In paid collaboration with - Arctic Lakeland Kainuu
Time of the visit: February Weather: Sunny/Cloudy/Snowstorm Temperature: -10-27°C Length of stay: 4 nights
I have visited different areas in Kainuu throughout my life during the summer. It was the time to finally experience this precious area during winter to test if it lives up to the summer season and the memories I have.
If you are looking for a new experience in this lovely region, Arctic Lakeland is a great website to plan your trip, discover different areas, and schedule activities for your trip. This was very helpful website for us prior to the trip.
Let’s go!
Region: Kajaani
Our trip started from Oulujärvi, which is the fifth largest lake in Finland. It was such a gorgeous weather and we arrived just in time for the sunset. We had a moment to enjoy this beautiful place before our dinner made out of local ingredients delivered to our accommodation. Dinner in a “floating” igloo on a frozen lake was definitely a first time for us! Afterward, we continued with a unique sauna experience on the frozen lake next to our igloo. Of course there were some auroras and a beautiful starry sky to enjoy from the window of the sauna.
The following day, we got picked up by our host Kaisa from Luonnollisesti Oulunjärvi. We hopped in the snowmobile sleigh and headed to collect the fish from the nets they set the previous night. After learning their techniques in winter fishing and enjoying this rewarding experience, we got a well-deserved coffee and snack break by the fire at Ärjänsaari, a gorgeous island in Oulunjärvi and a must-see place in summer. Also an excellent destination during wintertime.
Region: Paltamo
After a cold, but fun day on the lake, it was time to head towards our next destination in Paltamo. We made our way to the hilltop of Arctic Giant and were stunned by the views. Again we arrived just in time for the sunset and settled to our accommodation, which was definitely as distinctive as the first one. From the newly opened Aurora Birdhouse, we got to enjoy the sunset over the endless landscape. After the delicious dinner we hopped into our jacuzzi. We couldn't believe how lucky we were, as seconds after we jumped in, the sky filled with dancing northern lights. What a way to relax after a busy day!
Region: Puolanka
The next day we headed north to Ukkohalla ski area. This place is known for it’s amazing snow park in the winter and the summer possibilities including a cable park in the water.
We wanted to take a bit slower pace here and enjoy walking in the middle of those giant snow-covered trees. After some time in the woods we made it to the top of the ski hill, where you have a nice view point. It was soon lunchtime, and there was one more place that we wanted to see before it was getting dark. We took our car next to Komulanköngäs and head out to the campfire by the waterfall to enjoy a cup of coffee and heat up our sandwiches. The waterfall is a unique site in Finland, so I highly recommend stopping there if you're passing by. Due to the cold winter months, the waterfall was under the ice and snow.
It got late and a massive snowstorm arrived while we made our way to our accommodation Lake Resort Paljakka. Because of the storm, we decided to stay at our cabin for the evening. It was a good idea as it got really extreme out there. Luckily we had our cozy cabin with a hot jacuzzi outside to witness one of the heaviest snowstorms I've seen in Finland.
Region: Hossa
Our morning started with an early departure towards Hossa National Park. The fresh snow on the road made the drive to an activity in itself. We made it to Hossa and picked up e-bikes from Kainuun Luontoretket and headed towards the parking. It was obvious very fast that it would have been too much to ask to reach our planned destination Värikallio. Luckily there are plenty of campsites around, so we quickly came up with a plan-b. We didn’t go for a long trip due to the new snow, but definitely enjoyed every meter of it. We stopped at Lihapyörre for a little tea break and made a fire to cook some lunch.
As we made it back from the bike adventure, we had a traditional sautéed reindeer meal waiting for us at Hossan Poropuisto. It was nice to sit down with the family and hear some stories of their traditions and life in the area.
Loma-Hossa must have heard about our biking adventure as they had heated up a sauna for us to enjoy. It is located by a lake, so obviously we needed to go dip in the frozen lake as well. We had a very pleasant stay in their new Naava cabin nearby.
Region: Vuokatti
We arrived in Vuokatti, the final destination of our trip. It was time to get to know the area a little bit, so we decided to give e-biking another chance. We picked up bikes from Vuokatti Ski Service and explored the town before heading to the top of Vuokatti Hill for the sunset. This time the beautiful peak didn’t get the golden glow from the setting sun, however we had a fun adventure on the bikes.
After our biking tour we arrived to the wonderful accommodation Haapala B&B. After getting settled to our room and grabbing some dinner, it was time to visit Haapala’s unique sauna. This newly finished handcrafted sauna gave a magnificent löyly and had a very nice atmosphere.
Vuokatti story continues on the next blog post…
So does it live up to it’s reputation as an amazing destination also in the winter?
Kainuu is an excellent destination for a winter holiday. You have the arctic vibes and possibility to do all the winter activities half of the traveling time from Southern Finland. This is definitely an undiscovered treasure. That’s why you usually don’t have to be queuing anywhere… yet! The amount of snow and those heavy snowstorms during our stay, proved that this area is usually guaranteed to have snow.
People from Kainuu are very friendly. You can also see that they are passioned about what they do. We always had a warm welcome and jokes were thrown right of the bat. Something that you can’t find everywhere.
We really enjoyed our stay and found many new nice places that will make us come back!
