Tutustu alueen palveluihin

The Lake Oulujärvi hiking area

Lake Oulujärvi boasts the only lake hiking area in Finland. It covers some of the islands in the Niskanselkä northern part of the lake and the shoreline of the mainland. The islands in the hiking area have managed hiking routs, shelters and campfire areas sites as well as places for mooring boats. The Lake Oulujärvi hiking area also offers a wide range of opportunities for canoeing, boat trips, walking, fishing and other activities. The most famous tourist destination in Lake Oulujärvi and also the heart of the lake itself, is the island of Manamansalo, the fifth largest inland island in Finland.

Go to page »

Atteson Fishing

Atteson Fishing’s boats take you out on the water for a great day’s fishing. Head out for adventure in the Gulf of Bothnia outside Oulu, go on a pike and zander safari in Lake Oulujärvi, fish for trout and Arctic char in Lake Inarinjärvi or embark on an amazing trip into the Norwegian Arctic Ocean. Atteson Fishing can put together your perfect package and covers Lake Oulujärvi, the Oulujoki River, the Gulf of Bothnia, Lake Inari and the Arctic Ocean. The company uses an AMT 215 PH sport fishing boat, registered as a rental boat, and equipped with a wide range of modern fishing equipment, which is easy to move from one body of water to another. There are six customer places on board.

The owner of Atteson Fishing has always been a keen fisherman and is expert in a range of fishing techniques. Over the past two decades, he has specialised in fishing from boats and trained as a fishing guide and now offers a professional service to others. He is also looking for partners interested in coming on board to develop new sports fishing experiences.


Go to page »

Kankari Art Villa

Kankari Art Villa is a charming art gallery and studio in a former village school. It can be found in the beautiful natural setting of the village of Kankari, near Lake Oulujärvi. Kankari Art Villa hosts exhibitions by artists and also runs painting and lithography courses.

Go to page »

Kassu Halonen Art House

Kassu Halonen Art House is on the island of Manamansalo in the middle of Lake Oulujärvi. The Art House promotes Finnish popular and folk music, and art and is a centre for exhibitions and courses, as well as a tourist destination. The exhibition space hosts changing art exhibitions every year as well as a permanent exhibition on the work of Finnish pop music composer Kassu Halonen. Concerts are held here in the evenings and the space can be hired for parties. There is also a cafe.

Go to page »

Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi

Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi Ltd is a family company offering local activity packages. Its range covers nature-themed recreation and excursions in the captivating environment of Lake Oulujärvi. Experience unforgettable Lake Oulujärvi, known as the sea of Kainuu, all year round. Finland’s fourth largest lake, Oulujärvi offers Finland’s largest open expanses of inland water, shallow sandy beaches and clean waters.


Go to page »

Manamansalon Portti

Manamansalon Portti is on the stunning island of Manamansalo in the middle of Lake Oulujärvi. There are caravan pitches on the pine slopes and on the shore of Martinlahti bay. Manamansalon Portti also has a guest harbour and a village shop. And it’s right next to the beach. We rent fatbikes and canomarans, and also snowshoes in late winter.

A couple of Rokua Geopark's historical attractions, the Gneiss rock site of Kilonniemi and the Manamansalo memorial church, are located only walking distance away. Two-kilometer-long nature trail, Peurapolku, will familiarize you with the long human history of the area. Oulujärvi Hiking Area, with beautiful trails and nice hiking facilities, is located six kilometers from our place.

Go to page »

Taikaloora

Nestling in a magical spot on the shore of Lake Oulujärvi in Vaala, Taikaloora provides holiday cottage accommodation, a panoramic sauna, Bed & Breakfast and has shop selling gifts and interior design products.


Go to page »

Vaala

In a beautiful natural setting, Vaala is located on the shore of Lake Oulujärvi, at the start of the Oulujoki river. As well as the local inhabitants, Vaala is also appreciated by a large number of summer residents and tourists. On the border between Kainuu and North Ostrabothnia, Vaala has active connections with both of these regions of Finland.

Go to page »

Gneiss bedrock in Kilonniemi

In Kilonniemi, visitors can see the oldest bedrock area in the EU, gneiss bedrock 2,700 – 2,600 million years old. The remains that can be seen are from the ancient landmass, which over the course of history, several times found itself in the zone where the tectonic plates collided, was folded into a mountain range and was then once more worn down into a smooth rock face. The striped and folded appearance of the gneiss bedrock bears witness to the tumultuous events it has been through. The board next to the rock describes the phases in its history.

Go to page »

Manamansalo

Manamansalo is Finland’s fifth largest inland island. Much of its 80 km shoreline is sandy beaches. The heart of the island is an extension of a sandy ridge which formed in layers on top of ancient bedrock more than 2.5 billion years old. 

Explore the beautiful natural setting of Manamansalo on the trails in the Lake Oulujärvi hiking area. These cover almost 15 km in the northern part of the island. They meander through lichen-clad ground, shimmering silver, past kettle holes filled with clear water and the shoreline of Lake Oulujärvi. The best spot to access the trails is at Teeriniemi, where there is also a hiking area information point. 

In the north-east part of Manamansalo you’ll find Kilonniemi fishing harbour and a gneiss bedrock site presenting the oldest bedrock area in the European Union. Peuranpolku, a trail that presents the history of the island dating back thousands of years, runs from Manamansalon Portti to a Monument church. More up-to-date culture can be enjoyed at Kassu Halonen’s Taidetalo.


Go to page »

Manamansalo Monument Church

The Monument Church was built in 1959 on the site of a wooden church destroyed during the Russo-Swedish war. The Manamansalo Church was the first, and one of the few, churches in Kainuu in the 16th century. It was also the location of Kainuu’s first church cemetery. From the surroundings of the Monument Church have been found artifacts dating back to almost 8000 years, indicating that the region has been settled already at that time.

Martinlahti

Martinlahti information point shares basic information of Rokua Geopark and the Manamansalo Island including several information boards. WiFi connection is available. A restaurant and market are located next to the information point. The information point is located next to the entrance of Manamansalon Portti.

Neittävä Information Point

The information point consists of an information board which is located next to the entrance of Neittävä Kylätalo (Society house). The board showes general information about Rokua Geopark region and its attractions. The Society House is the centre of the village. It can be booked for events like familiy feasts and for accommodation purposes even for bigger groups. More details (in Finnish) and contact information can be found in Facebook page via the link.

Go to page »

Peuranpolku nature trail

Peuranpolku nature trail is a two-kilometres-long marked trail beginning from Manamansalon Portti and ending up to Monumental Church. Along the Peuranpolku nature trail, you can explore the rich cultural history of Manamansalo, such as a monument church, Stone Age deer hunting pits and peat hut and their surroundings, which are reminiscent of the old deer hunters’ village. The trail follows what was once the shoreline of the ancient Ancylus Lake.

Rumala-Kuvaja-Oudonrimmit

The Rumala, Kuvaja and Oudonrimmit mire area is a valuable complex of string bogs and raised bogs. It covers approximately 5,000 hectares. The marshes in the area are largely watery quagmires. They are also reasonably nutrient-rich and provide a valuable habitat for several rare species of animals and plants. Together with Lake Oulujärvi’s Painuanlahti bay, the area is also a prime birdwatching area. The area is covered by the Natura 2000 programme and the heart of the area is protected by a national mire protection programme.

The best way of reaching the area is via Vuolijoentie, taking the turn-off to Metsälammentie. The road takes you to the Kuvaja birdwatching tower, an excellent lookout point for incredible views over the marsh. The tower also has noticeboards with information about the wildlife in the marsh.


Go to page »

Säräisniemi

Säräisniemi is a long and narrow sandy peninsula stretching to Lake Oulujärvi. At its base is one of the oldest villages in Kainuu area and the former centre of the municipality of Vaala. With its village trails, courtyards, ancient pines, meadows and sandy shorelines, Säräisniemi is one of the nation's most valuable landscapes. The region's gneiss rocks represent the oldest bedrock area in the European Union.

Formed in the end of the last Ice Age, the sandy heaths of Säräisniemi began to emerge from the sea about 10,000 years ago. Permanent settlers arrived soon after, attracted by the excellent, wide range of fishing and hunting opportunities. Waterways and land connections in several directions and continuous settlement over millennia have given the village a remarkable cultural history. The history of the current village community dates back to the 16th century.

A wide range of tourism and outdoor services can be found in Säräisniemi.

Säräisniemi Centre Information point

The information point is located in front of an old school building which nowadays serves as a society house. The board shows information about Säräisniemi village, its history, nature and culture sites and tourism services. It also presents general knowledge about Rokua Geopark and Lake Oulujärvi areas.

Säräisniemi church

Säräisniemi church dates from 1779 – 1781 and is a beautiful wooden church in an idyllic setting. It was built in the parish of Säräisniemi to replace Manamansalo church, which was destroyed in the Russo-Swedish war in the 1590s, as the journey to the next nearest church, in Paltaniemi, was a long one and crossing Oulujärvi Lake was dangerous. Next to the church, under the trees, is a graveyard with old, decorated gravestones. The graveyard also has a memorial to people of the parish who died in the Second World War. The stone footings of Säräisniemi church are in beautifully pleated gneiss, quarried from nearby Pirunkallio. Pirunkallio means “Devil’s Rock” in Finnish. The gneiss is one of the oldest rocks in the European Union. The is an information board of Säräisniemi village by the parking lot of the church.


Go to page »

Säräisniemi village

Säräisniemi is a long and narrow sandstone isthmus jutting out into Lake Oulujärvi. At its base is one of the oldest village areas in Kainuu and the former centre of the municipality of Vaala. The shorelines of Säräisniemi are adorned with stunning sandbanks and idyllic coastal meadows, which, together with the village centre, are designated as a nationally valuable landscape area. Interesting sights include the Säräisniemi church and the local history museum. Camping sites and tourist services are also situated on the Niskanselkä side. The webpage of the village is only in Finnish.

Go to page »

Teeriniemi Information point

Teeriniemi is surrounded by stunning, high sandbanks. From there, the sandy ridge bisecting Manamansalo descends under the surface of Lake Oulujärvi. In Teeriniemi, you will find the information point of the Lake Oulujärvi hiking area and the point of departure of several nature trails. The information point shares knowledge of natural history, existing flora and fauna and settlement history of Lake Oulujärvi as well as instructions and rules for the hiking area.

Ancient continent

The gneisses of the Lake Oulujärvi district belong to the oldest bedrock area in EU. They crystallised deep under an ancient mountain range. At that time the Earth´s atmosphere was lacking oxygen, and primitive cyanobacteria living in oceans were the most developed form of life. In this time window, you climb on the slopes of the ancient mountains.

Go to page »

Ice Age

In the maximum phase of the last Ice Age ca. 18,000 years ago, Manamansalo Island was covered by a 2,6-kilometres thick continental ice sheet. The mass of the ice sheet depressed the earth crust. In this time window you are located on top of the thick ice sheet.

Go to page »

Present day

In Kilonniemi, there is a gneiss outcrop, where dark diabase veins can also be recognized. In the surroundings, there are several remnants of ancient tapping pits. You can familiarize with the gneiss outcrop with information boards. A Two-kilometres long Peuranpolku nature trail leads through the trapping pits. In this time window you are at the gneiss outcrop.

Go to page »

Splitting continent

The ancient continent started to crack, and molten rock erupted on ground surface. Part of the molten rock crystallized to diabase deep in the cracks about 2,100 million years ago. The atmosphere almost totally lacked oxygen, and the life existed only in the oceans in the form of primitive bacteria. The bedrock has eroded several kilometres, and nowadays the diabase can be recognized as dark veins intersecting structures of gneisses. In this time window, you are moving in the middle of the ancient lava flows in the area of splitting continent.

Go to page »

The first inhabitants

There are lots of traces of early settlement around Lake Oulujärvi. Most probably the first inhabitants arrived soon after the land had exposed from the Lake Ancylus. One of the dwelling places has located in the vicinity of the Monument church in Manamansalo Island. Deer hunting was one the most important ways to get food. In this time window, you are moving between fences leading to a trapping pit in landscape prevailing 7,600 years ago.

Go to page »