Ruka-Kuusamo - A pure and ecological travel destination

Ruka-Kuusamo is a tourism region unique in Europe. It is located amidst the rivers, fish-rich lakes, rugged landscapes, hiking trails, cross-country ski tracks and ski slopes of the Oulanka, Riisitunturi and Hossa National Parks.

“We are part of Finnish Lapland, the last wilderness in Europe, where you can experience exotic adventures all year round. Together with the region’s tourism providers, we are working intensively to make our tourism services more sustainable and responsible,” said Mats Lindfors, Managing Director of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourism.

Ruka is an environmentally conscious ski resort

The development of tourism services in the region, which is part of the nationwide project “Sustainable Travel Finland”, focuses on a balanced design of services and on avoiding motorized individual transport.

"There is a lot of work to be done, but much has already been achieved, because Ruka uses green electricity and we heat the majority of the buildings in the center of Ruka with bio-district heating from wood chips. We have also succeeded in significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels in downstream machinery."

New solutions are being sought, especially for digitalization.

“We are working on implementing a smart transport project that will ensure that travelers arriving in the region no longer travel from place to place in their own cars, but instead use smart transport solutions. The aim is to place mobility services on a digital platform where they can be easily found and purchased by travelers. We are also investigating the suitability of self-driving vehicles as part of transport solutions.”

Exotic experiences, intense aromas of local nature

Would you like to experience the Northern Lights, rafting, sauna, hiking, dog sledding, cross-country skiing or downhill skiing in a pleasant atmosphere? Then the Ruka-Kuusamo region is worth a visit.

“Many people don’t know that they can see the Northern Lights here from mid-August to the end of April. You can experience them, for example, while slowly floating down a rapid in a dry suit,” said Lindfors.

The Ruka-Kuusamo tourism region offers the following:

• In winter, the Ruka ski area offers services, cross-country ski trails, snowmobile routes and winter activities: 35 slopes and 169.5 kilometers of cross-country ski trails.
• Experience the nature of Kuusamo all year round: in the Oulanka, Riisitunturi and Hossa National Parks.
• Arctic animals: Every third inhabitant of the region is a reindeer, and bears can be spotted on organized excursions.
• 12,000 beds, almost 7,000 holiday accommodations - from high-end hotels to traditional log cabins.
• In winter, Lufthansa offers two direct flights per week from Frankfurt. Finnair offers daily flights via Helsinki year-round.
• More than 40 program providers offer safaris all year round.

Text: Mia Heiskanen

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Editor Helsinki
Valtteri Rantalainen | +358 40 561 7703 | tuotanto(a)editorhelsinki.fi I www.editorhelsinki.fi