Discover Kainuu: cheese bread, culture and nature

Kainuu is the northernmost part of the Lakeland region; the area’s tourism destinations work together under the name Arctic Lakeland. The destination combines regional cuisine with music, literature and nature experiences. When planning your trip, it is worth considering places according to the topics that interest you most: culture in Kuhmo, national parks in Sotkamo and Suomussalmi, or summer trips on the lakes.

Juustoleipä and festivals

Juustoleipä is a regional speciality of Kainuu. Ristijärvi hosts the Juustoleipämessut every year, with the regional cheese bread at its heart. This turns a culinary speciality into a specific reason to travel. The exact event dates may vary; check the dates for your travel year.

Kuhmo adds music to the event calendar: the Sommelo folk music festival takes place there every year around the turn of June and July and also includes courses. The two-week Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival is held in July and attracts thousands of music lovers. As the exact dates and programmes may change, check the latest information before planning your trip around them.

Kuhmo: literature and Kalevala heritage

Kuhmo is Finland’s only City of Literature in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Kalevala Centre Juminkeko preserves and promotes the cultural heritage associated with the Kalevala. The Runolaulu Academy is a cultural and research centre for rune singing and related forms of singing and music. Together, these institutions showcase different cultural highlights of Kuhmo: Kalevala heritage on the one hand, and rune singing and related musical forms on the other.

Kainuu’s museums also offer a glimpse into different aspects of the region: they cover history, art, literature and life in Kainuu across several centuries. Visitors wishing to include culture in their trip will find, alongside recurring festivals, themes spanning several eras.

Cycling and cross-country skiing through the seasons

Kainuu has cycling and mountain biking routes for both leisurely outings and more challenging rides. The range makes it easier to choose the kind of cycling experience you want: you can use the level of challenge as a planning criterion rather than assuming all routes are alike. Hossa has a variety of mountain biking routes throughout the year; trail conditions vary by season.

In winter, cross-country ski trails in all Kainuu municipalities are in very good condition. However, winter conditions differ from year to year. If cross-country skiing is an important part of your trip, check current conditions before making specific plans.

Natural attractions in different locations

Hiidenportti National Park lies in the southeast of Sotkamo municipality, right on the border with Kuhmo and Valtimo. Hossa National Park is in the north of Suomussalmi municipality, between Highway 5 (E63) and the Suomussalmi–Murtovaara road (No. 843). Parts of the park also extend into Kuusamo and Taivalkoski. At Hiidenportti, its location on the municipal border is a key point of reference; at Hossa, the roads and the park’s extension beyond Suomussalmi are notable geographical features.

Summer trips and industrial heritage

In July, the steamboat Kouta regularly runs cruises on Lake Oulujärvi to Paltaniemi and Ärjänsaari. As this is a seasonal service, check the current sailing days if you would like to include these trips in your plans.

The Kajaaninjoki tar canal is in Kajaani: it is the only tar canal still in operation in the world. Rowing demonstrations take place there in summer; their dates may vary. Turjanlinna in Suomussalmi is also visited on a seasonal trip. The former home of writer Ilmari Kianto is visited as part of guided summer cruises on Lake Kiantajärvi; cruise dates may vary.

Choose a holiday rental to suit your travel interests

Focus your holiday rental search on the highlights you want to shape your trip: Kuhmo brings together several of the cultural attractions and festivals mentioned above, while the distinct locations of Hiidenportti and Hossa provide useful points of reference for nature-focused trips. If you are interested in summer trips, include the dates of seasonal services in your plans. This way, you can choose where to stay based on the experiences that matter to you, rather than treating Kainuu as one uniform itinerary.

Discover more areas in Kainuu: Ristijärvi, Suomussalmi, Vuokatti, Vaala, Sotkamo, Hyrynsalmi, Ruhtinansalmi, Hossa, Jormua, Kajaani, Paltamo, Puolanka.

For the broader travel overview: Finland.