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 City hall
(Kirkkokatu
2a), completed in 1887, was once the centre of
refinement and culture in northern Finland with its imposing
halls and restaurants. Nowadays the building houses part of
the City's central administrative office. (The City Hall is
undergoing renovation in 2009-2010.)
 Cultural Centre Valve
(Torikatu
8/Ojakatu 4) was completed in 1894. The house has
also been known as the old Nuku centre, city hall
and police station. Additional information available
at
the Cultural Centre Valve website.
 Oulu Market Square
(map
location)
is guarded by the Toripolliisi, the market square
policeman statue in bronze by Kaarlo Mikkonen
(1986). The market square area also hosts a market
hall from 1901 and old salt warehouses, the oldest
dating back to the 18th century.
 Toppelius House
(Torikatu
16)
was built in 1826. The author Zachris Topelius lived
here for three years.
 "The
northernmost pyramids in the world" (map
location) Romeo
and Juliet, i.e. the greenhouses of University of
Oulu
botanical gardens.
 The Oulu
Castle (map
location)
was built in 1590 and was destroyed by lightning in
1793. There is an exhibition on the history of the
castle on the site. The old observation tower
built in 1875 for teaching astronomy now serves as a
summertime café.
 Rotuaari is the pedestrian street in
downtown Oulu. People usually agree to meet each
other "by the Ball", which is a fountain statue by
Seppo Valjus (1989) in the central square.
 Franzén Park (map
location) is
surrounded by Provincial
State Office, Oulu Cathedral, Franzén House,
Kolmiotalo House, and Oulun Lyseo Upper Secondary
School.
 Oulu Cathedral,
(map
location)
designed by Daniel Hagman, was completed in 1777.
The wood structures of the church burned in the Oulu
fire of 1822, but the church was soon rebuilt
according to plans by Carl Ludvig Engel. The
renovated church was completed in 1832, and is an
example of neoclassical architecture.
Additional information (in Finnish) available at
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oulu website.
 Pikisaari Island (map
location) is separated from the
market place only by a pedestrian bridge. Pikisaari
was once a busy industrial area: it used to have a
wool factory, an enamel factory, an iron foundry and
a sawmill. Nowadays Pikisaari is known for arts and
crafts: dozens of artists and craftspeople live and
work on the island.
 Hupisaaret (map
location) is a popular place for picnics and freetime activities in
the summertime. Its attractions include beautiful
natural scenery, a summer theatre, the Gingerbread
House, a large playground and the longest fish
passage in Finland – something for everyone, from
children to adults. The Ainola park, which is a part
of Hupisaaret, also hosts the Northern Ostrobothnia
museum.
 Turkansaari (map
location) was an important market and
fishing place as early as the 15th
century. Today, the area is used as a museum in the
summertime. There, you can learn about old ways of
life: farming, cattle-farming, fishing, logging,
timber floating and tar burning.
 Potnapekka
is a train-lookalike miniature bus that runs on
pedestrian streets and bicycle paths in the summer
 Music Centre
(map
location)
was built in 1983. Madetoja
Hall has room for 816 visitors, Tulindberg Hall for
220. Additional information available at
the
Oulu Music Center website.
 Technopolis,
founded in 1982, was the first technology park to be
established in Scandinavia.
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