Welcome to Nurmes
Nurmes is a city of about 9,000 residents in Pielinen Karelia. The scenery is fairly rugged with forest-covered hills and water bodies, including Lake Pielinen and its inlets. Nurmes has two centers: the commercial center, Porokylä, and the administrative center, which is the former market town located on a long ridged cape shaped like a pasty. At its heart is Idyllic Wood Nurmes, constructed between 1880 and 1930. While Nurmes is well known for its Karelian roots, its culture is a blend of influences from various directions.
The city boasts a versatile economic structure. For instance, Karelian pasties are sold throughout Finland, and there are energy, metal, and wood industries right outside the center. Nurmes serves as the logistics hub of the region, with distances to Kuopio, Joensuu, Kajaani, Iisalmi, and Kostamus being about 100 kilometers. The Kontiomäki–Joensuu track runs through Nurmes, and the shipping channel from Nurmes to Joensuu continues as a deep-water channel through Lake Saimaa to the sea.