For animal-lovers

The king of the forest has many names. In Finnish, apart from basic “karhu”, it is mesikämmen (“the nectar paw”), kontio and nalle (teddy bear), to mention a few. Suomussalmi is one of the best places in Finland for watching and photographing large carnivores. You can spend an evening or even an entire night observing bears, wolverines, wolves or birds in their natural habitats. The season begins in spring as the bears emerge from hibernation in April and continues until mid-August as the nights begin to darken.

Come and watch bears and other forest animals in the woods. Spending an evening in a viewing hut is a memorable experience for everyone. 

Reindeer farms in Suomussalmi offer visitors a chance to learn about life in local reindeer farms. Did you know that reindeer husbandry is probably the oldest still-flourishing livelihood of people in the North? Almost every traveller visiting Northern Finland wants to see reindeer, but on reindeer farms, you can also feed, pat and scratch them. On a reindeer ride, you can experience how Santa Claus delivers presents every Christmas. You can also buy various handicrafts made from reindeer antlers from souvenir shops.

Enjoy unforgettable horse riding experiences against the backdrop of the magnificent scenery of Suomussalmi. In addition to trail riding, the local horse farm is open for visits to the stable and organises sleigh rides.