National Parks Oulanka and Paanajärvi – A Natural History and Tour Guide

The area covered by the Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks constitutes a unique ecological entity. The parks belong to the Green Belt of Fennoscandia and boreal coniferous taiga zone. Their species richness and abundance of different biotopes place them in a class of their own. The stunningly beautiful landscapes and exceptionally rich nature have enchanted and thrilled hikers, outdoors people, amateur naturalists and researchers for over a century. Nature knows no borders but this ecologically uniform area is divided by the border between Finland and Russia: Oulanka National park in the west in Finland and Paanajärvi National Park in the east in Russian Karelia.

This guide book tells of the common nature and natural history of Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks. The tourism section presents the hiking places within the two parks, supported by illustrative maps and a presentation of the local cultural history.

Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks have been engaged in close co-operation since 1992. The updated contents of this book have been produced as a part of the project “Quality for Cross border practices in ecotourism” financed by the Karelia ENPI CBC Programme, which is a cross-border cooperation program for the regions of Kainuu, North Karelia and Oulu in Finland and in the republic of Karelia in Russia.