valley. The Park is best known in Oulu and Finland for its production of ‘Geofood,’ which is formed from the impact of environmental changes due to the formation of the Rokua Geopark.

Do you need help planning your trip to Finland? Here are my top tips!

• The Best Finland Travel Guide  – My Finland overview, you’ll find everything you’d need to know about Finland.
• When is the best time to visit Finland for northern lights  
• When is the best time to visit Finland – Monthly breakdown
• BEST Places to Visit in Finland  and  Best Cities in Finland  – Cities, and towns you must not miss!
• Things to do in Finland ,  Finland Holidays to Experience ,  Tourist Attractions in Finland  – Touristy stuff, but still worth reading! Finland, in general, offers pretty cool experiences regardless of how “hyped” it is.
• If you’re staying in Helsinki, you can book your  hotel stay in Helsinki  or  near Helsinki airport .
• Cities to visit during a short visit:   Helsinki ,  Porvoo ,  Tampere ,  Turku ,  Ålands , Hanko , and  Vaasa .
• When to visit?  Summer ,  Autumn ,  Spring , and  Winter  – Decide when to come and then base your activities on that!
• How to dress for winter in Finland  – Always dress according to the weather. It will make your experience much better!
• Top tips and important info:   Supermarkets in Finland ,  Budgeting tips for Finland ,  Tipping in Finland ,  What to wear in Sauna ,  Sauna etiquette ,  Public Saunas in Helsinki
• Finnish culture introductions:   How to say hello ,  Finnish food and cuisine ,  Facts about Finland ,  Finnish Breakfast Guide , Finnish drinks

Where to stay in Oulu

Tours to do in oulu.

Evan Kristine a.k.a Pretty Wild World is a professional travel blogger with over 10 years of experience in content creation. Originally from the Philippines, she's been living in Finland for 15+ years working as a chef and entrepreneur in Tampere, Finland.

She's an expert in Finland travel and explores the country often sharing her insights and tips in this blog and social medias. She also splits her free time either going for weekend getaways in Europe or galavanting to different European destinations on her holidays. All her useful Europe travel guides are also in this blog!

Evan Kristine is also the food blogger behind at The Kitchen Abroad and on her free time, she enjoys decorating her 75m2 apartment and shares her experience over at Solía Avenue .

A true master of her own life and despite her busy schedule juggling life as a chef, blogger, and entrepreneur, she still finds time to read 50+ books a year and indulge in several hobbies like hiking, working out, yoga, and painting.

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Top Things to Do in Oulu, Finland - Oulu Must-See Attractions

Things to do in oulu, explore popular experiences, top attractions in oulu.

Other Top Attractions around Oulu

What travellers are saying

• Nallikari Beach
• Ainolan Puisto
• Toripolliisi
• Turkansaaren Ulkomuseo
• Hupisaaret Park
• Botanical Garden, University of Oulu
• Outdoors Oulu Oy
• Kauppahalli

Get snowed in on your winter holiday in Oulu! There’s no warmer feeling than watching the snow fall and cover the city in a soft, white blanket. Enjoy the atmosphere at a candlelight dinner, over a hot cup of tea or coffee, or take your loved ones to a memorable cultural event. The soft dark nights will guarantee you a good night’s sleep in one of Oulu’s cosy hotels or cabins. 

European Capital of Culture in the Winter

Oulu is the European Capital of Culture 2026. A city of original and active culture with lots of local flavour, Oulu also shows a lot of potential. As the culture workers really get going towards 2026, there’s no stopping Oulu! Seize the day and get to know the unique cultural vibe of the future culture capital.

Dive under the duvet

Wrap yourself in a blanket or linger under the duvet as long as you like! Choose a cabin or hotel room – or any other type of accommodation. Oulu is all about R&R and there’s plenty of accommodation to choose from.

Find more ways to get snowed in

Dive into a story

Embrace a new world sitting in a soft seat.

Experience culture in the stands – Concerts and festivals in Oulu

Oulu is a vibrant city with a variety of festivals, concerts and cultural events going on throughout the year! In a good concert you lose the sense of time, and a good performance will make you forget everything else, too.

Tune into art

Oulu has its own frequency – tune into it.

Things to see and do in Oulu – find your favourite!

Sort by category.

Relaxing 2 Persons Floating in same Floating Pod

De Gamlas Hem Hotel

Pampering Relaxation (1-2 persons)

Go Arctic - Conference services

Oulu Market Square Policeman statue

Ice fishing with huskies

Best Western Hotel Apollo, Oulu

Oula Kitchen & Bar

Frans&Camille Bistro

Sokeri-Jussin Kievari Restaurant

Traditional Fishing Harbour Kiviniemi

Koskikippari in Koiteli - Conference and event service

Sleep in hostel

Maikkula's Manor the Charter Restaurant

Voltti´s Music Quiz, Oulu

Cafe-Restaurant Seelari in Hietasaari

Liisa Rehu Design

Mon Chou - French Pastry Shop

Joo Hetki Cafe

Top 5 attractions in Oulu!

Oulu Market Square

Experience the wonders of the Finnish nature

Oulu Market Hall

Nature Cafe Loppula at Sanginjoki

Go Arctic Events - Dinner with the ghosts of Oulu

Restaurant and winebar VENN

Oulu Cathedral

Bistro Mesu

Rauhala ravintola-pâtisserie

Design Center Proto

Relaxing Floating in Floating Pod

Go Arctic activities - Air guitar workshop or Air guitar show

Puistokahvila Makia Cafe

Tunnelmatupa in Koiteli - Conference services

Minivan Trip to Hailuoto

Oulu Quickly Walking Tour

Amarillo Restaurant Oulu

Voimala 1889

Pain Exhibition 9.2.–25.8.2024

Arctic Edu-Tech - Workshops and experiences in Oulu area

Oulujoki Church

Scandic Oulu City

Oulu Tourist Information Office

Jaakko Niemelä: Praakk

Minivan Trip to Koiteli Rapids

Meeting Room Restaurant Mallassauna

Kuusisaari Recreation Park

Breakfast & Private Restaurant Veranta

Guided Winter Swimming

Bistro, Hotel Lasaretti

Saunas of the Maikkula Mansion

Ravintola Sarkka

Nallikari Bakery & Bistro

Guided Transportation from Oulu Airport to Oulu

Private event: Wine and Fashion

Taito Shop Oulu

Ravintolamaailma Limingantulli

Bacaro Doppio Café

Pastel-coloured wooden Raksila

Traditional Icefishing at Oulu

Restaurant Harald

Koivuranta Sauna Boat Public Sauna

Lapland Hotels Oulu Conference and venue facilities

Winter Forest Adventure in Oulu

Nallikari Lighthouse

Single ticket to Reenis

Coffee House Café

Traditional Finnish sauna and hot tube

Conference and Banquet Facilities by Original Sokos Hotel ArinaOulu

Wooden Karjasilta from the reconstruction era

Room Escape Games

Wooden old town in Pikisaari Island

Varjakka industrial heritage site and nature trail

ChocoSomnia Factory tour&Tasting

Splash-tastic water activities in Oulu

Nature Power from a forest in Sanginjoki - Naturest Oy

Seniors' vacation: Break from everyday life

Restaurant Hugo

SuperPark Restaurant

Valkea Shopping Centre

Oulu Shop in Oulu Tourist Info

Northern Finland food experience

Mediterranean Restaurant

Letonniemi protected area and nature trail

ChocoTasting

Family autumn vacation: Break from everyday life

Ravintolamaailma Linnanmaa

Restaurant Mallassauna

Puuilo Vasaraperä

Spirits of Hearth and Home - Tonttu in Finnish Folklore

Rosso Restaurant Valkea

Tuba Food & Lounge

Winter cycling by fatbikes at Oulu

Meeting Day at the Maikkula Mansion

Go Arctic group activities - Inhouse Derby

A Unique Cafe Huvila in Oulu

Puuilo Rusko

Warjakka B&B Accommodation

Historical Rantakortteli blocks of Oulu

Many layers of history in Kuusiluoto

De Gamlas Hem Meetings and Events

Scandic Oulu Station

Oulu Art Museum

Design Shop Proto

Nordic Art Hotel Lasaretti's Venues

Kahvila Kiikku

Restaurant Nallikari

Photo North's gallery

Go Arctic activities - Craft upcycle workshop

Oulu Climbing Center

Koivuranta Floating Cafe

De Gamlas Hem Restaurant