5 must-see sights in Oulu, Finland, European Capital of Culture

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1. Market Square

Much of the action in this laid-back but grand Finnish port city – which is an hour and a half south of the border with Sweden – happens at harbourside Torinranta Square, overlooking the Baltic Sea. Alongside traditional Finnish taverns, lively bars set in former warehouses and an art nouveau indoor market hall (stocked with souvenirs, handicrafts and merchants selling salmon soup), clients can spot a concrete brutalist theatre just across the bridge, a major venue for events during Oulu2026. 

While they’re there, they should look out for ‘Toripolliisi’ – a six-foot-tall bronze statue of a rotund policeman that has become the emblem of the city.

2. Pikisaari Island