Oulu Finland
Finland

17 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Ponant (8 Cruises)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (7 Cruises)

Silversea Cruises (2 Cruises)

Discover Oulu, with its Market Square, Toripolliisi statue, Pikisaari Island and Nallikari Beach beside Finland’s scenic Gulf of Bothnia

In this northern Finnish city, you see more bikes than cars in the downtown streets, summer and winter alike, snow included. Oulu, with some 200,000 residents on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia, cultivates a rare blend of maritime traditions and high technology: once the world capital of pine tar, it has become an innovation hub where wireless technologies are invented. For cruisers, it offers a complete Nordic day, between a century-old market, an island of painted wooden houses and a beach of golden sand.

From the port to the first streets

The quays used by ships are away from the centre, about 3 or 4 km depending on the berth. Shuttles, taxis or rental bikes cover the distance in a few minutes; cruise lines generally organize the transfer to the area around the Kauppatori. The route crosses port and residential neighbourhoods that offer a first glimpse of everyday Finnish life, understated and green.

The Kauppatori and its bronze policeman

The city's beating heart is the Kauppatori, the market square, open to the water and lined with former salt and tar storehouses converted into shops and restaurants. In the centre stands the Toripolliisi, a plump statue of a market policeman that has become the city's mascot; a photo next to him is a must. Right next door, the 1901 market hall houses fishmongers and butchers: hot-smoked salmon, kalakukko, a rye loaf stuffed with fish, and reindeer meat can be tasted on the spot or taken back on board. The stalls overflow with berries in summer and chanterelles at the end of the season.

Pikisaari, the island of wooden houses

A footbridge links the Kauppatori to Pikisaari, the oldest part of Oulu, an island where shipwrights and tar makers lived in softly coloured wooden houses. Artists and artisans occupy them today; workshops and cafés hide behind the lilacs. A walk through its quiet lanes takes half an hour and is worth every minute, especially in the slanting northern sun that brings out the beauty of the façades. The contrast with the modern buildings across the inlet sums up Oulu.

Science, cycling and the seaside

The city caters to different tastes. The Tietomaa science centre, a pioneer of its kind in Finland, occupies a former power plant with its interactive exhibits and observation tower, an ideal outing for families or on a grey day. Cyclists will take part of the network of bike paths that is the pride of the city, several hundred kilometres of separate lanes; the route to Nallikari follows the water almost without interruption. The neoclassical cathedral and its surroundings complete the city circuit for walkers.

Nallikari, where Finns go swimming

Half an hour by bike from the city centre, or a few minutes by vehicle, Nallikari beach stretches a kilometre of fine sand facing the Gulf of Bothnia. In summer, Finnish families swim in its bracing water; in other seasons, people walk, breathe and watch the light change over the sea. A small decorative lighthouse and beach cafés dot the promenade. Few cruise ports of call offer a real Nordic beach that is so accessible.

Departure time

Heading back to the ship, many make one last stop at the market to bring on board rye bread, leipäjuusto grilled cheese or cloudberry jam, the golden bog berry known in Quebec as plaquebière. Oulu then fades behind its low islands and port cranes. The city imposes nothing; it suggests, with a Nordic composure that grows in your esteem the more you think back on it. And you find yourself checking a map to see just how far north the bike paths go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Away from the centre, about 3 or 4 kilometres depending on the berth. Shuttles, taxis or rental bicycles cover the distance in minutes, and lines generally arrange a transfer to the edge of the market square.
The market square, the beating heart of the city, open to the water and lined with former salt and tar warehouses converted into shops and restaurants. At its centre stands the Toripolliisi, the plump statue of a market policeman that has become the city's mascot.
In the 1901 market hall: hot-smoked salmon, kalakukko — rye bread stuffed with fish — and reindeer meat, to eat there or take away. The stalls overflow with berries in summer and chanterelles late in the season.
The oldest part of Oulu, an island linked to the Kauppatori by a footbridge, where shipwrights and tar workers lived in softly coloured wooden houses. Artists and craftspeople occupy them today, with studios and cafés hidden behind the lilacs.
Half an hour walking its quiet lanes, and it is worth every minute, especially under the slanting northern sun that flatters the façades. The contrast with the modern blocks across the channel sums Oulu up.
The Tietomaa science centre, the first of its kind in Finland, housed in a former power station, with interactive exhibits and an observation tower. It is also the ideal family outing.
Yes, and proudly so: several hundred kilometres of separated paths, used summer and winter, snow included. You see more bicycles than cars downtown. The route to Nallikari beach follows the water almost without a break.
Yes, Nallikari: a kilometre of fine sand facing the Gulf of Bothnia, half an hour by bicycle from the centre or a few minutes by vehicle. In summer Finnish families swim there in bracing water. Few cruise calls offer a genuine Nordic beach this accessible.
Pine tar: the city was once its world capital, as the old warehouses on the harbour recall. Today it has become a centre of innovation where wireless technologies are developed, for some 200,000 residents.
Rye bread, leipäjuusto — the squeaky grilled cheese — or cloudberry jam, the golden bog berry Quebecers know as plaquebière. It is all at the market before you head back to the ship.