Kuusamo Travel Guide

Ruka is Finland's best-known ski and outdoor resort, in the forests of Kuusamo, with a long stable snow season, lit night slopes and family-friendly pitches. Winter brings Nordic skiing, dog-sledding and aurora watching; summer turns it to hiking, mountain biking and bear-spotting camps. A lift to the top overlooks endless forest and lakes — the gateway to eastern Finland's 'snow and wilderness' lifestyle, near Oulanka National Park.

Oulanka National Park lies in Finland's northeastern wilderness, famed for the winding Kitka river canyon, limestone cliffs and golden birch forests — a sanctuary for hiking and rafting. The renowned Bear's Ring (Karhunkierros) multi-day trail runs through the park, where waterfalls, suspension bridges and tundra interlace, most glorious in autumn's blaze. A hidden spot to watch migratory birds and brown bears, and next to Ruka ski resort, it is the rawest and most open page of Finland's 'eastern wilds'.