Nurmes

Sister cities

• Laholm Municipality
• Segezha
• Ørsta Municipality

History

The former town municipality of Valtimo was annexed into Nurmes on 1 January 2020.

Geography

Nurmes is located in Finnish Karelia on the shore of lake Pielinen, next to the counties of Kainuu and North Savo. The nearest major cities by road are Kuopio (128 km), Joensuu (127 km) and Kajaani (113 km) where the nearest airports are located. The railway from Nurmes to Joensuu is 160 km and runs through Lieksa. Helsinki is 518 kilometers by road and can be reached by rail by changing trains in Joensuu. Nurmes is close to Tahko Tourist Center (93 km), Vuokatti Ski Resort (88 km), Koli National Park (78 km), Tiilikkajärvi National Park (56 km) and Hiidenportti National Park (44 km). The nature of Nurmes is characterized by hilly landscapes, forests and lakes. There are 409 lakes in Nurmes. The largest and the most famous of these is lake Pielinen. Species such as perch, grayling, pike, lake salmon, whitefish, lake trout are found in Pielinen. Fishing is possible with a licence that can be bought from shops. There are three hiking areas in Nurmes: * Raesärkkä area consists of a 5.9 km2 protected forest and a 1.2 km2 recreational forest. It has a grazing field, marshes, lakes and rivers. * Mujejärvi area consists of a 20 km2 hiking area with cliffs, ridges, gorges and lakes. * Lake Peurajärvi is suitable for families with children and fishermen. There are many lakes, ponds and rivers in the area, with easy access routes. There are many different mushroom, wild herb and berry species in the forests. There is Freedom to roam in Finland. Nurmes experiences a continental climate with four seasons. Winters are cold and the average temperature from November to March is below -5 °C. On average, the snow season lasts 4–5 months from November to April. North Karelia is one of the snowiest regions in Finland,…

Most-observed species

• Green-veined White

  Pieris napi (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  394
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  383
• Willow Warbler

  Phylloscopus trochilus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  308
• Brimstone

  Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  244
• Arthothelium scandinavicum Th.Fr.

  Arthothelium scandinavicum Th.Fr. · Arthoniomycetes
  231
• Scots Pine

  Pinus sylvestris L. · Pinopsida
  228
• Norway Spruce

  Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. · Pinopsida
  223
• Ringlet

  Aphantopus hyperantus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  222