On the coast of Finland’s Lake Oulujärvi lies the town of Kajaani, which to this day has been considered one of the country’s most captivating rural areas. It is the center of the Kainuu region in the northern part of Finland, serving as a tar transport stopover between the North and the Lakeland.
Kajaani is widely known as the place where Elias Lönnrot, the author of the Kalevala (the national epic of Finland), used to reside during the 19th century. Lönnrot used his travels in Kajaani as basis for his work. It doesn’t take a Lönnrot to take notice of the wonders of this small Finnish town. You, too, can explore the place and appreciate all the things you will discover there.
If sightseeing is all you’re after, then you can feast your eyes on everything that you encounter in Kajaani. The major Kajaani sights are the old wooden houses located in the center of the town. One of the best examples of wooden structures in town is the Kajaani Church that bears a neo-Gothic architecture, complete with intricate wooden trimmings and a slender Italian bell tower. Near the center of the town stand the ruins of the Kajaani Castle, a must-see attraction that was built in the 17th century and almost totally destructed by war.
One of the best times to visit Kajaani is during winter months, when the town offers great skiing opportunities to the thrill-seeking tourists. And every spring, the town holds a famous jazz festival that caters to jazz and music fans.