OULU [4K] SUMMER WALKING TOUR | OULU SIGN - FINLAND’S MOST BIKE FRIENDLY CITY | JULY 2025.

Oulu, Finland’s regional capital of North Ostrobothnia, sits on the northwestern coast at the mouth of the River Oulu. With a population of about 216,000 and a sub‑region of 264,000, it is the fifth most populous municipality in Finland and the most populous city in Northern Finland. The city is renowned as the world’s winter cycling capital, boasting over 930 km of cycling paths—including underpasses to avoid road crossings—and a high cycling rate, with 18 % of all trips made by bicycle, the highest in the country. Oulu is also a European living lab where residents experiment with new technologies such as NFC tags and ubi‑screens on a community‑wide scale. The University of Oulu, though only in the top 2 % of universities, is regionally renowned in information technology. In recent surveys, Oulu has consistently ranked among Finland’s most attractive cities, tied for second place in the 2023 T‑Media survey and receiving the best image rating among large cities in a 2008 Finnish Economic Survey.