Karhunkierros

Finland's most famous trail, the Karhunkierros or Bear's Ring runs about 82 km through the Oulanka National Park in the north-east, near the Russian border. Taking most walkers four to six days, it winds through a landscape of rivers, rapids, gorges and pine forest that ranks among the finest in Finland.

The scenery is northern and dramatic: the churning Kiutaköngäs rapids, deep river canyons, suspension bridges swinging over white water, boreal forest and pockets of rare arctic flora where southern and northern species meet. The park shelters brown bears, wolverines and reindeer, and the terrain feels genuinely wild despite the trail's popularity.

Difficulty is moderate, with duckboards easing the boggy sections and bridges spanning the rivers, though there are steady climbs and some rough, rooty ground. Well-spaced wilderness huts, lean-tos and campfire sites — free to use under Finland's public-access rights — line the route, so walkers carry a tent or sleeping gear and food between them. No permit is required within the national park.

Established as a marked route in the 1950s, the Bear's Ring pioneered wilderness hiking in Finland and remains the country's best-known long-distance path. The main season is June to September, after the snow melts and the rivers subside; midsummer brings near-endless daylight but also mosquitoes, while September paints the forests in autumn colour, the celebrated ruska, and thins the biting insects considerably.