Surrounded by pine forests, rivers and bird-filled marshes, Kuusamo lies atop a 250-metre-high plateau in Finland’s central-east. It was largely destroyed during the Lapland War, with Russian forces burning the town to the ground as they retreated. Today, Kuusamo serves as a base for exploring Oulanka National Park and the ski slopes of Ruka.
Things to do in Kuusamo
In the heart of Kuusamo is the Holy Cross Church, an elegant building that dates back to 1951. You can admire the changing art exhibitions in the Kuusamo Hall where musical and theatrical performances take place or learn about Finland’s educational past in the old school of Kirkkoketo. On the shores of Toranki Lake is Pokkatörma, an open-air museum clustered with historic farm buildings collected from around the Kuusamo region.
Partway between Kuusamo and Ruka is the Kujala Reindeer Farm, which has been family-run by the Kujalas since 1860. It’s home to hundreds of reindeer, which you can hand-feed moss before enjoying a reindeer-pulled sleigh ride through the snow. On-site is a small store selling reindeer products and locally made handicrafts.
Kuusama makes an ideal base for visiting the Ruka Ski Resort, which is one of the largest of its kind in Finland. In addition to its downhill ski runs, it boasts around 500 kilometres of cross-country skiing trails to explore. The Ruka Ski Resort offers one of the longest ski seasons in Europe and regularly hosts international ski-jumping and cross-country skiing competitions.
Getting around Kuusamo
Kuusamo Airport is around 10 minutes’ drive from the town and has regular flights to Helsinki and seasonal flights to destinations across Europe. Buses connect to Kuusamo and travel throughout the region. The centre of Kuusamo is compact enough to explore on foot.