North-central Finland

Introducing North-central Finland

This central swathe of Finland, taking up the area between the lake-riddled south and the ice-wrapped north, is a typically Finnish combination of wilderness, industry and welcoming townships. Kajaani is a good place to start, especially in early summer when the International Jazz Festival takes place. Further east, Kuhmo is a good trailhead for those looking to tackle the UKK hiking trail and return to their workaday lives with tales of bears, wolves and the world's biggest mosquitoes. The Baltic town of Oulu to the east is a lovely spot set on a group of small islands and worth a visit for its hep uni/tech town vibe. To the northeast, Kuusamo is much more a frontier town and a offers easy access to the beautiful Oulanka National Park. No trip to this neck of the Finnish woods should end without a tour on the Arctic icebreaker Sampo, a trip that grinds its way out of Kemi harbour, December to April, for a jaunt around the Gulf of Bothnia.