Kajaani – Trails, River History and Culture

Kajaani offers a variety of travel experiences: hiking trails wind through coniferous forests and varied terrain, there is a dedicated network of trails in winter, and the city’s history is evident in places such as the castle and tar canal. Art and literature round out these discoveries. When planning your stay, you can decide whether you would rather spend most of your time outdoors or focus more on Kajaani’s cultural history.

Trails between forest and river

The Pöllyvaara hiking trail is in Teppana, about 1 kilometre from the centre of Kajaani. It passes through an old, atmospheric coniferous forest and varied terrain. The distance given refers to the trail’s location in relation to the centre; it is not the length of the hiking route. If you are interested in forest landscapes, this offers a clear contrast with the other routes described.

The trail from Pöllyvaara to Lukkarinnurmi is about 10 kilometres long. It has two shelters: Aurinkolaavu in Pöllyvaara and the Lukkarinnurmi shelter. Both are maintained by the Nakertaja-Hetteenmäki Village Association. These named places and shelters make it easy to distinguish this longer route from the other hiking options.

Kajaani also has a network of hiking trails in winter. It covers about 20 kilometres and runs from Kaupunginlampi via Lohtaja and Huuhkajanvaara to Vimpelinvaara. There, it forms a circular route about 4 kilometres long. If you are planning to include some winter activity in your trip, these figures give you an idea of the network’s extent and the marked loop.

The Renforsin round-trip trail offers a different kind of route. It runs close to the river, along cycle paths and park trails. The path is wide and level throughout, with no steep ascents or descents. It is also suitable for people with reduced mobility and older people. If a level route is a particular priority when choosing a trail, you can take these features into account.

Castle, tar canal and culture

Kajaani Castle was built at a rapid on the Kajaani River between 1604 and 1619, on the orders of Charles IX. Its castle ruins are a cultural landmark dating from the 17th century and are protected under the Finnish Antiquities Act. Alongside its trails, Kajaani therefore offers a historic site at the heart of a visit to the city.

The tar canal is also located on the Kajaani River and is the only operating tar canal in the world. Beside it stands Lussitupa, the former lock keeper’s house. The canal and the house offer two different points of connection with the river’s history: the still-operating tar canal and, beside it, the former lock keeper’s house.

In Paltaniemi, the Eino Leino House stands on the shore of Lake Oulujärvi. The memorial building is modelled on Eino Leino’s birthplace in Hövelö and tells the life stories of Finnish writers Elias Lönnrot and Eino Leino. For those interested in literature, it connects the memory of both authors with a specific place on the lakeshore.

The Kajaani Art Museum presents a varied annual selection of contemporary art and art history that is of interest both nationally and internationally. Together with the castle, tar canal and Eino Leino House, the museum offers another way to explore Kajaani: through art and literature as well as the city’s history. Families and other travellers can choose what interests them rather than focusing their stay on just one type of experience.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Kajaani, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: trails and landscapes, winter routes, or cultural history, literature and art. The city brings these diverse themes together in a destination that can be explored in very different ways, depending on your interests.

More places to discover: Ruhtinansalmi, Suomussalmi, Vuokatti, Sotkamo, Hossa, Puolanka, Ristijärvi, Vaala.

For the main travel overview: Kainuu.