Oulu
From Halal Explorer
[[file:Oulun Kaupungintalo - Oulu City Hall cropped - The City Hall of Oulu}} Rantakatu Oulu by Night 2007 09 16 - Rantakatu street by night
Oulu (Swedish: Uleåborg) is the largest city in Northern Finland, with a bit more than 200,000 inhabitants (counting by the administrative borders and the city itself has a little less).
Contents
- 1 Oulu Halal Explorer
- 2 Travel to Oulu
- 3 eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Oulu
- 4 Muslim Friendly Hotels
- 5 How to get around in Oulu
- 6 What to see in Oulu
- 7 Top Muslim Travel Tips for Oulu
- 8 Muslim Friendly Shopping in Oulu
- 9 Halal Restaurants in Oulu
- 10 eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Oulu
- 11 Muslim Friendly Hotels
- 12 Stay Safe
- 13 Telecommunications in Oulu
- 14 News & References Oulu
- 15 Travel Next
Oulu Halal Explorer
[[file:Pokkitörmä Oulu 20120606 - Oulun Lyseon Lukio upper secondary school and the Oulu Gothic Church
Oulu is the capital of the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. It is the fifth largest municipality in Finland by population and the largest and most important in Northern Finland. As a result of two consolidations of neighbouring municipalities, first Ylikiiminki in 2009, and then Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo and Yli-Ii in 2013, its land area is over 3,000 km² (five to ten times the size of other similar sized cities in Finland). As urban area it comes fourth, after the capital region, Tampere and Turku.
Historically Oulu has been known for its salmon and wood tar and production. Today it is however more known for its high-tech focus, with free wireless Internet access, Panoulu, in the downtown. A lot of Finnish IT companies, including Nokia, have offices in Oulu or nearby areas. In 1988 Jarkko Oikarinen wrote the first IRC server and client here. Oulu is also home to Oulun Kärpät, a successful hockey team playing in the top Finnish league, Liiga.
History
Early history
The history of the Oulu area of course reaches all the way to the end of the Stone Age. During the Stone Age and the location of the current city was still underwater, but around 1800 BCE (when the stone age ended) and the coastline had risen inside the current city borders. The Oulu river has been an important trade river since the Stone Age since it offered connections to both the East and the West, as well as the South by the sea. During the Iron Age and the population in the Oulu area most likely lessened a bit, although the Sami population persisted through the Iron Age. During the Iron Age and the southern Finnish peoples such as the Finns Proper and the Tavastians made hunting, trade and taxation travels to the North.
In the 12th century, Oulu became an important spot for trade and hunting trips by the Karelians, including the people from the flourishing population centres of the shores of the Lake Ladoga.
From the Middle Ages to the 16th century
It is commonly interpreted that the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323 placed Oulu inside the Republic of Novgorod, but according to some historians, Ostrobothnia was shared as a collaborative area between the two nations, Sweden and Novgorod. Although, in the year 1345 Sweden attached the regions all the way to Kemi as a part of Turku Diocese. The possession of the area became controversial, and during the next centuries the Novgorodians and later on Russians made raids to Ostrobothnia all the way to Oulu. The first armaments of the Oulu Castle were made in 1375. The fortification was known in Swedish as "Uleåborg", "Ule River Castle". After the founding of the castle and the city started to slowly evolve close to the castle, which was colloquially known as "Uleåstad", "Ule River Town".
Oulu, Kemi, Tornio and Ii were given the right to serve as trading centres by the Nordic history|Swedish King Gustav I of Sweden in 1531.
During the Russo-Swedish war of 1590-1595 and the fortification was turned into a small castle. In the Treaty of Teusina (1595), Russia acknowledged the Oulu area as a part of the Kingdom of Sweden.
The founding of the city and the 18th century
Oulu is the oldest city in Northern Finland. It was established with the same Swedish name of Uleåborg in 1605 by the King Karl IX at the mouth of Oulujoki river, on the opposite bank of Oulu Castle. In the beginning there were around 400 residents in the city. The city got its full city rights in 1610, and during the 17th century even some small-scale industry was born in town since the only rifle manufacturing plant in Finland was located in Oulu. The first pedagogium in the city was founded in 1611 and in 1682 it was transformed into a trivial school.
The Oulu Castle was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1793 and never rebuilt.
The 19th and the 20th century
During its history and the city has suffered wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oulu_fire 8 Great Fires, and in 1822 the city was severely damaged in one, and during its reconstruction and the downtown got the look it still has today.
In the 19th century the trivial school was transformed into an upper comprehensive school and a gymnasium school was attached to it. In 1872 the first Oulu private lyceum was opened and it was transformed into the Oulu Lyceum in 1883.
The city was greatly affected by wars, and Oulu was a battlefield for the Whites and the Reds in the short civil war. The Winter War was seen in the city when the Germans built different training, maintenance and cadre centres in Oulu. In the Continuation war, Oulu was bombed heavily and some trace from the bombings is still seen in some of the older buildings in the downtown.
The 20th century brought industrialization to the city and the borders became too tight for all population and the city borders were expanded by adding some smaller neighboring municipalities to the city.
The University of Oulu was founded in 1959, although Oulu had been proposed as a university town since 1917. The new university got a great reception since it was the first one in Northern Finland and the people didn't have to go all the way to Southern Finland in order to get academic education.
Recent history and Modern Day
Nanami - A contestant in the Air Guitar World Championships
Nowadays Oulu is known especially as a technology city and the economical engine of Northern Finland. Technopolis, founded in 1982, was the first so-called technology village of the Nordic countries.
The latest expansions of the city alongside with the population growth of the city proper have made Oulu the 5th largest city and 4th biggest urban area in Finland. With its population of 200 000 it is by far the largest city in the northern part of the Nordics.
Modern Oulu is known all over Finland with the nickname "Paska kaupunni" ("Shitty City") due to a graffiti made at some point in the 1980s to a wall in the address Uusikatu 22. The urban tradition of drawing the graffiti again and again has persisted to this day.
Other nowadays known things related to the city are the Toripolliisi statue (1987) and the Oulu Market Hall (1901) and the Marketplace granaries and the hockey team Oulun Kärpät, Tietomaa Science Center and the annual Air Guitar World Championships and the wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_singers#Finland Starboy tradition and the Oulu dialect and wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B6ssypottu Rössypottu.
Travel to Oulu
Buy a Flight ticket to and from Oulu
- Oulu Airport IATA Flight Code: OUL 64.929167, 25.355556 - Oulu Airport Oulu Airport 20131020 . The busiest in the nation after Helsinki, and the Helsinki–Oulu route is the nation's most popular domestic flight with frequent services (around ten flights per day each way) by Finnair and Norwegian. The terminal has been expanded and now has jet bridges to get you onto the planes without having to walk on the freezing cold tarmac. The airport has an automatic map dispenser that provides free maps, but it doesn't always work.
- A fully flexible return economy ticket might cost more than €200 but a non-changeable one-way ticket can go as low as €29 or a return ticket for €58 when bought months in advance. Norwegian is often cheaper, but airlines compete on price for this route so be sure to check Finnair, too.
- If you are under 26 years old and planning to travel with Norwegian, be sure to use the code ALLE26 to get cheaper prices for the trip (you can find flights for as low as €29 from the LowFare calendar).
The main airlines that fly to and from the airport are Finnair and Norwegian Air Shuttle. The destination and origin of most flights is Helsinki Airport|Helsinki, to where all domestic flights operate. SAS started Flights to Stockholm-Arlanda in November 2018.
Seasonally, some services are operated from Las Palmas, Alicante and Tenerife (Norwegian), as well as Chania and Alanya (Finnair). Jet Time also offers seasonal Flights from Las Palmas.
The terminal is small and easy to navigate, and everything can be visited on foot. There is one terminal at the airport which has around 10,000 m² of space for Muslim travellers. The terminal is open whenever there are Flights.
There are several charging points in the terminal, both before and after the security check. The airport offers free WiFi under the name "Free Wifi for You by Finavia". There is also a piano and rocking chairs in the free Hailuoto Lounge.
Oluthuone Toppila in the gate area offers a large selection of cider and other high quality drinks. They also offer the local "kärkkäri" Sausages,as well as hamburgers and other food.
For lighter Snacks, check out Oulu Café at both the gates and in the arrivals hall.
Oulu Café also sells some local souvenirs, as well as cosmetics and other, normal tax-free stuff. There is also a pharmacy by the café in the gate area.
Transport
Oulu is easily reached from the airport by bus routes 8 and 9. The bus stop is found on the right when coming from the terminal building. The bus takes you to the downtown in about 25-30 minutes, and usually contains a luggage rack. There is an info display on the bus stop which shows real-time updates and the location of the bus on a map. Buses operate quite frequently from 06:25 to about 21:00 on weekdays. After 21:00 buses operate infrequently to 01:20.
The tickets cost €5.80 for an adult and €2.90 for children aged 7-16. You can either pay by cash to the driver or by the free Oulu Public Transport app. If buying the ticket from the app, choose zone AB since the airport is in zone B. Journeys starting at night (23:00-04:30) will be charged double. The validity of the ticket is 60 minutes' unlimited travel.
The airport hotel is located 5 kilometers from the airport, so it is wise to take a bus. When going to the airport hotel, tell the driver where you're going (the hotel is also in zone B) and the driver should charge you €3.30 (€2.92 for children). The university is in zone A.
When travelling by bus, it is best to use a smartphone map with live location so you know exactly when to get off the bus. An app called Nysse handles Oulu Public Transport well, but e.g. Moovit and Google maps do the job as well. The buses are yet to be equipped with "Next Stop is..." displays, but they are being slowly installed from the beginning of 2019.
When travelling to the downtown and the main stop is Toripakka P. The tourist information centre is right next to Toripakka P. The previously mentioned Airport Hotel can be visited by stopping at Vihiluoto P.
The university can be only reached by bus route 8 on weekdays, but you can also change buses for free in the downtown; use lines 1 (Jylkynkangas), 2 (Ritaharju), 3 (Aaltokangas) or 23 (Haukipudas-Ii). If you are going to the university at the weekend and then you must change from bus 9 onto one of the previously mentioned lines. Bus routes 22 (Haukipudas Asemakylä) and 28 (Ii) also go to the university but you are unlikely to catch one since they operate rather infrequently. If using lines 22, 23, or 28, be sure to tell the driver your destination so that they won't overcharge you since the buses' destinations are in different zones. More info on the zones can be found in the Oulu#Get Around|'Get around' section. You can try using English, but the bus driver might not understand. Usually they do, but if they don't, you can use the word "Yliopistolle" (≈"ILL-yo-piss-toll-e") which means "to the university".
Nallikari and the Spa Hotel Eden are reached with bus number 15.
A taxi ride, although more expensive, can be an easier choice of transportation. During the day on weekdays, a ride from or to the airport is usually about €35, although large amounts of luggage might raise the price. Otaxi operates most taxis from the airport. You can try to get a cheaper ride by using the rideshare app Kyyti.
There are several vehicle rental services at the airport. Some of them are open only on demand so if you're intending to rent a car, be sure to check their opening times on /en/airports/oulu/parking-access/car-rentals their websites and/or call their helpline.
If you're leaving your vehicle at the airport, check which parking lot suits your needs the best from /en/airports/oulu/parking-access/car-rentals the website of the airport].
eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Oulu
Oulu - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Oulu, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Oulu. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Oulu and its surrounding regions.
With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Oulu. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.
The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Oulu. Key components include:
Halal-Friendly Accommodations inOulu: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Oulu.
Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Oulu: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Oulu, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Oulu.
Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Oulu, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.
Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Oulu, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.
Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Oulu and beyond.
Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Oulu, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Oulu, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Oulu without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."
The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Oulu is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Oulu.
About eHalal Travel Group:
eHalal Travel Group Oulu is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.
For Halal business inquiries in Oulu, please contact:
eHalal Travel Group Oulu Media: info@ehalal.io
Muslim Friendly Hotels
The Airport Hotel is 5km away, reachable by public transport (buses 8 and 9, zone B). The cheaper /en-gb Kempeleen Moottorimaja is 9 kilometers away, but you have to switch buses in order to get there (8/9→50/52, zone B). Google Maps offers good directions.
Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Oulu
Oulu train station 20180325 03 - The station building seen from the tracks
Oulu is on the railway main line between Helsinki and Rovaniemi. The day trains complete the journey from Helsinki to Oulu in about 6 hours, while direct sleepers take around 9 hours. The standard price is about €60 (€100 with a berth), if you book early there are offers for about half the price. The newest type of sleeper train carriages have a shower and a toilet in each 2-person cabin. As when going to Rovaniemi, you can also take your vehicle with you on the overnight train.
The "saver ticket" is always the most affordable choice. Only a limited number of them is available and no discounts are offered for them. The saver ticket lets you choose your travel dates flexibly. Saver tickets are offered 60 days before your departure. You can change your ticket for €5 and pay a €10 cancellation insurance.
You can buy tickets from the train station or from vr.fi.
The train station is by the centre, e.g. the tourist information is 900 m away. If you're not keen on walking with heavy luggage and your accommodation is not close by, you can take any citybus from the train station. The citybus stop is right by the yellow station building. Check the ticket prices from the segment Oulu#Get around|Get Around.
Many tourists can get a bit confused when arriving in Oulu by train, since the signs aren't always the clearest in the train station. The station building is small and wooden, and they're still planning to build a brand new travel centre in the place of the old platforms. When arriving in other tracks than track no. 1, you must go down to the station tunnel and to the left in order to reach the downtown or the current station building. If you need to go to the bus station or Raksila neighborhood, go to the right when you get to the tunnel.
Travel on a Bus in Oulu
Trip duration from Helsinki varies between 8 and 15 hours and costs around €70–80, but using the cheaper Onnibus, you can get trip with a price as low as €15. Timetable and information from Matkahuolto and Onnibus
The bus station is right next to the train station, but on the other side of the tracks.
Book a Halal Cruise or Boat Tour in Oulu
Oulu is at the mouth of the Oulujoki river, thus reachable by yacht in summer and autumn.
- Meritulli 65.0140, 25.4602 ☎ +358 400-474-180 | Opening Hours: 06:00–24:00, after mid August 07:00–16:00 €12/night (sauna not included, electricity €2), €5 for day visit, €2 for short visit. - Marina in the river delta, by the Market square. WC, showers, private secluded sauna, kitchen, washing machines, fuel, water, electricity, septic tank emptying. Fairway depth 2.3 m.
By car
Oulu is on the Highway 4 (Finland) | Finnish National Road 4, which runs from Erottaja in Helsinki to Sami Bridge in Utsjoki, and is 1295 kilometers long (making it the longest in Finland). The national road 4 is also part of the E75 route which connects Northern Norway to Greece.
Kivisydän Entrance Oulu 20151011 - Kivisydän, Hallituskatu 1 Entrance
The downtown has an underground vehicle park ( Kivisydän]), constructed in 2015, which stretches through the whole downtown. There are two entrances to it; Hallituskatu 1 and Hallituskatu 20; of which the Hallituskatu 1 entrance next to the marketplace is probably easier to reach. You can search Google Maps with the key words "Kivisydän Torin Ramppi" or "Kivisydän Uusikadun Ramppi" if struggling to find the ramps to the parking structure.
How to get around in Oulu
GPS 65.0118|25.4726
By foot
For being the fifth largest city in Finland the downtown is small compared to, say, Tampere or Turku. The whole of the downtown is easily walkable, and the walking conditions are good. There are usually free walking route maps distributed at the Oulu Tourism Board.
Travel on a Bus in Oulu
Toppilansaari Oulu 20140414 - An Oulu public transport bus in Toppilansaari
The public transportation is operated by Oulun Joukkoliikenne]. Single ticket (kertalippu) within about 10 kilometers from the downtown costs €3.30 (€2.92 for children ages 7-16). Between 23:00–04:30 a single ticket costs €6.60, but night services are limited. The bus drivers usually understand some English, but best plan your trip beforehand. To plan your route in the city, use Google Maps' public transport features. It gives you the most convenient route to where you want to go, including walks to/from bus stops, which bus lines to use and where to switch buses. You can also use Oulu's own journey planner, [https://%7C Oulun liikenne, but it's not as good. Few third-party phone apps like Nysse do the job better. The buses have trackers which let the clients see where exactly the bus is located on a map and how long do you have to wait for it. There are screens on bus stops that use this technology, but the previously mentioned Nysse also takes advantage of this feature (granted you have an internet connection, of course).
You can use the app Oulu Public Transport by iQ Payments to purchase the ticket. After purchasing the ticket from the app, show it to the driver and you're good to go. You cannot buy tickets in advance with the app, so you must buy it right before you need it.
Using the bus is simple. If you pay with cash, you just tell your destination to the driver (and if you're young, you should tell if you're under 16 or not; the bus drivers will almost automatically take you as an adult). You can only pay with cash in the buses.
If you pay with a Waltti-card (more info in the section With Waltti Travel Card), you just press the card against the reader (a machine with a big blue ring on it). If you want to load more money (or "value") on the card, you just give the driver the money and ask to load the card with it ("lataa arvoa").
From the early 2019, buses will start displaying the information on the upcoming stops, which will make traveling by bus easier for people who aren't used to the system. The changes don't happen to every bus at the same time, so even after that, it'd be good to have a downloaded map with your current location on your phone.
Taking a bike to the bus is free, but if the bus is full, you might have to wait for the next one. You can take your bike on some taller long-distance buses (e.g. to Tyrnävä) which have narrow hallways, elevated floors and single middle doors (as opposed to doubles), too, but you need to ask the driver to put the bike in the luggage container of the bus.
The validity of single and value tickets is 60 minutes when travelling in one zone or two zones, and 80 minutes in three or more zones. You can transfer from one vehicle to another within the validity of your ticket. A-City ticket is valid only in citybus. The validity of A-City ticket is 30 minutes.
The bus stops are named so that the name of the stop is followed by either an E or a P. The letters stand for Etelä (South) and Pohjoinen (North), implicating the direction of the buses passing through the stop. The biggest exceptions from this rule are most of the citybus stops and the stops "Elokuvakeskus" ("Movie Center", dir. North), Virastotalo ("Bureau House", dir. South) and Pokkitörmä (dir. both North and South).
Zones
Public transport system Oulun joukkoliikenne is divided up into zones from A to D that radiate from the center. The urban area within about 10-km radius from the downtown is zone A and the regions further from that are B, C and D. Nearly all the hotels, University of Oulu and the main sights are in zone A. The airport, Kempele and Haukipudas are in zone B, Ii, Muhos, and Liminka are on zone C. Only Yli-Ii is in zone D. The number of zones you travel through during your trip will determine your fare. A detailed map of the zones is found here /c/document_library/get_file?uuid=e265ae5a-03d7-4e86-a66c-51602703ccc4&groupId=6584597(PDF).
Some POI's listed under each zone:
Zone A: The whole downtown, Nallikari and Hietasaari, University of Oulu, OYS, Limingantulli, Oulu Music Center, Oulu Car Museum, Kaakkuri, Ruskotunturi, Ideapark Oulu, Pateniemi Sawmill Museum, Meritoppila DiscGolfPark, Oulu Climbing Centre
Zone B: Oulunsalo and Oulu Airport, Turkansaari Outdoor Museum, Kempele and the shopping centre Zeppelin, Haukipudas, Kiiminki and Koitelinkoski Rapids
Zone C: Ii, Ylikiiminki, Muhos, Tyrnävä, Liminka and Liminganlahti Bay, Lumijoki
Zone D: Yli-Ii, Hailuoto (kind of)
Prices
Single Tickets
Zones | Adult | Child | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citybuses | 1.50 | 1.50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Inside A, B, C or D | 3.30 | 1.70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Inside A&B, B&C or C&D | 5.80 | 2.90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Inside A, B and C or B, C and D | 8.30 | 4.20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A to D | 10.10 | 5.10
With Waltti Travel Card You can also get a Waltti bus card from Oulu10 which reduces the prices a bit. The card costs €3 and you can load money to it either online or in buses, select R-Kiosks and Oulu10. You can load any amount you want in Oulu10 or the R-Kiosks, but in the buses, you have to round the price you want to the closest 10 (although sometimes the drivers accept 5's, too).
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