Rokua Geopark brochure

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Discover Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark

Oulu 30 mins – 25 km

Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark

Laitasaaren seurojentalo

Armin aukio

UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARKS

EURO

TH NOR ICA R E M A

PE

ASIA AFRICA

OCEANIA

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SOUTH AMERICA

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Location and area

Valkeisjärvi

Kivipuisto Torimakasiini VT22/Highway 22

Rokua Geopark is the world’s northernmost and Finland’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. It forms a geological corridor that follows the Rokua esker chain along the Oulujoki River, from the Muhos formation to Lake Oulujärvi and Manamansalo Island. There are three landscape areas: River Oulujoki Valley, Rokua Esker and Dune area and Lake Oulujärvi District.

Rokua Geopark area is easy to reach as a tourist destination. Flights from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport to Oulu and Kajaani take about an hour; both towns have good traffic connections to the Rokua Geopark area. You are warmly welcome!

Oulu Kajaani SUOMI FINLAND

Helsinki

VT22/Highway 22 Rokuantie

NAPAPIIRI

ARCTIC CIRCLE

Opastuskeskus Suppa Suppa Information Centre Tori Kylätalo

Kajaani 1 hour – 80 km Ruununtörmä

From Oulu you can drive to Muhos in around 30 mins, Rokua in 1 hour 15 mins and Manamansalo in 2 hrs.

From Kajaani, you can drive to Rokua and Manaman­salo in around 1 hr 30 mins, and Muhos in 1 hr 50 mins.

There are airports in Oulu, Kajaani and Helsinki.

Martinlahti

Express train Oulu–Kajaani–Helsinki.

Stops in Rokua Geopark in centres of Muhos, Utajärvi and Vaala.

Regular bus service.

Taxi and hired transportation.

10 km

Alassalmi ferry to Manamansalo.

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The Heritage of the Ice Age

Finland’s first UNESCO Global Geopark UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

The natural features shaped by the Ice Age and Finland’s four stunning seasons provide an active outdoor adventure in the Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark! The Heritage of the Ice Age can be seen in natural phenomena such as high dunes, deep kettle holes, large mires, spectacular sandy shorelines and boreal forest carpeted with white lichen.

Rokua Geopark and Rokuanvaara have been selected as the Finnish Outdoor Destination of the Year 2018. The area is criss-crossed by a network of hiking, mountain biking and ski trails and there are many companies offering guided tours and equipment for exploring the landscape all year round.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

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Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark

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The Nordic wilderness

An Arctic wonderland In the Rokua Geopark, you can experience the Nordic wilderness and wonders of the Arctic with their seasonal variations. Winter arrives like a mini-Ice Age – a blanket of snow covers the terrain and the waterways freeze. That’s the time to enjoy snow-laden trees, sparklingly white springtime snowdrifts, and the Northern Lights on clear winter nights.

In spring, the days grow longer, revealing lichen, rocks and vegetation beneath the snow. Migrating birds arrive in droves to nest, while the ice cover melts on rivers and lakes. Leaves gradually appear on deciduous trees and summer flowers adorn the edges of fields and embankments.

The summer culminates in light summer nights and warm days, the time for swimming, fishing and boating on the cool waters.

In autumn, the vegetation changes to numerous shades of red, yellow and orange, the grain matures and the mornings turn misty. The forests become rich in delicious berries and mushrooms, providing a tasty snack during excursions.

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The refreshing Oulujoki River

Oulujoki River Valley Tar Trail

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Landscape areas

Oulujoki River River of legends Lemmenpolku

The wide Oulujoki River runs through an idyllic rural landscape, edged with steep rock cliffs and lush foliage, with plenty of places to stop off when exploring off the beaten track. The river valley area offers several nature trails, camping centres, hotels and farm accommodation as well as businesses running nature activities of various kinds.

The area also features historic and cultural sights, including art exhibitions, old wooden churches, historic farms and other historic buildings, some dating back to the seventeenth century.

The river bank is an archeologically valuable area as a wealth of ancient monuments are found along it, some, such as depressions in the ground denoting dwelling sites and pits to trap game dating to the Stone Age.

Lamminaho house

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Rokua National Park

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Landscape areas

Rokua A nature explorer’s paradise Kettle holes and dunes

People are drawn to Rokua by Finland’s deepest kettle hole; crystalline kettle pools; silence like you find nowhere else; modern hiking, skiing and mountain biking routes; and the Rokua National Park! With its lichen-covered hillocks, the Rokua esker ridge was created from sand transported and deposited by the continental glacier and meltwater around 10,000–12,000 years ago. Ice blocks buried in the sand melted, leaving huge depressions in the terrain. The esker was also formed by the receding sea and strong winds, which provided their own touch to the landscape with its shoreline escarpments and hilltops decorated by dunes.

A diverse range of routes

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Gneiss bedrock at Kilonniemi

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Landscape areas

Lake Oulujärvi The Sea of Kainuu Summer and winter fishing

On Lake Oulujärvi, you can experience beautiful marine-like landscapes, golden sandy beaches, and rugged rocky islands.

Lake Oulujärvi has a large number of islands: there are more than 650 islands larger than 100m². You may see marine species such as ruddy turnstones, great cormorants, and white-tailed eagles drifting above the water. As well as picturesque views and varied wildlife, there are gently sloping sandy beaches that provide safe and pleasant places for family swimming. Lake Oulujärvi is relatively shallow, which makes it ideal for fishing. The Lake Oulujärvi hiking area is worth visiting for activities such as hiking and canoeing, or with a skilful fishing guide.

Sandy beaches

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Leppiniemi residential area

Oulujoki River

Pyhäkoski water power plant Electricity Museum

Lemmenpolku Oulujoki River Valley Tar Trail Montta–Pyhäkoski fishing waters

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Cultural history

See and experience Local museums

The first inhabitants of the Rokua Geopark settled on the shores of Lake Oulujärvi 8,500 years ago, after the Ice Age. Prehistoric comb ceramic objects, tar-burning pits, place names, centuries-old churches, local museums and the water power plants on the River Oulujoki bear witness to the area’s development and cultural history. Local stories are told about giants, giant salmon or even the giant construction contract for the Pyhäkoski water power plant.

Old churches

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Landscapes shaped by the Ice Age

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Learning

A living textbook on the Nordic nature Geology

Rokua Geopark is a natural laboratory! Exploring natural phenomena takes students on a true voyage of discovery in the natural world of the far north. Geology has influenced the development of the Rokua Geopark’s organic environment and the spread of human settlement in many ways. Rokua Geopark is an attractive whole in which the interaction between biotic and abiotic and human activity has created an impressive narrative that spans millennia. Nordic nature and the boreal ecosystems guarantee new experiences, regardless of the season, for explorers of different ages.

Unique natural setting

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Services and products

High quality The Rokua Geopark area is also the location of commercial vitality and business activities. In addition to high-quality tourism services, the area is home to a number of companies and operators offering a range of high quality products and services. Rokua Geopark companies are entitled to use the Rokua Geopark logo in their marketing. This is a guarantee that the company operates in accordance with the values and quality criteria of the Rokua Geopark. These include the authenticity of services, the promotion of local skills and entrepreneurship, and taking account of natural and cultural diversity in all activities.

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Food

Purely the best Taste the fabulous natural produce and local food in the restaurants and cafes of the Rokua Geopark area. The area’s geological features have also shaped its soil and climate, making them ideal for the production of local food. Today, the Geopark area produces unique local food, Geofood, which is closely linked to the area’s geological heritage. The environment and tourism are thus seamlessly combined in Geofood products.

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Accommodation

Spend the night in comfort or just relax and enjoy The Rokua Geopark has a wide range of accommodation – whether you’re looking for modern hotel accommodation with the customary services for a large group, a rural paradise along a river bank, or a shoreline holiday cabin. Stay in a spa hotel, a wilderness hotel, a cottage, or at a campsite or camping centre. You can also rest and spend the night in the midst of nature along the hiking and canoeing trails, in a tent, a lean-to or a wilderness hut.

There are also several maintained campfire sites: ideal places for taking a break. You’ll sleep like a log in the tranquil surroundings of the Rokua Geopark!

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Download the Rokua Geopark mobile application free of charge!

Share your hiking experiences! #rokuageopark

rokuageopark.fi Photograph Markus Sirkka, Harri Tarvainen, Hannu Kivelä, Eeva Mäkinen, Mikko Kiuttu, Marko Kallio, Iida Vitikka, Susanna Ukkola.

Panorama map Hannu Sievilä.

Text Rokua Geopark.

Graphic design and layout Susanna Ukkola, Humanpolis Ltd. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark