The City of Oulu is on the Gulf of Bothnia and the capital of northern Finland. The Oulu Region is the fastest growing region in Finland. The City of Oulu itself has over 137,000 inhabitants. Nowadays the region is well known for its technology, the hi-tech growth having started after the establishment of Oulu University in 1958. There are two science parks in the region: Technopolis Plc, Scandinavia's first science park, and Medipolis Ltd., as well as a technology centre, Ii Micropolis Ltd. The region is home to many hi-tech companies, such as Nokia, and the sector currently employs over 10,000 people.


Oulu is truly a summer city. Within walking distance of the hotels you have all the best bits of this arctic city. The market place, market hall, shopping and history.

What you can see and do in Oulu.

Today the people of Oulu design software, produce the finest paper in the world, do business all over the world and provide high quality services for each other and the many tourists visiting the region.

Walking in the Oulu city centre.
A walk takes you from the old monumental centre to the new one. You can see where the long narrow boats full of tar barrels landed, the old storehouses and the market hall guarded by the statue of a policeman.


Art tour
This tour takes you to the heart of the local arts scene in the Oulu Region. You visit KulttuuriKauppila Art Centre, Saarela Sculpture Park and the Oulu Museum of Arts (OMA). KulttuuriKauppila was the dream of three artists, a dream of a new kind of art home. The atelier and exhibition house is a studio for local artists Sanna Koivisto, Helena Kaikkonen and Antti Ylönen. The Sculpture Park of Saarela is where you can experience sculptures surrounded by the beautiful Finnish countryside beside the River Oulujoki.


City Art Gallery
This unique art gallery is located on the edge of the beautiful Ainola Park and within walking distance from the city centre. The Art Museum's old section represents industrial architecture of the early 1900's. The building has been part of a larger real estate of the leather factory "Veljekset Åström Oy". The radical renovation project was realized and the outcome is an architectural post-modern creation which unites the old, massive, industrial edifice with the new, light section. The result is an interesting, all-encompassing environmental dialogue.

Midnight Sun canoeing from the city centre
How about a night-time canoeing trip? It will give you an opportunity to get to know the city of Oulu and the river Oulujoki delta from the water. Along the route, you will see a number of interesting sights and may be surprised by how close the wilderness is to the city. Enjoy the silence and the beautiful light of the midnight sun.


Tar boat cruise to Turkansaari open air museum
Take a Tar boat cruise along the River Oulujoki to the Turkansaari Open Air Museum where you can have an interesting tour around the island that used to be a marketplace for the Russian merchants who were not allowed to come closer to the city of Oulu. Here they met local people for business.
During the time of great wooden sailing vessels Oulu was the world leading city of tar exporting. Ships all over the world were protected by Finnish tar that made them waterproofed.

The Stone Age Center Kierikki
A trip to Kierikki Stone Age Centre gives its guests a rare peak to the life of humans 7000 years ago. During the trip group will explore the dwellings of the Stone Age and have a chance to practice ancient archery and other activities and tasks. The centre is north-east of Oulu on an archaeological site of a former Stone Age settlement.

Smoke sauna experience
This is a great opportunity to experience the traditional sauna experience by the river Jolosjoki. For preparation we need to bind the Sauna vihta, a leafy bunch of branches of silver birch to gently beat oneself in the Sauna. This has a relaxing effect on the muscles and the blood circulation. As part of the sauna experience you will have an opportunity to dip into the clear waters of the Jolosjoki River.

Nordic walking in The Rokua National Park
In Rokua it is possible to experience the magnificent landscape of Northern Finland. Clean air and the exceptional nature of Rokua provide excellent opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking, skiing and fishing. The excellent skiing and hiking routes, of the Rokua National Park and the Suppa guiding centre make the region Rokua one of the most popular holiday destinations for nature lovers and active travellers.

White water rafting at River Tornio
For a taste of adventure why not shoot Kukkola Rapids on the River Tornio. This is the largest river in Northern Europe and forms the border river between Finland and Sweden.

Visit to the Arctic Circle and Rovaniemi
Why not take a day trip to meet Santa Claus and to cross the magical Arctic Circle. During the trip you will also visit a Lappish reindeer farm and enjoy delicious lunch in an authentic atmosphere.

The Ranua Wildlife Park
Visit the Ranua Wildlife Park and see some arctic animals. The park is inhabited by fifty wild animals but, in the summer there is also a Park of Domestic Animals. You can't see the Polar bear on the streets of Oulu, but in Ranua you can meet this impressive symbol of Arctic zones.

A Ride in a Hot Air Baloon
Flying in a hot air balloon to get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Oulu Region landscapes.

Science Center Tietomaa
Enjoy the fantastic exhibition in the Science Center Tietomaa which offers fun and excitement for all ages. The changing theme exhibitions consist of over 150 exhibits, and there is also a magnificent super screen theatre and a glass elevator with a view over Oulu. You can enjoy yourself exploring the science centre all day! For more info, please, visit www.tietomaa.fi

Oulu Museum of Art (OMA)
An art year in the OMA consists of changing exhibitions and the museum's permanent collections. The art museum arranges events such as workshops, lectures and guided tours. The location of the museum is almost a hundred years old. It’s idyllic industrial milieu gives an exquisite framework to museum’s versatile program. A walk from the centre to the museum takes only five minutes. For more information please visit www.ouka.fi/taidemuseo

The museum of Northern Ostrobothnian
The prehistoric time of Finland can be divided into three ages: the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. In Finland the prehistoric time started around 9000 B.C., when the first inhabitants arrived after the Ice Ages. The prehistoric department tells for instance about the great significance of the seal in hunter gatherers' lives. For more information please visit www.ouka.fi/ppm

Sports & Karting Center
Oulu Sports & Karting Center is the newest indoor karting track in Finland. We are modern high class event center with versatile entertainment and meeting possibilities for both companies and private persons. Come to have speedy and enjoyable karting race. Our race programs include safety and driving guidance, qualifications and exciting finals. For more information please visit www.sportskartingcenter.fi

Getting there

A great way to enjoy the Gulf of Bothnia and all it’s city ports is to sail around it by cruise ship. Ask your local travel provider for cruise lines featuring this interesting and under visited part of the Baltic coast.


Oulu Airport is 10.6 kilometres (6.6 miles) south-west of the city centre. The airport is the second busiest in Finland after Helsinki’s Vantaa Airport. There are over 20 flights to and from Helsinki each day. In addition, you can fly direct from Oulu to Riga, Tampere, Rovaniemi and Kemi-Tornio.

For more information about Oulu please visit www.visitoulu.fi

Incoming Groups and Individuals

If you have a group or even an individual who wants to visit the region and needs ground arrangements in Oulu please contact Baltic Gateway by clicking on www.balticgate.pl.