Oulu with a dog - a furry dog's bucket list for Oulu

Oulu is a great place to travel with a dog, as the city is very dog-friendly. There are plenty of places to stay, restaurants and cafés to welcome man's best friend. There's enough to do and see for a dog to make your bucket list, so take a look here for the best tips! We also reveal the best photo tips of the barefoot Oulu dog Kaffe!

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Choose your favourite dog-friendly accommodation

First on the bucket list is, of course, a pleasant accommodation experience! There are plenty of dog-friendly accommodation options in the city.

Hotels for example Lapland Hotels Oulu, Original Sokos Hotel Arina, Scandic Hotel Oulu City and Scandic Hotel Oulu Station are also happy to accommodate fur seals.

You can go to the cottage again In Nallikari Holiday Village: Dogs are welcome in Messi Summer Cottages, Holiday Cottages and part of the Poiju Villa Solo apartments.

Oulu dog parks and beaches

The local dog park is next on the bucket list: it's obvious that you need to exchange the news of the day with the dogs of Oulu.

There are a whopping 18 dog parks in the city of Oulu. From the point of view of Oulu city centre, the most central location is perhaps Hupisaarten Dog Park.

Swimming is definitely on the summer bucket list. Even though there are no official dog bathing beaches in Oulu at the moment, there are still plenty of places to swim!

A dog can swim near the city centre On the island of Sonnisaare, Sheep Island and Piccadilly on small beaches. Dogs can swim in Hietasaari On the shores of Toppilansaari, located north of Nallikari beach.

A little further from the centre are Lake Pyykösjärvi, Lake Kuivasjärvi and the many boat launches on the Oulu River. Lake Valkiaisjärvi has its own dog beach south of the public beach. Oulunsalo's bathing area is Papinjärvi. In Jääli, dogs can swim on the Jääli hill and in Haukiputa, on the Murtoperje.

Out on the water and in outdoor museums with your dog

The unique things to do, see and experience in the city of Oulu form the core of the hairless bucket list. And there is a lot of fun to be had!

In Oulu you can try the hottest thing in the dog world, namely dog haggling! Guided dogfighting organised by Lappis, available in July, is a must on the bucket list of every perhaps slightly colder-headed furry friend. You and your dog can also hire a canoe from Lappis and go canoeing together.

For less excitement, a satisfied truck can be on the same leash in Oulu with numerous fitness and nature trails.

Turkansa Island Outdoor Museum is a dog-friendly attraction along the old tar transport route on the Oulu River. In the museum area, you can admire the traditional rural landscape with its wooden buildings and churches, and explore the activities of tar burning.

Dog nutrition in the northern capital

Local restaurants and cafés are an obvious part of the dog's bucket list: local, local food in particular is the crowning glory of a trip to Oulu.

There are numerous restaurants and cafés in the city where dogs are welcome! Examples include Tuba Food & Lounge, which favours local and organic food in particular, and La Torrefazione, located in the Valkea shopping centre.

Sugar on the bottom: the best photo tips from Kaffe

The Bucket List is crowned with great travel photos! But where are the best locations in Oulu to capture the unforgettable moments of your trip? And how to take successful shots?

Let's ask this professional photographer From Harri Tarvaisel, which together Kaffe-dogansa knows Oulu's filming locations like the back of his hand. Kaffe, a curly-haired Labrador retriever, is a habitual poser, and you can follow his happy goings-on on Instagram.

"In the Oulu area, the seashores are great places to photograph. On a calm day, the shallow beaches offer great reflections and landscape mirrors. Try shooting with the camera very close to the surface for the best reflection."

"Early mornings and late evenings are a photographer's golden time," Harri says. In addition to the seashores, Harri and Kaffe's favourite places to photograph in the city centre are Ainola Park, especially its small streams, and the Hietasaari trails.

"A moving subject challenges the photographer and when working with animals, chance always plays a big role! Whatever equipment you have at your disposal, the first tip is to practice the basic operations of your equipment," says Harri.

"Take lots of pictures and experiment with different cropping and angles. At the end of a shooting trip, my camera often has hundreds of images on it, but only a small fraction of them are successful shots."

"Have mercy on yourself and especially on your dog friend, sometimes the pictures don't turn out as you had planned, but most of the time the best pictures come by accident! Curiosity and playfulness are dog qualities that photographers should learn from," Harri advises.

"Select the best photos, crop them to the desired size and adjust the tones and contrasts of the images. Instagram's photo editing tools, for example, go a long way."

"And make sure to share the best photos on social media with relevant hashtags - Instagram also gives you inspiration and ideas for future dog photos!"

Don't forget to share your best shots on Instagram with the hashtag #visitoulu!

Welcome to enjoy life in Oulu with your best friend! See more dog-friendly tips below.