Oulu is a city in the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. It is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland and the sixth largest city in the country. The city of Oulu was founded by the order of King Carl IX of Sweden at the mouth of the Oulu River in 1605. The city has Finland's second largest university and a lot of public and private research institutes. The region is well known for its rapidly growing high technology industry. Strong and well developed infrastructure of Oulu offers flexible links both to Europe and to the Northern regions of North-West Russia.

Oulu Cathedral
The Oulu Cathedral is an essential part of the Oulu cityscape. The tall shape of the Cathedral stands out clearly in the overall view of the city. The Cathedral was built in 1777. The cathedral was a great subject of pride for the city of Oulu which had just earned the status of a city. A fire of 1822 destroyed most of the city of Oulu including the wooden structures of the Cathedral. The original stonework walls still formed the foundation of the Cathedral, but the rebuilding introduced a new central dome, new roof structures and a new steeple. The Cathedral currently seats one thousand people.

Northern Ostrobothnia Museum
This provincial museum focuses on the city of Oulu and its surrounding province Northern Ostrobothnia. The museum is situated in the Ainola Park. The basic exhibition extends in all other floors of the building except the bottom floor, which is dedicated to the exhibitions for the children.