In Northern Karelia the Oulanka NP is famous for its 80km long hiking route called the bear trail. We did the little bear trail “Pieni Karhunkierros”, which was a 3 hour circular route. The landscape was spectacular, nothing else to expect in Finland!

We had been to Kuusamo the day before to do some shopping, as it was a rainy day. We also stopped at the skiing resort Ruka, where we used the washing machine of the Ski-Inn. In the evening we arrived at the parking of a hotel called Basecamp, directly at the trail. From here our hike started the next morning. (66.263518, 29.410921)

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Water mill at the River Kitkanjoki |




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First suspension bridge – nothing for triplets! |



White water rafting is offered here. I would have liked to watch a tube racing down these rapids, but there were none. With this temperature, rafting didn’t sound very enticing to me either.
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Lookout point high above the trees |
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Rowan (Eberesche) is a very common tree in Finland and you see the red berries everywhere |

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Lookout point before the descent |


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Suspension bridge Nr. 2 |

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Jyrävä – a 9 metre high waterfall at the Kitkajoki River |
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Kuukkeli – Siberian jay -Unglückshäher
a bird of luck for the Finns |



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Autumn leaf of the Day |