Facts

Project description:

What makes Ruka-Kuusamo in Finland so unique and special as a (gravel) destination?

Ruka-Kuusamo as a destination offers a variety of naturally created highlights - no wonder they call themselves the land of 5 national parks. Rivers, forests, lakes, mountains, reindeer, fishing, forests, eating berries, picking mushrooms, watching bears, forests. Have we already mentioned the multitude of forests? It is not for nothing that the Finns are statistically the happiest people in the world and also benefit from the freshest air you can breathe.

The bike season runs from June, as soon as the snow has melted, to mid-October, when the snow falls again. From mid-June to mid-August, the sun doesn't set. These "nightless nights" are mystical, unique and everyone should experience them at least once. Later in the year, when the sun makes it past the horizon, you will be rewarded with the Northern Lights - and aren't they on (almost) every bucket list?

Let's take a look at the Gravel network

Ruka-Kuusamo has 924 kilometers of gravel bike routes to offer! Even the asphalted routes never get boring, because you see and experience so much. Regardless of whether you are traveling alone or in a group. But it is especially beautiful on the non-paved routes, far away from the two "base camps" in Ruka and Kuusamo. The destination has, together with ALLEGRA Nordics a network has been developed so that many highlights, the base camps and service points, such as restaurants and overnight accommodation, can be combined and experienced in smaller and larger circular tours.

From Easy Gravel Routes (21-33km) via Medium Gravel Routes (37-72km) to the Challenging Gravel Routes (61-92km) there is something for everyone. The difficulty levels are not only determined by the distance, but also by the road surface and the altitude covered on the routes. This offers newcomers, families and passionate athletes an opportunity to not only stay a few days longer, but also return to Ruka-Kuusamo. Above all, because in addition to the two base camps there are many small places to discover that authentically reflect the culture and history of the residents.

Sure, there are a lot of reindeer in Scandinavia. It's all the more common that you'll come across one or more on a gravel bike tour. But have you ever heard of reindeer yoga? It's unique and certainly only available in Ruka-Kuusamo. The sauna culture should not go unmentioned either and is an experience that you should ideally experience together with a few Finns and feel for yourself.

More information about Ruka-Kuusamo can be found hereFrom now on, this destination should be on the travel list of every gravel biker and those who want to become one.