Understand
Oulu is the capital of the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. It is the sixth largest city in Finland, and the largest and most important in Northern Finland. Oulu is known for its high-tech nature, with wireless internet access in the city center and IT companies, including Nokia, in nearby areas.
Get in
By plane
Oulu Airport is the busiest in the country after Helsinki, and the Helsinki-Oulu sector is the country's most popular domestic flight with frequent services (almost 20 flights per day each way) on Finnair and Blue1. A fully flexible return economy ticket costs a whopping 251€ but an advance-purchase non-changeable one-way ticket can go as low as 39€. There are also some services to Rovaniemi, Kemi and Stockholm.
Bus 19 (~4€) connects the airport to the city center in 20 minutes. A taxi will cost you around 20€ for the same distance.
By train
Oulu is on the railway main line between Helsinki and Rovaniemi. The fastest Pendolino trains complete the journey in 5 hours 45 minutes (68€), while direct sleepers take around 9 hours (60€ plus optional sleeper). The newest type of sleeper train carriages have a shower and a toilet in each 2-person cabin.
By bus
Trip duration from Helsinki varies between 9,5 and 15 hours and costs around 70-80€. Timetable and information from Matkahuolto
Get around
Public transportation is operated by Koskilinjat.
See
Do
Rotuaari, from the french word 'trottoar', means pedestrian street, is a place for live entertainment mainly during summertime, but also at weekends all year round. For lovers of garlic and masquarade parties the annual valkosipuliyö (garlic night) in the end of July is recommended and also happens on Rotuaari. Please notice also the international air guitar festival, which happens in the beginning of August.
Also to see is the science centre 'Tietomaa', which is the world's first science centre. Unfortunately a 'social invention' such as a science centre wasn't to be patented and the idea was copied all over the world.
For beach lions and other meoowing creatures Nallikari and sea resort Eden is highly recommended. Summer visit is preferred, but you can bathe outside all year round in Eden's cozy temperature of +26°C. A bones chilling dip in a freezing river of Oulu can also be made in a maauimala in Tuira, Oulu all year round. Merely familiar swimming halls for refreshment are located in Raksila and Raatti.
Quite close to Raatti swimming hall are the remaining ruins of the Castle of Oulu. Their café, Linnankahvila is open daily during summertime. It lies on the remaining premises of the Castle of Oulu after the explosion of gunpowder deposit (by a bulb of lightning) in the 18th century.
Buy
Finland's biggest Pizzas are served in Oulu's Pizzeria Romeo.
Eat
Oulu is a place for eating pizza and other fast foods. For as low as 3-4€ you can get a greasy pie with your choice of (usually three) toppings.
For more upscale dining, restaurants such as Sassi (at the Radisson SAS hotel near the marketplace and the waterfront) and Fransmanni (at the recently-built Arina hotel in the town center) provide. There is of course the Pannu pizza joint in town - up-market trendy pizzas for the discerning.
Drink
Sleep
Stay Safe
Oulu is on the whole a very safe city, but can get risky in the small hours of the morning. There have been a series of rapes in some of the parks around the city centre, and it is not advisable to walk around alone late.
Get out
Oulu () (Uleåborg in Swedish) is a city and municipality of about 130,000 inhabitants in the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland and the sixth largest city in the country. Its population growth rate is almost comparable with that of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are Air Guitar World Championships, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as Screaming Men), and the now defunct metal band Sentenced. The Oulu Music Video Festival (originally the host of the Air Guitar Championships) is also a significant event. The annual music festival Qstock has risen to acclaim in the past few years; headlining the 2006 festival were UK's Motörhead.
History
Oulu was founded on April 8 1605 by King Karl IX of Sweden opposite the castle built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat attack via the main east-west waterway, the river Oulu. The surrounding areas were populated much earlier. Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of Oulu River, which is an ancient trading site. One source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater, but there are other suggestions. Oulu has been the capital of Oulu province since 1776.
In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neo-classical (empire style) buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for the rebuilding of the city. With minor changes, this plan remains the basis for the layout of Oulu's town center. Oulu Cathedral was built in 1832 to his designs, with the spire being finished in 1844.
From being a town known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major centre of competence in the field of high technology, particularly IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries are wood refining, paper and steel industry. The University of Oulu is located 6 km north of the city center. Oulu Airport, located in neighbouring municipality of Oulunsalo, is the second busiest in Finland.
Sights
Other points of interest
Nightlife
Cultural life
The cultural life in Oulu is rich and varied. There are many artists, writers and musicians resident in the city. A variety of concerts, both rock, classical music, and jazz, as well as other cultural events take place each year; for example, the Oulu Music festival in winter, the Oulunsalo Music Festival in summer, and the International Children's Film Festival in November. Many people who have made a significant contribution to the cultural and political life of Finland have been born in Oulu, for example, the composer Leevi Madetoja, and the writer Paavo Rintala. The former President of the state, Martti Ahtisaari also went to school there, attending the Oulu Lyceum.
Transportation
Air
Oulu is served by Oulu Airport, the second biggest airport in Finland by passenger volume. There are non-stop scheduled flights to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (around 18 daily flights with Finnair and Blue1), Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (1 daily with Blue1) and Rovaniemi Airport (1 daily with Finnair) as well as charter flights to Southern Europe, Canary Isles and starting from next winter, to Phuket in Thailand.
Oulu Airport can be reached by bus number 19 from the centre of the city and Technopolis.
Sea
Port of Oulu is one of the busiest harbours within the Bothnian Bay. Port of Oulu includes four separate harbour areas: Vihreäsaari oil and bulk docks, Nuottasaari docks, Oritkari docks and the Toppila docks.
Rail
The shortest travel time from Oulu Railway Station to Helsinki Central Railway Station is 5 h 44 mins, operated by VR. There are also night trains with beds taking 8-11 hours; the newest night train cars are double deckers and have showers and toilets in the cabins. Other destinations include, for instance, Kolari, Rovaniemi, Seinäjoki and Tampere.
Road
Sports
Oulu's ice hockey team Kärpät have won Finnish Ice Hockey League Championships four times (1981, 2004, 2005 and 2007). They have also won silver of European champion two times, 2004, 2005.
The Football club AC Oulu represents the city in the Veikkausliiga.
Most important employers (2006)
Trivia
An amusing feature of the downtown landscape has been, for years, a certain piece of graffiti. The words "paska kaupunni" have been repeatedly written on a wall on Uusikatu street, between the bars PSK Kaupunni (formerly Linnankrouvi) and HTC (formerly Cuba). The graffito has survived countless overpaintings, sometimes appearing with an added N. A recent variation read "paska kaupunni", as seen on paskakaupunni.com. Paska kaupunki means "shitty city" with the word "city" ("kaupunki") misspelt to mimic the local dialect, and is probably a reference to a song by Oulu-born Finnish rock musician and author Kauko Röyhkä.
Oulu, Wisconsin, Oulu's namesake in the United States, is a small town with a population of about 540.
Town twinning
Sister cities
Friendship cities
External links
