Kuusamo

城市概覽

Kuusamo is located in the Koillismaa highlands. It is a watershed, as rivers in the northern part flow north-east to the Arctic Ocean and those in the southern part flow westward to the Baltic Sea. The views consist of steep forested hills (Finnish: vaara) and large, pristine lakes. Bogs and mires are common especially in southern Kuusamo. The river Oulankajoki belongs to the official list of national landscapes of Finland. Even though Ruka often is referred to as a fell, there are no true fells in the Kuusamo area, as none of the hills reach the tree limit. The area has almost continental climate. Mean temperatures vary between −15 °C (5 °F) in January and +15 °C (59 °F) in July. The coldest temperature, −48 °C (−54 °F), was measured in January 1985. Annual snowfall is among the highest in Finland and ground is covered by snow up to 200 days a year! According to archaeological evidence, the Kuusamo area has been inhabited at least for 4,000 years. Finnish-speaking settlers arrived here during the 1670s, mostly from the south by following the labyrinth of lakes from the Finnish Lakeland. Therefore the local spoken dialect belongs to the Finnish Eastern dialect group, in contrast to Lapland, where people speak western dialects. As the lands weren't part of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Sami tried to sue the settlers for illegal hunting and fishing, but as the number of Finnish settlers had grown to over 200 people by 1687, there was little what the court could do. The last Sami left the area before the 1760s. Kuusamo was separated into an independent parish in 1675, and got its own church in 1680. The population grew quickly, but subarctic agriculture is dodgy. During bad years in 1800–1802 up to 40 per cent of Kuusamo population died in famine. In the peace treaty between Finland and the Soviet Union of 1940, Finland lost 1,700 km² of land from eastern Kuusamo. In September 1944 the area suffered heavily from the scorched-earth policy of retreating Nazi German troops.

如何抵達

By car Most people travel to Kuusamo by car. Expect about a 10-hr drive from the southern part Finland, more in the winter when there is snow, ice, and lowered speed limits. The town of Kuusamo is at the intersection of highways 5 and 20. The Ruka resort and the road to Oulanka National Park are also by the highway 5, north from the town. 1 Kuusamo border crossing (Kuusamo-Суоперя) is open daily 09:00–20:00. In 2021, it served cargo traffic, and Finnish and Russian citizens returning home. The nearest town in Russia is Kestenga (Кестеньга, Finnish: Kiestinki) in Russian Karelia. As of March 2024, the border is closed.

By train The nearest train stations are in Kemijärvi (135 km) and Rovaniemi (180 km). Often Oulu (205 km) is more convenient, with connecting buses timed to train arrivals.

By bus It takes 3 hr by coach from Oulu to Kuusamo and about ½ hr more to Ruka. The one-way ticket costs €30–40/adult and there are 2–3 departures daily. If you are heading to Ruka, for most departures you need to change bus in Kuusamo centre. This may require some waiting at the 2 coach station. There are regular connections from Rovaniemi (3–3½ hours, €30–40), Kajaani (3½ hours, €26) and Kemijärvi (2½ hours, €21). From Rovaniemi airport (via the coach station) there is a connection to Ruka every morning on weekdays. The trip takes 6½ hours and requires changes at Pudasjärvi and Kuusamo centre. Price ca €60/adult. See Matkahuolto for details.

By plane 3 Kuusamo airport (KAO IATA), Lentokentäntie (6 km from Kuusamo centre). There is one daily flight from Helsinki by Finnair. There are also charter flights during the season.

當地交通

Having your own car is the most practical way of getting around in Kuusamo. Aside from a few intercity buses and school buses a day, public transport is non-existent. You can also get around by taxi, but given the distances, it is pretty expensive. Local bus traffic consists of two lines serviced a few times per weekday during the school year, but not in weekends or summer. Information about local and regional buses can be had from the municipal office. Matkahuolto route planner includes the local and regional routes. You can also use coach lines for travelling in Kuusamo: coaches towards Oulu for the south-west, towards Kajaani and towards the Kuusamo border crossing ("raja-asema") for the south, towards Rovaniemi, Salla and Kemijärvi for the north. Timetables from Matkahuolto. There is also a dial-a-ride service available, which services mainly as a connection between Kuusamo and Ruka, but which can be used also for rides within Kuusamo. It can be ordered using Matkahuolto Trip Planner and Tickets mobile app. The passenger can pick up the ride up to five days and can check availability at any time, and secure the ride as well as the seat only by ordering transportation. The app always shows the final binding price before confirming the order. Driving around during weekend is popular among the youth. Snowmobiling is very popular in Kuusamo and there are hundreds of kilometres of snowmobiling routes. The Ruka village and Kuusamo centre are compact enough for betting around on foot.

By taxi Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi, Taksini

必看景點

Although Kuusamo is slightly south of the Arctic Circle, there are two weeks of midnight sun. Choose from were to watch, to avoid having the sun go hiding behind a hill at some point (and don't look at the sun!). At the winter solstice daylight lasts about three hours, and the auroras can be seen all winter, although they aren't as common a sight as a few hundred more kilometres to the north.

1 Tourist centre Karhuntassu, Torangintaival 2, ☏ +358 40-860-8365 (general tourist info), +358 20-639-6804 (Metsähallitus), [email protected]. Tourist information, the Hannu Hautala Nature Photography Centre, cafeteria and a Metsähallitus’ customer service point giving information and hiking advice regarding the "nearby" destinations and selling fishing and hunting permits. (updated Jun 2017) 2 Kaamosgalleria, Kaarlo Hännisentie 2, ☏ +358 40-860-8800, [email protected]. M-Th 11:00–18:00, F 11:00-16:00, Sa Su closed. Changing art exhibitions. 3 Local history museum (Kotiseutumuseo), Kitronintie 6, ☏ +358 40-860-8717. Old farmhouses. (updated Jun 2017) 4 Oulanka National Park Visitor Centre (Oulangan Luontokeskus), Liikasenvaarantie 132 (some 40 km north from Kuusamo centre), ☏ +358 20-564-6850, [email protected]. Daily 10:00–18:00 in peak season, Tu–Sa 10:00–16:00 off season. Information on hiking, camping and on the national park in general. Also an exhibition, films, fishing permits. Mostly accessible by wheelchair, pets welcome. Several hiking trails, including an easy 1-km trail, start here. Free; guided group tours €50/hr.

體驗活動

Festivals Nature photo festival. mid-September. Free. (updated Dec 2020)

Out of town Karhunkierros (The trail of the bear) (nearest starting point in Ruka). The most popular hiking trail in Finland having up to 60 000 hikers each year (th