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Geonivora
Region

North Karelia

Located in Finland Coordinates: 62°50′00″ N 29°55′00″ E

Map showing the location of North Karelia North Karelia
Location in Finland
Population
161,211
161.2K
Elevation
124 m
above sea level
Local time
UTC+02:00
Europe/Helsinki · UTC+02:00
Places inside
24
listed under North Karelia
When to go
June–August
See the climate
Airports
JOE Joensuu Airport25 km
KUO Kuopio Airport109 km

About North Karelia

North Karelia is a region. Location: Finland. Population: 161,211. The best months to visit are June–August. The nearest airport is Joensuu Airport (25 km).

Travel notes for North Karelia

From Wikivoyage

North Karelia is in the Finnish Lakeland.

Understand+

The landscape of North Karelia is characterized by forests and numerous lakes, including the national landscapes of Koli National Park. In addition to its beautiful scenery, the region has a rich cultural heritage.

The economy of North Karelia is largely based on forestry and wood processing. There is also a growing technology sector.

While Finnish Karelia is originally part of the same cultural sphere as its namesake across the border, the Finnish part has long been part of first the Swedish realm, then Finland, and thus also has a Western, Lutheran heritage. The Karelian heritage can still be seen in many aspects of the local culture.

Get in+

North Karelia is surprisingly far away from southern Finland, and for instance a drive from Helsinki to Joensuu will take about six hours – almost as long as up to Oulu.

The main roads, anticlockwise from the north, lead in from Kuhmo (road 75), Kajaani (6), Iisalmi (87), Kuopio (9, 75), Varkaus (23), Savonlinna (71) and Imatra (6). From Helsinki, use road 4 (to Jyväskylä, then road 9 to Kuopio), 5, 6 or 7.

The Blue Highway leads through the region by road 9, continuing across the Niirala/Värtsilä border crossing to Sortavala and Petrozavodsk. For other border crossings you have to come via Kuhmo (across from Kostomuksha) or Imatra (from Vyborg). From Saint Petersburg, choose between Nuijamaa (Lappeenranta), Imatra and Niirala.

By plane:

You can fly directly to Joensuu from Helsinki; 1 Joensuu Airport (JOE IATA) is located 11 kilometers northwest of the city centre. Also you can fly to Helsinki (HEL IATA) and continue by bus or train. Lappeenranta (LPP IATA) has some international flights, most of them operated by Ryanair.

By train:

There are two long distance railroads terminating in Joensuu; one from Helsinki to Lappeenranta and along the border up to Joensuu and another going west–east through the country, via Jyväskylä and Pieksämäki. If you are going to Lieksa or Nurmes you can continue by local train from Joensuu. See VR.

By bus:

There are coach connections to Joensuu from cities and towns in other parts of Eastern Finland, most notably from Kuopio, Lappeenranta and Savonlinna. There are also coaches to Joensuu from Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Oulu and Kajaani. See Matkahuolto.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Climate of North Karelia

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: June–August.

This month · November

A cold month

Day -1° · Night -6° · Rain 56 mm

Hottest month
July (day 21°)
Coldest month
February (night -14°)
Wettest month
August (80 mm)
Driest month
February (33 mm)

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table
Climate of North Karelia
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)-7°-6°0°5°14°19°21°18°12°5°-1°-5°
Average low (°C)-14°-14°-9°-3°3°9°11°9°4°0°-6°-11°
Precipitation (mm)403333353767758063595652

Other places to visit in this season: June July August

How to get to North Karelia

The nearest airport is Joensuu Airport (JOE), 25 km to the southwest as the crow flies. For international flights: Kuopio Airport (KUO) (109 km).

Airports

  • Joensuu Airport (JOE) Joensuu 25 kmsouthwest
  • Kuopio Airport (KUO) Kuopio / Siilinjärvi 109 kmwest
  • Savonlinna Airport (SVL) Savonlinna 111 kmsouthwest

Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.

Places in North Karelia

24 places

Countries & regions3

Mountains & nature3

Lakes, rivers & coasts18

Largest cities and towns

Nature and heritage in North Karelia

  • Kitee, Finland

    Kuha

    Island

Sources & licences

Data last updated: