Welcome to Nurmes

Nurmes is a city of more than 8,000 residents in Pielinen Karelia. The scenery is fairly rugged with forest-covered hills and water – Lake Pielinen and its inlets. Nurmes has two centres. The commercial centre is Porokylä and the administrative centre of Nurmes, that is the former market town is located on a long ridged cape which has the shape of a pasty. Idyllic Wood-Nurmes is at the centre of it constructed in 1880–1930. Nurmes is well known of its Karelian roots, although Nurmes' culture is not only Karelian but more of a mixture of influences from all directions.

The city has a versatile economic structure. For example, Karelian pasties are sold throughout Finland, and there is energy, metal and wood industry right outside the centre. Nurmes is the logistics centre of the region. The distance to Kuopio, Joensuu, Kajaani, Iisalmi and Kostamus is about a hundred kilometres. The Kontiomäki–Joensuu track goes through Nurmes. The shipping channel from Nurmes to Joensuu continues as a deep-water channel through Lake Saimaa to the sea.

Welcome to Nurmes!