Exploring Oulu City, Finland | Honest Experience & Travel Guide | Beautiful Places You Must See

Oulu City Tour

Welcome to my Oulu City Tour!
Today I’m exploring one of Finland’s most unique northern cities — Oulu, a beautiful blend of history, culture, modern innovation, sea views, and peaceful nature. This video covers Oulu’s history, famous places, local lifestyle, hidden stories, and must-visit spots.

🏙️ About Oulu – Short History

Oulu was founded in 1605 by King Charles IX of Sweden. The city grew around the Oulujoki River and became famous for tar trading, fishing, and seafaring. Over time, Oulu transformed from an old trading town into a modern tech hub, home to IT companies, Nokia innovations, and thousands of international students.

Today Oulu is known as the Capital of Northern Finland and one of the fastest-growing cities in the north.

📍 Places you can visit

✔ Oulu City Center – calm, clean, and full of Finnish lifestyle
✔ Rotuaari Pedestrian Street – heart of Oulu with cafés, culture, shops
✔ Oulu Market Square (Kauppatori) – historical trading spot by the sea
✔ Toripolliisi Statue – the iconic “Market Policeman” and local symbol
✔ Oulu Cathedral – built in 1770s with classic architecture
✔ Nallikari Beach – the “Finnish Riviera” with stunning sunsets
✔ Hupisaaret Islands Park – wooden bridges, rivers, peaceful walking trails
✔ Oulu River & Waterfront – scenic views of boats and sea breeze
✔ Tietomaa Science Center – first science center in Finland
✔ Oulu University Area – modern tech, student life, global community

🌿 Hupisaaret Park (Hupisaarten kaupunginpuisto)

Hupisaaret, or the Hupisaaret Islands, is a public urban park in central Oulu, located in the Myllytulli district. The area started being used as a public park in the 1860s.

Before it was a park, parts of the islands were used for industry (watermills), cattle pastures, and small-scale utility.
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Landscape & Features

The park’s layout is very charming: wooden white bridges, small brooks, benches, and forested patches

Key islands include Plaatansaari, Pakolansaari, Paratiisisaari, Kiikkusaari, and Lasaretinsaari.

Each island has its character: for example, Kiikkusaari was once part of a botanical garden, Paratiisisaari has more decorative planting, and Plaatansaari is more wild and tree-rich.
Kaleva

Visit Oulu

There’s a long fish ladder (calapas) in the park — the longest in Finland for the Oulu River — where you can sometimes see migrating fish (from May to around October).
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For families, there is a playground on Kiikkusaari, and in the summer there is a theatre (open-air stage) for performances.

There’s a greenhouse (formerly part of the botanical garden) on Kiikkusaari, which now houses a café in summer.

Cultural & Historical Significance

The Northern Ostrobothnia Museum (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan museo) is located on Pakolansaari in the park.

The museum’s first building (a wooden villa) was built in 1888, but it burned down in 1929; a new building, designed by Oiva Kallio, was completed in 1930.

The park also holds a strong community role — for example, the workers’ open-air theatre (Oulu Workers’ Theatre) has performed there for decades (since the 1950s).

The city’s horticultural staff note that parts of the park still preserve plant species from the old botanical garden.

There are info boards on the islands that tell short histories of each island (their names, what they were used for, and how they changed over time).
Kaleva

The park feels like a “city’s living room” for many Oulu residents — a place for rest, play, and art.

🛍️ Oulu Kauppahalli (Oulu Market Hall) & Market Square

Historical Background

The Oulu Market Hall (Oulun kauppahalli) is located on Market Square (Kauppatori) in the heart of Oulu.

It was opened in 1901, and the building was designed by architects Karl Lindahl and Walter Thomé in a Neo-Gothic style.

Oulun Kauppahalli

The reason for building a covered market hall came from food hygiene regulations: in the late 19th century there was a push to move meat, fish, and dairy sales out of open-air markets into more regulated indoor spaces.
Oulun Kauppahalli

At the start, the hall had 62 wooden stalls along two aisles.

The city council approved the project in 1889 but the construction took some years; the hall was inaugurated on 1 May 1901.
Oulu Market

Interestingly, when it was first opened, some outdoor sellers resisted the move indoors. According to historical records, soldiers were even used to enforce that the merchants move inside.
Oulu Market

Architectural & Cultural Importance

The building is not just practical — its Neo-Gothic design gives it architectural value, making it a historical landmark in Oulu.

Surrounding the hall are old red-painted granary buildings that have been converted into shops, cafés, handicraft stores, etc.

The market hall has been a continuous part of Oulu life for over a century: while many things have modernized, some merchant stalls have survived for decades.

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