Kainuu is a region in Northern Finland. For practical purposes, the easternmost parts of Northern Ostrobothnia are also included in this article. Natural landscapes are omnipresent – this is the region where people go to see wildlife of the deep forests. But there are also historical and cultural attractions; the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival draws a big audience from all of Finland and from abroad.
Kainuu and the Eastern Oulu region is a peaceful and natural place with little or no pollution problems. In fact, Kainuu was one of the first regions in Finland to start taking care of the environment and nature and stop consuming natural resources. Nature is omnipresent and outdoor activities in the wilderness are present in the daily life of most people. Even in the largest city Kajaani, you do not have to travel far from the city centre to the forest.
The winters can be harsh, with heavy snowfall and cold temperatures; in Kiutaköngäs has been recorded (typical winter temperatures are much more moderate, though). For wilderness adventures in winter, use a programme service or an appointed guide (check in advance whether you need any preparations yourself), or be sure you know what you are doing. Day trips along trails are often possible independently also in winter, in good weather (but check forecasts and what to expect from the trail itself).
Like in most of Finland, English is widely spoken. Since Kainuu region neighbours Russia, some places also offer service in Russian, at least near the Russian border.
There are flights from Helsinki-Vantaa to Kajaani Airport 📍 (IATA: KAJ) and Kuusamo Airport 📍 (IATA: KAO). The eastern north-south line of the Finnish train network connects Kajaani to southern Finland, and there are also trains from Oulu. Further north, intercity bus is the only mode of transportation if you aren't driving. The Finnish road network is dense and the roads are generally in good shape.
From Russia there are the border crossings of Vartius 📍 from Kostomuksha and Kuusamo 📍 (Kuusamo-Суоперя) from northernmost Russian Karelia. There are no passenger trains over the border at Vartius.
The main road to the region from the south is highway 5 from Helsinki via Savonia and Iisalmi to Kajaani, Hyrynsalmi, Suomussalmi and Kuusamo, and on to Kemijärvi. Road 81 leads from Rovaniemi to Kuusamo, road 78 via Posio to Pudasjärvi. Road 20 leads from Oulu to Pudasjärvi, Taivalkoski and Kuusamo, road 22 to Utajärvi, Vaala, Paltamo and Kajaani. Road 28 leads from Kokkola via Kärsämäki and Pyhäntä towards Kajaani.
See Matkahuolto for coaches. E.g.:
There are a couple of daily coaches along the major highways. Most towns and municipalities have connections from Oulu, Kajaani or both at least once a day. In weekdays of the school year bus connections are more frequent, but in weekends and in summer services are reduced. If you do not have your own car and need to get to a more remote place, you might need to take a taxi. Long taxi rides aren't uncommon in Northern Finland.
See Matkahuolto for normal coach and bus connections. See also Kajaanin seudun joukkoliikenne for public service obligation regional bus routes.
Trains stop only in Kajaani, Kontiomäki and Paltamo, but they may be useful if you travel between those.
You will see endless forests and bogs, and – if you're lucky – wildlife. Bears, wolves, wolverines, elk (moose), and wild forest reindeer (Finnish: peura, not poro which is domesticated) all have significant populations in the area. In fact, many nature documentaries have been filmed in the forests of Kuhmo, where population density of wild bears and wolves are high. For western bird watchers, these forests are home to some eastern species not easily spotted elsewhere outside Russia.
In winter the northern part of the area get the heaviest annual snowfall in Finland. Snow cover over one meter thick is just normal.
There are also cultural sights:
The Kuivajärvi 📍 and Hietajärvi 📍 villages in Suomussalmi as well as a the small Rimpi 📍 village in Kuhmo were important for the Karelianism movement: they are the only villages in modern-day Finland that contributed to the Kalevala, and they were visited by ethnologists and artists developing the image of the genuine historic Finnish culture. The three villages are included to the Finnish list of nationally significant built cultural environments.
Kainuu is a very safe region. However, outside cities you should be aware of the implications of long distances and cold weather in season.
If you're coming from the south you'll probably continue all the way to Lapland. If you have a valid visa (or don't need one), Russian Karelia is located east of Kainuu.
Related Wikipedia article: Kainuu
Related Wikipedia article: Northern Ostrobothnia