CULTURE
The cultural offering in the Kuusamo region is a blend of the past and the contemporary. Besides museums and historical attractions, visitors can enjoy concerts, events, theatrical performances and movies. Being a popular tourist area, the Kuusamo region has many restaurants, where you can see both local talent and top Finnish entertainers perform live.
KUUSAMO
The heart of Kuusamo’s cultural life is the impressive culture and congress centre Kuusamo Hall, which hosts the annual international Kuusamo Nature Photo festival, as well as many other events. To see a selection of nature photographer Hannu Hautala’s most notable works, visit the Follow Hannu's Footsteps exhibition at the new Hannu Hautala Nature Photography Centre. The Kaamos Gallery exhibitions, plus concerts and theatrical performances at the beautiful Oulanka Hall and movies at the Kuusamo Hall movie theatre all invite both local people and visitors to enjoy the diverse range of cultural offerings in a modern setting. The Kuusamo Hall also houses the Kuusamo Music Institute. The latest addition to the diverse cultural offering is the RukaRock festival, held at the fell in July.
Other cultural attractions in Kuusamo include the summer theatre, the Local History Museum, the School Museum and the Porkkatörmä exhibition room, which exhibits Kuusamo’s church history. In addition to permanent and changing art exhibitions, Porkkatörmä has an outdoor stage for organising singalongs and staging plays against a beautiful backdrop.
Historical attractions worth a visit include the Finnish defence line, the Salpa Line, along which visitors can find a German wartime monument and the Lahtela-Vanttaja trail, which tours the remains of defensive fortifications as well as the narrow gauge railroad built by German troops during the Second World War.
TAIVALKOSKI
The birthplace of famous Finnish novelist Kalle Päätalo, Taivalkoski is known for its active cultural life. Established in honour of Kalle Päätalo and to uphold the literary heritage, the Päätalo Institute is a centre for culture and creative writing. The literary tradition of Päätalo is also celebrated in the form of the Napero-Finlandia writing contest for young children and the Author Kalle Päätalo Week, which is the most widely known event in Taivalkoski. Burning Rapids is an event held in September at the Taivalkoski White Water Canoeing Centre.
Taivalkoski also boasts a flourishing cultural scene in the performing arts. The Taivalkoski theatre association is responsible for running the theatre in the town centre as well as the Pölkkyteatteri in Jokijärvi. A movie about Kalle Päätalo, entitled The Novelist, was filmed on location in Taivalkoski. The cast of the movie features several amateur actors from the area, and the female lead is played by Jussi Award winning actress Susanna Mikkonen. Other Taivalkoski-born talent includes the hilariously funny stand-up comedian Pekka Jalava. The beautiful landscapes of Taivalkoski have also been captured on TV in the Finnish TV series Kotikatu, where one of the filming locations is the Saija Lodge in Taivalkoski
For further information on interesting cultural attractions, such as the old Jalava shop and the Fairytale Trail, please visit the Taivalkoski tourism site at www.taivalkoskelle.fi.
POSIO
The best of Posio’s cultural offering includes the world's only International Coffee Cup Museum and the Countryside Memories exhibition, both housed in the Pentik ceramic factory, as well as the Local History Museum located by the beautiful Kitkanjärvi lake. The Local History Museum is the venue for the annual Lohiranta ”Home Region” festivities and the annual Sirniö Blacksmith Event held at the end of June. Other things to see in Posio include movies, theatrical performances, concerts, and art exhibitions. Information on other interesting places to visit is available at the Posio tourism site.