Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Finnair hits Kuusamo airport, 6km northeast of town, from Helsinki. Buses meet flights
(€7 to Kuusamo, €10 to Ruka). Call 0100-84200 for a taxi.
Buses run daily from Kajaani (€43.60, 3½ hours), Oulu (€40.80, three hours) and
Rovaniemi (€34.50, three hours).
Buses run between Kuusamo and Ruka a few times daily (€6.80, 30 minutes). During the
ski season there's a shuttle bus, stopping at major hotels.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
EXPLORING RIISITUNTURI
A worthwhile national park is Riisitunturi, 54km northwest of Kuusamo, not far from the
town of Posio. Consisting of fells and hillside bogs, it offers spectacular views and reward-
ing hiking: a 29km trail crosses the park from one side to the other. See
www.outdoors.fi
for details of huts and trails.
Karhunkierros Trek & Oulanka National Park
The Karhunkierros (Bear's Ring), one of the oldest and best-established trekking routes in
Finland, offers some of the country's most breathtaking scenery. It is extremely popular in
summer but it can be walked practically any time between late May and October.
Despite the name, it's not a circuit, rather a point-to-point walk of anything from 52km
(Ristikallio to Juuma) to 82km (Hautajärvi to Ruka). There are four trailheads: the north-
ern access point is from Hautajärvi Visitor Centre on the road to Salla; further south on Rd
950 the Ristikallio parking area is another access point; in the south you can start the walk
at Ruka ski resort; or further northeast at Juuma village. Juuma also has a spectacular loop
trail, the 12km Pieni Karhunkierros (Little Bear's Ring).
Most people choose to walk north to south for transport-connection reasons.
Much of the walk is through the Oulanka National Park, also a great destination for ca-
noeing and rafting.
