Oulu

In Sweden (to which Finland belonged from the 1300s to 1809), a "Kronomagasin" was a state-administered warehouse in which grain and other foodstuffs collected as tax were stored. Unfortunately, one can't go inside the warehouse any more since today it functions as an office for an architecture company. It is worth checking out from the outside though, the old wooden building sticks out amusingly from the 1980s apartment buildings and offers a reminder of the historical aspects of the city.

The Finnish Co-educational Lycée of Oulu was established and opened in 1902 as a private Finnish-language lycée. It was the first co-educational upper secondary school in Oulu, a progressive learning institution at the time since both boys and girls studied in the same school. The students of today keep up the progressive spirit in the school with a wide distribution of information on gender and sexual neutrality and diversity. The school is said to have the best team spirit in Oulu. Nowadays the school also is one of the most appreciated upper secondary school in the city and it emphasizes wide-scale art education. As pretty as it is from the inside, not entering the building without a reason is appreciated since it is reserved for students doing their schoolwork. You can admire the building from the outside. The school building was finished in 1908, and the Jugend style building is a rare find in town. As well as many other buildings in Oulu, the school is said to be haunted. There is also a quarter of pretty wooden buildings and a big park with a children's traffic playground near the school.

The Sailor’s Home Museum is on the idyllic island of Pikisaari near downtown Oulu. The museum is in the oldest surviving wooden building in Oulu, also known as Matila House, and is the former home of sailor Isak Matilainen.

The urban artwork "Mörkökivi" is known amongst the locals, but not so much advertised to travellers. The reason probably is that it is not an official artwork, the artist is unknown, and, to be fair, it is just a simple stone with some paint on it. Yet it is a sympathetic little artwork, even said to be "The pole of Oulu" (figuratively) by some. It depicts a Moomin character "The Groke" and is on the top of the bigger-than-average-sized hill (for the flat terrain of the seaside city of Oulu, that is). Definitely not the most touristic attraction (or actually virtually unknown), but still liked by most locals. Best to use an appropriate map to find a route!

The Blue House is the former home of the Finnish teacher, ethnographer and writer Samuli Paulaharju. Paulaharju lived there from his birth in 1919 until his death in 1944. The year of construction of the house is unknown, but the log structure of the house is probably from the end of the 19th century, and the house is said to be haunted. The building sticks out from the newer, blocky apartment buildings well. Again, not the biggest attraction for tourists, but if you have some extra time and are interested in history, be sure to check out the building.

The historic northern part of the city centre offers architecture from the 19th century, by architects like Carl Ludvig Engel and Johan Jacob Ahrenberg. In order to see chraming, old wooden buildings, head out to the neighbourhoods of Raksila and Pikisaari. The Kasarmi neighbourhood offers some historically important buildings since it used to be a barrack area, built in 1881.
Most of older Tuira has already been torn down, but some old hospital buildings still remain in the Tuiranpuisto park.
Catch the bus number 23 to the nearby town of Ii to see the old neighbourhood of Iin Hamina. The buildings there are built right next to each other, creating small alleyways between the houses.
For newer architecture, the neighbourhood of Toppilansaari is a go-to destination. It is under construction, so expect to see cranes at work. The same goes for the newer part of the Hiukkavaara neighborhood.

Turkansaari is a nice open air museum with pretty old wooden buildings showing glimpses of local history. The museum is located on three islands in the Oulujoki River 12 km upstream from downtown Oulu. The museum is the second-oldest open air museum in Finland. It was established in 1925 when the island's wooden church dating back to 1694 was restored to its original location. The museum islands host a number of old buildings relocated to the museum to save them from demolition. When the weather permits, coming to the outdoor museum by bicycle is recommended. The total distance from the city centre is 16 km.

Said to be the prettiest church in Oulu, and definitely stands out from its surroundings.

A museum of industrial history in Oulu. The museum is in an old drydock storage building.

Built in 1908, the Oulujoki church is the only remaining wooden jugend church in Northern Finland. It is pretty, and a common wedding church. You can visit the church via Sunday masses at 10:00.

Plays in Finnish.

Completed in 2007, Plaza movie theatre features one of the biggest movie screens in Finland. Most of the movies shown on theater's eight screens are original English versions and are subtitled in Finnish and Swedish, though some children's movies are dubbed in Finnish.

The oldest still functioning (yet very modern) movie theatre in Oulu, Star movie theatre features 3D digital movies. Most of the movies shown on the theatre's three screens are original English versions and are subtitled in Finnish and Swedish, though some children's movies are dubbed in Finnish. Star was nominated as Finland's most disabled-friendly establishment in 2007.

From the French word trottoir, meaning pedestrian street, this is the main shopping street of the city a place for live entertainment mainly during summertime, but also on weekends all year round. Part of the street was renovated and refitted with heating in 2011, which should keep the street ice free even during the coldest winter months.

A summer visit is preferred. Here you can find is the most known beach in the city. There is also the small "amusement park" Vauhtipuisto nearby, as well as minigolf, camping and a restaurant. The area is under construction as of July 2024, but you can still visit there.

In the summer, rent a bike or walk to the beach in Tuira on the north side of the river Oulujoki, a popular place with locals, passing through Ainola park and over the dam on the way. From there head eastwards, crossing back to the south side of the river and onwards to Värttö. Visit Koivurannan kahvila in an old house by the river, Kasamintie 51. Then head back to the centre for a total 8-km trip or take the bus number 7, 9 or 10 back to the centre.

A floating public sauna, open in summer. Run by volunteer workers.

Vauhtipuisto amusement park is a family hangout, a fun park in Hietasaari area close to downtown of Oulu that is created for all children and childlike minded. Vauhtipuisto creates memorable experiences and offers a large variety of rides and attractions for the youngest members of the family and for the bit older ones. Vauhtipuisto doesn't offer as thrilling experiences as a proper amusement park, but it is a nice place to visit, especially for those with small children. Admission to the park area is free. Admission to attractions is either by individual ticket or by a wristband. The core and the main attraction of Vauhtipuisto has from the very beginning been a little playground for the little ones offering impulses for games, playful interaction and do-it-yourself activities and experiences. You can find bouncy castles, a mini train, merry-go-rounds, car tracks, mini roller coaster, fairytale track, a Kakaravaara playhouse village and many more exciting things.

A small skiing centre in the suburbs of Oulu. Features regular slopes, children's slopes and two snowparks for freestyle skiing. You can spend a day in the winter if you are a beginner downhill skier or just want to do something physical for a day. Not exactly a skiing trip destination, since the hill is only 50 m tall and the longest slope is 390 m. In the summer, Oulu Action Park operates some activities (such as paintball and gravity races) there, but the main focus is on the skiing centre.

A disc golf track in the suburb of Toppila. Bring your own frisbees.

A climbing centre inside the former power station building of the former Toppila pulp mill in Meri-Toppila, Oulu. A fun and safe climbing experience for everyone. Features a bouldering hall with 300 m² of climbing wall and warm-up room, campus board, fingerboards, gymnastic rings and a smaller separate training wall and an Autobelay wall with five lines for climbers that go all the way to 12 m. The rope hall is 16 m high and you can climb both top rope and lead.

A considerably expensive "adventure park" near the main swimming pool of Oulu. The park's courses are mainly many metres up on the trees where you move with, e.g., cable ropes. A fun and exciting experience for everyone.

The Oulu River delta offers an exceptionally good frame for stand-up paddling and kayaking, so why not try it out? The boards/kayaks are easily rented in either Kiikeli or Nallikari, although the former one has better selection. Use the internet reserving system (http://www.lappis.fi/index.php/sup-varaus-online/) or call the renting company to assure that there are boards available for you.

A zipline near the beach in Nallikari. It runs for 250 m along the shoreline. It starts from a 20-m-high tower and ends near the Nallikari lighthouse. It is possible for two people to go at the same time.

A "water park" meaning a floated obstacle course in the Oulu river delta. Right next to the Oulu castle ruins and cafe, so you can get a coffee or a cold beer after!

The forests surrounding river Sanginjoki are a popular trekking site near Oulu. Old-growth forest and a fishy river with nice rapids. Fishing requires permission. Having exceptional nature values there are plans to form a large nature reserve here.

Public pool and gym. Renovated in 2010. The closest public pool to downtown. Pools include children's pool, teaching pool, two 25 meter pools and a cold-water pool.

The newest swimming pool, opened in 2025. Pools include fitness pool, activity pool, teaching pool and kids' pool.

Pelibunkkeri is a small arcade. Megazone is a futuristic laser tag adventure. Open rounds against random players, group reservations are welcome too.

Over twenty bowling lanes near the city centre. €15-18 per hour per lane, plus €2.50 for shoe rental. Also pool and snooker tables.

Indoor activity park for all the family. The Freestyle Hall boasts a skate and scooting park, the extremely popular AirTrack tumble track, and a range of ramps and trampolines. The Game Arena features a hockey radar, disc golf, and basketball for those with a competitive streak. The Adventure Area has climbing walls, exhilarating slides, and a pedal car track. SuperPark Oulu also has a play area called Adventure City for small children.

A central, space-themed bowling alley.