Historic places in Oulu

Historic places in Oulu

1. See

   Kruununmakasiini

   In Sweden (to which Finland belonged from the 1300s to 1809), a "Kronomagasin" was a state-administered warehouse in which grain and other foodstuffs collected as tax were stored. Unfortunately, one can't go inside the warehouse any more since today it functions as an office for an architecture company. It is worth checking out from the outside though, the old wooden building sticks out amusingly from the 1980s apartment buildings and offers a reminder of the historical aspects of the city.

2. See

   Northern Ostrobothnia Museum

   Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Museo

   Closed for renovation until 2026A great museum on the history of Northern Ostrobothnia, especially the history of Oulu. Exhibitions on four floors.

   Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00·Adults €6, students and seniors €4, children under 18 for free

3. See

   Oulu Castle

   Oulun linna

   The castle was damaged by attack in the 18th century and finally blown to pieces in 1793 when lightning struck the gunpowder magazine. What you see now is the maritime observatory built on the ruins; it's set in a pleasant park, and you can climb the tower for views. There's a café (Tähtitornin kahvila) within. The cellar (same hours) displays info on the castle - mostly in Finnish, but there's more in the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum.

   Café daily May & Sep: 11:00–19:00, Jun & late Aug: 11:00–20:00, Jul & early Aug: 11:00–21:00 21:00·Free

4. See

   Oulu Cathedral

   Oulun tuomiokirkko

   Neoclassical Lutheran cathedral built in 1832 after its predecessor burned down. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel also designed the buildings of Senate Square in Helsinki.

   Sep-May: 12:00-13:00, Jun & Aug: 11:00-20:00, Jul: 11:00-21:00

5. Do

   Oulu Water park

   A "water park" meaning a floated obstacle course in the Oulu river delta. Right next to the Oulu castle ruins and cafe, so you can get a coffee or a cold beer after!

   In the summer, opens in June·€12+€5 for cloackroom and wetsuit

6. See

   Pateniemi Sawmill Museum

   Pateniemen sahan museo

   A museum of industrial history in Oulu. The museum is in an old drydock storage building.

   Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00·free entry

7. See

   The Blue House

   Sininen talo

   The Blue House is the former home of the Finnish teacher, ethnographer and writer Samuli Paulaharju. Paulaharju lived there from his birth in 1919 until his death in 1944. The year of construction of the house is unknown, but the log structure of the house is probably from the end of the 19th century, and the house is said to be haunted. The building sticks out from the newer, blocky apartment buildings well. Again, not the biggest attraction for tourists, but if you have some extra time and are interested in history, be sure to check out the building.

   The house is still lived in, so do not enter the yard or the house

8. See

   Turkansaari Open Air Museum

   Turkansaari is a nice open air museum with pretty old wooden buildings showing glimpses of local history. The museum is located on three islands in the Oulujoki River 12 km upstream from downtown Oulu. The museum is the second-oldest open air museum in Finland. It was established in 1925 when the island's wooden church dating back to 1694 was restored to its original location. The museum islands host a number of old buildings relocated to the museum to save them from demolition. When the weather permits, coming to the outdoor museum by bicycle is recommended. The total distance from the city centre is 16 km.

   Closed · opens 10 am tomorrow·€10 entry, event days +€2

9. Eat

   Villa Hannala

   A summer restaurant-café in a historic villa 3 km from the city centre.

   Mon–Fri 10:00–15:30. Only in summertime

10. See Not mapped

    Old and new Oulu

    The historic northern part of the city centre offers architecture from the 19th century, by architects like Carl Ludvig Engel and Johan Jacob Ahrenberg. In order to see chraming, old wooden buildings, head out to the neighbourhoods of Raksila and Pikisaari. The Kasarmi neighbourhood offers some historically important buildings since it used to be a barrack area, built in 1881. Most of older Tuira has already been torn down, but some old hospital buildings still remain in the Tuiranpuisto park. Catch the bus number 23 to the nearby town of Ii to see the old neighbourhood of Iin Hamina. The buildings there are built right next to each other, creating small alleyways between the houses. For newer architecture, the neighbourhood of Toppilansaari is a go-to destination. It is under construction, so expect to see cranes at work. The same goes for the newer part of the Hiukkavaara neighborhood.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Oulu (CC BY-SA 4.0).