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In English

Vaala – The Natural Choice

Surrounded by nature

Come and enjoy nature and the good life – naturally! Being natural, true to yourself, is part of the way of life in Vaala. We have plenty of space to be yourself and let event the wildest ideas fly!

Location and how to get there

The municipality of Vaala is located around the western part of Oulujärvi. The municipality centre is at the source of the Oulujoki. The total area of the municipality is 1,773 km2, of which more than a quarter is water. Vaala is neighboured by Puolanka to the north-east, Paltamo and Kajaani to the east, Siikalatva to the south-west, and Muhos and Utajärvi to the west. Main road 22 and the Oulu-Kontiomäki railway cross the municipal centre, which is some 90 kilometres from Oulu and Kajaani. Vaala is within easy reach by car, in addition to which there are regular train and bus connections.

History

The municipality of Vaala was established in 1954, when Niska village in the municipality of Utajärvi was merged with Säräisniemi village to create a land connection between the northern and southern parts of the municipality, previously divided by Oulujärvi. The municipal centre was moved from Säräisniemi village to Vaala, at the source of the Oulujoki. The municipality of Säräisniemi was established in 1865, and Säräisniemi congregation as early as in 1779. The former village of Oulujärvi was previously located in the area. The Vaala area has been inhabited since as early as the Stone Age, which is proven by comb ceramic artefacts found along the shores of Nimisjärvi.

Good life

The municipality of Vaala offers an ideal setting for a good life for children, young people, adults and seniors citizens alike. ‘Good life’ means the opportunity for you to make your dreams and wishes come true in a safe environment with well-functioning basic services close to you.

In Vaala, good life also means a way of life that feels like good quality: on one hand, it may be slower and have fewer choices than under the city lights, but on the other, it is attractive in its simplicity and ease.

Thanks to the internet, the world is our oyster. Living in Vaala does not mean compromising, we have no ifs and buts – we manage just fine. Good life is seizing the day and living in the moment, wherever you are!

‘Our children can cycle a couple of kilometres on their own to visit their grandparents. For them, it means freedom. For me, it means safety.’

 

‘Nature and peace are the things I like best about Vaala. We have a good upper secondary school – I have already been on an exchange trip to France even though I’m only halfway through school.’ –Liisa Seppänen

The power of community

Good life also stands for relationships with other people: family, your nearest and dearest, friends and the community. Social relationships enhance your quality of life.

We are the makers of our own well-being: surprisingly many high-quality cultural events organised by our active villages and volunteers from sports clubs are at the heart of our municipality.

The municipality of Vaala invests in education and early childhood education and their facilities. We also have an adult education centre with a wide range of courses. Everyone looks after everyone else’s children; we help our neighbours and face challenges together.

‘A Finnish midsummer dream – a sauna, a lake and a sunset – is what we have 365 days a year.’

 

Home sweet home

Activities and events serve as a bridge between generations: children and grandchildren returning to visit their parents and grandparents every summer grow up with Vaala in their hearts. People have an innate need to tell their story. Contrary to one’s personal history, this story often offers a more profound answer to the questions: Who am I? Where do I come from? How have I arrived at where I am now?

‘Having my roots in Vaala may be an excuse to move back, but what a wonderful excuse it is!’

 

A person’s relationship with their native place is a natural part of the story, for everyone was born somewhere. We cannot choose where we are born, but where we are born, in many respects, chooses us. Native place is a good reason for a conscious choice to return and gather together.

‘The best thing is nature, but that’s a cliché. Nature, work, my love – everything just falls into place. I enjoy the peace and quiet in Vaala, everything is close by. This is a good, quiet place to live close to nature. We often take the wonderful waters and the shores of Oulujärvi and the pristine nature in Rokua for granted, but when you travel or bring visitors here, you realise how unique they truly are and how fortunate we are. Oulujärvi is large, a bit scary even. Rokua, with its lichen heath, is a unique marvel of nature, something only we have and that differentiates us from the rest of the world. Typical to Finland, nature is all around you. I’ve lived in the same neighbourhood for six decades always facing east. Perhaps I have some Slavic blood? I have always lived here because I have always found work here. If you want to the opera or cinema, it’s a one and a half hour’s drive – surprisingly far away.’ –Reijo Virkkunen

Enjoy the wonders of nature

Not only can you find unique nature in Vaala – you can also find Vaala in nature! The melting of continental ice left behind dozens of kilometres of sandy beaches and ridges. The widest open lake areas in Finland are on Oulujärvi, in addition to which there is a total of 108 other lakes, a number of small crystal-clear forest ponds, and dozens of rivers of various sizes. This is an asset money can’t buy.

Vaala offers you an environment that is easy on the eye, gentle to your soul and offers excellent opportunities for all kinds of outdoor activities, all year round. Here, we are at one with nature and we know how to appreciate it: everyone understands that we have the right to enjoy nature, not to mistreat it. Our waterways are ideal for fishing and boating, our forests for hunting, picking berries, mushrooms and herbs, and cycling – or disc golf.

There is a wealth of scientific research showing that forests relieve stress, make you feel better, decrease blood pressure, and enhance your attentiveness and immune system. Uncontaminated, oxygen-rich air and relaxed wandering are within everyone’s reach. In nature, everyone is equal and everyone has the right to utilise what it offers. As a result, many people living in Vaala pick the nutritious summer and autumn delicacies: berries from the forests and marshlands, mushrooms from the luminous pine forests, and wild herbs. These superfoods are carefully stored for winter, or exported around the world.

Recreation and holidays

Summer brings holiday-makers to their lakeside or forest cottages, tripling the population of Vaala. The hustle and bustle arrives with them! They actively participate in our numerous summer events and are an important support in maintaining our services.

Numerous caravan and camping areas and other accommodation facilities provide tourists with wonderful surroundings in which to relax, recreate and revitalise close to nature. Many a motorhome traveller has found their favourite spot in Vaala, and they return year after year.

Some holidaymakers fall head over heels in love with Vaala and move here to stay all year round.

Oulujärvi­ ­­– our sea on land

Oulujärvi is a large open lake dotted with islands, islets and peninsulas. The shores and wide open areas bring a maritime air with seagulls and occasionally gusty winds. Some of the locals even say they can smell the surf of the sea in the wind. Manamansalo is one of the most splendid of the 667 islands on Oulujärvi. It is also one of the biggest lake islands in Finland and a popular destination for holidaymakers, who arrive in the ferry to spend a day or the entire summer on the island’s sandy beaches!

As it reaches Vaala, Oulujärvi becomes an impressive river of a thousand stories, running from the Stone Age to tar boats and the harnessing of the rapids. The river was an important means of travel that brought prosperity in various forms. Over the years, the river has seen dignified British lords fishing for wild salmon and high-society ladies from Central Europe, and it has brought glimpses of international life to the area since the 19th century.

‘When I moved to Vaala some 30 years ago, nature, Oulujärvi, the forest and the rest were already here. Nature invigorates you and gives you so much more than the wonderful world of the internet. Nature is an important resource in a place like Vaala: there are excellent opportunities for outdoor activities all year round. The small lakes in Manamansalo and Rokua National Park. We moved here because our daughter had recurring ear infections and we were told that less polluted air would be good for her. We had a couple of alternatives, and we chose Vaala. We feel at home here.’ –Leena-Kaisa Pärkkä

Unique Geopark in Rokua

In addition to golden sandy beaches, the purest groundwater in the world and crystal-clear waterways for fishing, the retreating continental ice left behind the internationally renowned area of Rokua. The signs and various stages of the ice age are clearly visible in the rugged terrain.

Rokua, the world’s northernmost UNESCO Global Geopark area, consists of ridges and dynes, the Oulujoki river valley, and Oulujärvi. As a unique Geopark area, Rokua attracts visitors from all around the globe all year round. For more info please go to: https://www.rokuageopark.fi/en/experience

The greatest organic farming municipality in Finland

A part of the natural way of life is large-scale, diversified primary production – the origins of high-quality food. Organic farming is one of Vaala’s best-kept secrets: it is the largest organic farming municipality in continental Finland in terms of the relative area of its organic fields!

Favouring local food is a value choice made by the municipality. And it’s a choice in which everyone wins: high-quality uncontaminated food at everyone’s table and the viable production of food on local farms.

‘We have active villages that organise cultural and sports events and other activities.’ –Pekka Välinen

Carbon-neutral way of life

The municipality of Vaala is committed to minimising its carbon footprint and strives towards becoming a carbon neutral municipality. This includes both research and concrete measures, which have already yielded positive results.

The area has a long history of hydropower, from grain-grinding mills to modern electricity production. The municipality also has a positive view of sustainable wind power.

We wish you a warm welcome ­– to find your true nature in Vaala!

Vaala, the great small municipality – conveniently far away.

 

 

Download Vaala’s brand book in English!

Here you can download printable version of Vaala’s brand book in English. The file is in PDF-format and can be viewed and downloaded straight from your browser.