Kajaani travel guide

Kajaani (Swedish Kajana) is a town and municipality in Finland and the administrative capital of the Kainuu region. It lies south-east of Oulujärvi (Lake Oulu), which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along Oulujoki (river Oulu).

Understand

Centre of Kajaani (Photo: Kajaanifoto, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Main street in January (Photo: Estormiz, Public domain)

Kajaani is a typical small and quiescent former industrial city. For many visitors, Kajaani is a stop on their way to the Vuokatti skiing centre, 40 km east of the city. As Kajaani is the largest city (36,000 inhabitants in 2020) in Kainuu, there are more shopping opportunities than in Vuokatti. Before 2022, Russian tourists staying in Vuokatti were a common sight in the shops of Kajaani in the winter.

Talk

As in most of Finland, the English language is widely understood, as is Swedish to some extent, since both are compulsory languages in Finnish comprehensive schools. Since the Kainuu region borders Russia, that language holds an important position as residents from both countries visit the other for business and pleasure. Some residents can also speak German and French.

The locally strong Finnish accent adds extra vowels to words. If you're capable of speaking and understanding Finnish only at a basic level, you may find it hard to understand some elderly people. For the same reason, English spoken by the locals may in some cases be hard to understand.

Get in

By car

Highway 5, one of the major roads between northern and southern Finland, passes through Kajaani. Highway 6 links the city with Joensuu, highways 22 and 28 link Kajaani to Oulu and Kokkola respectively on the west coast. Roads are well maintained and taken good care of overall.

In the Kainuu region (and Finland generally) driving is a very practical way to get around and that's not only because of the long distances (and the weaker public transport). Landscapes are magnificent and it's so relaxing to drive around in almost empty roads.

Moose alert! If you are continuing your trip towards north or east from Kajaani, watch out for elk and reindeer that may run out of nowhere to the road. Be cautious particularly in dusk and dawn when driving through vastly uninhabited areas.

By plane

• Kajaani airport (KAJ IATA) (7 km north-west from the centre). Danish Air Transport flies from Helsinki. Airbus offers connections for most flights to the centre. Also local bus number 4 links the airport to the centre, but may not service all flights; check the schedules beforehand. You can also take a taxi.

By train

There are many trains daily from Helsinki via Kuopio or Oulu. The train station is within walking distance from the centre. See VR.

• Kajaani railway station (Kajaanin rautatieasema).

By bus

There is a daily coach from Helsinki (needs transfer), 3–4 services daily from Oulu and Joensuu and even more frequent bus traffic from Kuopio. Services are available also from Tampere, Turku, Jyväskylä and Kuusamo. See Matkahuolto.

Get around

By foot

The centre and main attractions, like the castle, can be easily reached by foot.

• Kajaani-Info, Pohjolankatu 13 (next to the town hall).

By car

Driving everywhere in the town area is easy. There are minor weekday rushes in the mornings and afternoons. Finding parking space is not usually a problem.

By bus

Bus timetables are available on the website of the city. You can use matka.fi or Nysse mobile app to seek local bus routes between given locations and addresses. Waltti mobile app can be used for ticket purchase. Local transport operates during weekdays and Saturdays but not on Sundays.

You can also use coaches. On Sundays they are the only form of public transport. Use coaches to Sotkamo for going south, coaches to Oulu, Rovaniemi and Kuhmo for the north-east, and to Kokkola and Oulu for the south-west.

Electric kick scooters

Finnish Move on East

• rents electric kick scooters for use in the centre.

By taxi

Menevä Kajaani, ☏ +358 50-471-0470 (head of office), toll-free: 0800-02120 (booking).

• Korpitaxi.
• Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi, Taksini

See

The castle ruins (Photo: Kajaanifoto, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Kajaani Art Museum (Kajaanin taidemuseo), Linnankatu 14 (in front of the 2nd town hall, yellow with a clock tower; the museum is in a nondescript, white-gray building), ☏ +358 44-710-0545. Sun–Fri 10:00–17:00, Wed 10:00–20:00, Sat closed. This small, two-story art museum exhibits a wide variety of art, in medium, content and theme. Photography, videography and installation art. Exhibits change about 6 times a year. They also offer workshops, lectures, and performances (in Finnish). There is little to no English available here, but that's rarely an issue. (Take a Finn with you if you'd like a more detailed description of each piece of art.) €2, W free.
• Kainuu Museum (Kainuun Museo), Asemakatu 4 (by the railway station), ☏ +358 44-710-0506. Sun Mon Tue Thu Fri 12:00-16:00, Wed 12:00-19:00. Kainuu Museum is a gateway to the history of the Kainuu region, located in the former Kesko wholesale and office building built in the 1930s. The permanent exhibition features one thousand-year-old silver rings found in Puolanka and daggers and cannon balls found in the ruins of the Kajaani castle. There are tar kilns and tar boats telling about the history of tar production in Kainuu. A minutely detailed miniature model of the city of Kajaani in 1939 demonstrates the way the bombings during the Winter War changed the structure and the buildings of the city. There are also two showrooms for temporary exhibitions. free.
• Kajaani Castle (Kajaanin linna) (in the middle of the Ämmäkoski bridge, follow the river or Ahontie road). The ruins of a 17th-century fortress. There are a few plaques placed around it (also in English) that detail its history and the placement and purpose of the original rooms. 15–20 minutes is enough to explore the castle and its grounds.

Do

Summerbathing at Paltaniemi beach (Photo: Kajaanifoto, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Oulujärvi (Ule träsk). Fifth largest lake of Finland. Its Äijänselkä is the largest open lake area of any of them. There is a national hiking area providing services for boaters as well as other visitors, mostly in the neighbouring Vaala.
  Paltaniemi (9 km northwest from the city center). Paltaniemi is a picturesque rural village next to the airport. The view is dominated by Paltaniemi Church and long fields. Paltaniemi is also the birthplace of Finnish poet Eino Leino and his home has been turned into a museum-cafe. Families gather to Paltaniemi Beach on hot summer days. Although Paltaniemi is officially a neighbourhood of Kajaani, you´ll need a bike or car to reach the place. Buses move far apart.
• Riihipiha museum (Riihipiha-museo), Kuusirannantie 67, 88270 Vuolijoki, ☏ +358 44-976-7132. Wed-Sun 11:00-17:00. The Riihipiha museum represents common farmyard in Kainuu countryside. Museum area contains over thirty buildings which have been transferred and rebuilt in the area. The museum is a lot more than agricultural exhibition, because there is also bank museum, general store museum and The White Guard – and Lotta sister museum in the area.

Events

• Kajaani Poetry Week: . Annual poetry festival spreads all around the town in July. (date needs fixing)
• Kainuun Musiikkijuhlat: 26–27–6 August 2022. Music festival. (date needs updating)

Buy

Kauppakatu, the main street (Photo: Kajaanifoto, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Taito Shop Kainuun Pirtti, Brahenkatu 3, ☏ +358 40 534 7851. Mon-Fri 09:00-16:00, Sat 09:00-14:00. Traditional handicrafts and knit garments. Arranges handicraft courses.
• Kauppapaikka 18, Kauppakatu 18. Small shopping centre in the center of the city. Few international chains, like H&M and Benetton. In same building you can also find a bank, ATM, cosy cafe and a fast food restaurant.

Eat

There is a list of lunch offers for each day.

• Ravintola Sirius, Brahenkatu 5, ☏ +358 8 612 2087. Mon-Fri 10:30-17:00. Tasty, no-nonsense Finnish food with a good wine list. Main dishes €6.5-14, fixed menu a little more. The restaurant is situated on a beautiful site next to river.
• Ravintola Ranch, Kauppakatu 26, 87100, ☏ +358 8 636 696. Mon 10:30 – 14:30, Tue 10:30 – 20:00, Wed 10:30 – 22:00, Thu 10:30 – 22:00, Fri 10:30 – 23:00, Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 14:00 – 20:00. As implied by the restaurant's name, the food is influenced heavily by sort of "wild-west", Texas or Mexico thing or such. Delicious hamburgers, steaks, french fries and wedges can be found on menu, and the restaurant also has daily lunch. The place is decorated in the wooden style of old "wild west" saloons.
• Mantan Grilli-Kioski, Sudenpolku 15, ☏ +358 8 6141 515. Mon-Fri 10:00-23:30, Sat Sun 11:00-23:30. Famous local hamburger-grill. Big take-away dishes of kebab and fries, but location is rather far away from the city center. €5-9.
• Pekka Heikkinen, Välikatu 7, ☏ +358 8 617 890. Mon-Fri 07:30-19:30, Sat 07:30-14:00. Legendary bakery that has been awarded for its quality rye bread. There is a factory shop where you can buy the products of the bakery and a small cafe if you want to enjoy them right there.

Drink

• Pitkä Taneli, Linnankatu 21, ☏ +358 8 010 7637010. Mon Tue Sun 09:00-00:00, Wed Thu 09:00-02:00, Fri Sat 09:00-03:00. The most famous pub in Kajaani. The 40-year-old pub gathers young and old people to sing karaoke during weekends.
• Onnela, Linnankatu 18, ☏ +358 8 0207759485. Wed Fri Sat 22:00-04:00. Onnela ("Place of happiness") is the largest nightclub in Kajaani. DJs play Top 40 hits and Finnish classics. Targeted to young adults, but older folks have started to hang around after few other clubs have been closed.
• Club96, Kauppakatu 26, ☏ +358 8 636 696. Fri Sat 22:00-04:00. Club96 attracts just-turned-eighteen clubbers. Trendy dance & hip-hop music.
• Balls (Jengabaari), Lönnrotinkatu 5, ☏ +358 44 358 6411. Sun-Tue 11:00-02:00, Wed-Sat 11:00-03:00. Local rock´n´roll fans stare into their half-empty pints in this place which offers rock and metal gigs at weekends.

Sleep

Budget

• Asuntohotelli Vanha Kulkuri Oy, Syväojankatu 1, ☏ +358 8 629-151.
• Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi ky, Rikulantie 10, ☏ +358 50-340-3013.

Mid-range

• Scandic Kajanus, Koskikatu 3, ☏ +358 8 6164.
• Hotelli Kajaani, Onnelantie 1, ☏ +358 30 608 6100.

Splurge

• Sokos Hotel Seurahuone, Kauppakatu 11, ☏ +358 8 6150 500.
• Sokos Hotel Valjus, Kauppakatu 20, ☏ +358 8 6150 200.
• Karolineburg Manor House Hotel, Karoliinantie 4/8, ☏ +358 10-230-5900 (Hotel Kajanus), +358 8 613-1291. Check-in: 14:00. Accommodation in three buildings, including the historic Steward’s House and a more plain guesthouse from 1949. Breakfast not included and may not be available. 24/7 reception at the nearby (800 m) Hotel Kajanus. €100–170.

Stay safe

Kajaani is a very safe city. The area between Kauppakatu and Välikatu may be a little restless during weekend nights when bars close their doors at 02:00 or 03:00 and drunken local people wander out.

Go next

• Vuokatti – a ski and spa resort in Sotkamo, which offers 13 slopes for downhill skiing and an extensive network of ski tracks. Daily bus connection from Kajaani.
• Vuolijoki – a rural village and former municipality, today part of Kajaani,
• Vaala – a rural municipality on the shores of Lake Oulujärvi.
• Kuhmo – the small city of Kuhmo offers a chance to meet wildlife and to attend Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival.

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