Pick up your hire car at Oulu airport and visit a city rich in culture that's also a great base for some gnarly skiing. Plus it's home to the air guitar championships.
"Once an industrial town dedicated to the great Finnish exports of salmon and tar we've shaken off our rustic roots and now represent the modern, trendy, hi-tech face of Finland."
There's still plenty of the old Finland to be found as the old rubs alongside the new. A thriving university and world-renowned architecture college make for a rich cultural mix.
With a penchant for classics and jazz, music is a big part of life in Oulu and the city is home to a host of artists, writers and musicians.
Oulu is Finland's second biggest city but by the rest of the world's standards that's not too busy. The city has a youthful vibe and expect plenty of students in term time.
You're nearly at the Arctic so don't forget your coat. With bright clear summers and snow-rich winters there's a reason to visit Oulu whatever the weather.
It's a cosmopolitan city so you'll find something to satisfy the fussiest plate but for a true taste of Oulu get stuck into the local salmon, reindeer or whitefish gratin.
A host of the country's composers and eminent politicians were born in Oulu but the city's coolest export is the legendary air guitar championships. Rock on!
Alongside a love of rock mime and head-banging musos the city is also home to another celebrated gathering - the festival of garlic, usually in July.
"To me Oulu represents a laboratory town. It is the right size. The climate is violent. It is hard, cold, hot... It is restricted. It fits within the sphere of a single description." - Finnish artist Eeli Aalto
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Oulu Cathedral
Tietomaa Science Centre
Sailor's Home Museum
Market Hall and Market Square
Oulu University Botanical Gardens?
Kierikki Stone Age Centre and the Age village
The Escurial Zoo and Flower Park
Iso Syote Ski Resort
Syötekeskus Ski Resort
" The main problem with driving in Oulu is the weather conditions. Between December and March it is illegal to drive without snow tyres as the road surfaces are very slippy. The roads are normally quickly but ice can linger. Take special care when setting off from a red light. Take your time and you'll be fine. "
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