Oulu

Introducing Oulu

Prosperous Oulu (Swedish: Uleåborg) is one of Finland's most enjoyable cities to visit. In summer the locals, who appreciate daylight when they get it, crowd the terraces around the marketplace, and stalls groan under the weight of Arctic berries and giant pans laden with all manner of delicious food.

The centre is spread across several islands, elegantly connected by pedestrian bridges, and the water never seems far away. This layout has made it very convenient for cycling, and Oulu's network of bike paths is one of the best in Europe.

Oulu, the largest city north of Tampere and the sixth-biggest in Finland, is also one of the world's foremost technology cities; the university turns out top-notch IT graduates and the corporate science and technology parks on the city's outskirts employ people from all over the globe. The centre of Oulu is even rigged up as a free wireless network, so you can check your emails from the terrace of the local pub.

But never fear, it's not all laptops and cycle lanes; this is Finland after all, and there's a good dollop of weirdness here, particularly in the summer season, when the World Air-Guitar Championships come to town!

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009