Oulu Tourist Places to Visit in Oulu, Finland, Europe

Oulu Tourist Places to Visit in Oulu, Finland, Europe

Oulu is one of the major cities of Finland located in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, around 220 km south of Rovaniemi and 605 km north of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is the 5^th most populous city in Finland and is noted as one of the ‘living labs’ in Europe due to the dwellers conducting test with latest technology.

Geography of Oulu:

The city of Oulu covers an area of 1,513.37 square kilometers and is positioned between latitude 65°01′ in the north and longitude 025°28′ in the east. Oulu experiences a subarctic climate with short and warm summers and cold and snowy winters and it receives an average annual precipitation of 433 mm.

History of Oulu:

The name of Oulu comes from the Oulujoki River. The King Charles IX of Sweden was the founder of Oulu, founded on April 9, 1605. From 1776 to 2009, Oulu served as the capital of former Oulu province.

How to reach Oulu?

Oulu is served by its own airport which is the 2^nd busiest in Finland, operating scheduled flights to Helsinki, Stockholm, Funchal, Alicante, Gran Canaria and seasonal flights to Chania and Tenerife.

Oulu also has good connectivity to Helsinki by train, especially Pendolino trains which takes around 6 hours and costs €72 per way.

By bus, it takes around 10 hours from Helsinki to Oulu and costs about €70-80. Tourists can refer Onnibus for economical journey.

Koskilinjat is the local bus operator in Oulu charging €3.30 per ticket within the city.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Oulu:

Oulu is the site of many grand festivals such as International Air Guitar Festival, Mieskuoro Huutajat, Oulu Music Video Festival, the Irish Festival of Oulu and the annual rock festival Qstock.

The main shopping options in Oulu include:

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Oulu Market Hall

List of the reputed restaurants in Oulu is as follows:

Indian Cuisine
Ravintola Uleaborg 1881
Sokeri-Jussin Kievari
Ravintola Hella

Things to do in Oulu:

Watching movies
Visiting library and museums
Swimming (Oulu Swimming Pool)
Festival celebrations

What to see in Oulu?

Oulu City Art Museum:

Oulu City Art Museum or Oulun Taidemuseo is located at Kasarmintie 7 near the city centre. This two story museum possesses a wide range of modern artworks and conducts eight exhibits per year. It is open for tourists from 10-17 (Tuesday-Sunday). The entrance fee is 3 Euros.

Science Centre Tietomaa:

Situated at Kasarmintie 7 in Oulu, Science Centre Tietomaa is considered as the 1^st science centre in the globe. Tourists can visit this special site between 10 and 19 (Monday and Sunday). The admission fee is €13 (adults) and €10 (children, 6-15).

Oulu Cathedral:

Constructed in 1777 with neoclassical architectural style, Oulu Cathedral is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral, designed by Daniel Hagman (initially). It was once burnt by fire in 1822 and was restored in 1832, designed by architect Carl Ludvig Engel.

List of other places of interest in Oulu includes:

Oulu City Hall
Merikoski Hydroelectric Dam
Oulu Market Hall
Mannerheim Park
Castle of Oulu
Oulu University
City Library
The Vehicle Museum
City Theatre
Northern Ostrobothnia museum
University of Oulu Botanical Gardens
The Arctic Gallery
Turkansaari
Technopolis
The Pateniemi Sawmill Museum
The F. M. Franzen memorial

When to visit Oulu?

The summer months (June, July and August) are best to enjoy holidays in Oulu.

Where to stay in Oulu?

Oulu is rich in culture, infrastructure and history as well as in hospitality industry with plenty of world class hotels with superior facilities and services. Rates for hotel rooms differ from hotel to hotel. The major hotels in Oulu are listed below: