Oulu Sights and Landmarks Guide, Finland

Oulu, Finland - Sights

If you decide to travel to Oulu, Finland for a vacation, you will have no problem finding something to do, because they have a lot of sights that you can visit and see.

One of these is the City Hall, which was finished in 1887, and was once the refinement and culture center of the northern part of Finland with imposing restaurants and halls.  The wooden restaurant and hotel Seurahuone, which was on the City Hall's site, burned down in the 1822 Oulu fire, along with the assembly hall, which was the only one in town.  Soon afterwards, they built a neo-Renaissance palace of stone, where the assembly hall played a key role in its design work.

The Oulu Market Square is one of the oldest, as it dates back to the 1700s.  The Toripolliisi policeman statue was created by Kaarlo Mikkonen during 1986.  During the summer, you can take a cruise in the sea right from the shore of the Market Square.  This is also the home of many events throughout the year.

In 1590, the Oulu Castle was built, but then it was destroyed in 1793 by lightning.  Then in 1875, they built an observation tower on the site for teaching astronomy.  Now there is an exhibition of the castle about its history, and the observation tower is now a café during the summer and are both located on site.

The Oulu Cathedral was built in neoclassical style, created by Daniel Hagman and finished in 1777.  The church's wooden structures were burned in the 1822 Oulu fire, but they were rebuilt soon after with the design of Carl Ludvig Engel.  The renovations were finished in 1832 and are an example of neoclassical architecture.

Hupisaaret, also known as the Fun Islands, is a very popular spot to have a picnic or spend some of your free time doing various activities.  This area has a theater that is open during the summer, a Gingerbread House, beautiful natural scenery, a fish passage (the longest in Finland), and a huge playground.  The Ainola Park is part of the area and is the home of the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum.

Turkansaari played a big role as a fishing and market place as soon as the 1400s.  However, now this area is used for a museum during the summer.  Here, you get the chance to learn about life in the “old days”, such as logging, tar burning, farming, and timber floating.  The area has all of the typical farmyard equipment and buildings that they would have needed in the days when it was lively and active.