# Nurmes

Nurmes is a town and municipality of Finland, located in the county of North Karelia. The town has a population of 9,003 (31 October 2024) and covers an area of 1,854.78 square kilometres (716.13 sq mi) of which 253.7 km$^2$ (98.0 sq mi) is water. The population density is 3.75 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.7/sq mi). Neighbouring municipalities are Juuka, Kuhmo, Lieksa, Rautavaara and Sotkamo.
Nurmes railway station is the northern terminus of a twice-daily VR passenger train service from Joensuu. The service has been under threat of closure but is currently part of rail services that the Ministry of Transport and Communications requires VR to run in exchange for its monopoly on more attractive routes. The agreement is currently valid through 2030.
Karelian village and spa hotel Break Sokos Hotel Bomba are situated in Nurmes. Bomba Karelian Village is a tourist destination for Karelian construction and food culture and traditions. Hotel Hyvärilä Youth and Holiday Centre, and Pielis-Golf golf course are located near the Bomba area.

## Karelian nest

The municipality is officially unilingually Finnish, but in 2009, Finland's first Karelian language "nest" (pre-school immersion group) was established in Nurmes.

## Geography

Nurmes is located in Finnish Karelia on the shore of lake Pielinen, next to the counties of Kainuu and Northern Savonia. 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 from train from 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 km$^2$ protected forest and a 1.2 km$^2$ recreational forest. It has a grazing field, marshes, lakes and rivers.
* Mujejärvi area consists of a 20 km$^2$ 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.

### Climate

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, with a typical March snow depth of more than 50 cm. During the darkest time of the year, the sun is above the horizon for about four hours.
Summers are cool to warm and temperatures change very rapidly during the summer. During the brightest time of the year, the sun is above the horizon for about 20 hours.
Climate data for Nurmes Valtimo (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1971-present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) | 8.2 (46.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 21.0 (69.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 32.5 (90.5) | 34.8 (94.6) | 32.8 (91.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 10.7 (51.3) | 7.6 (45.7) | 34.8 (94.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) | −5.5 (22.1) | −0.1 (31.8) | 6.2 (43.2) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.5 (70.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 13.1 (55.6) | 5.5 (41.9) | −0.1 (31.8) | −3.5 (25.7) | 6.9 (44.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.5 (14.9) | −9.4 (15.1) | −4.6 (23.7) | 1.5 (34.7) | 8.3 (46.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.6 (61.9) | 14.2 (57.6) | 9.1 (48.4) | 3.0 (37.4) | −2.2 (28.0) | −6.3 (20.7) | 2.9 (37.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.3 (8.1) | −13.7 (7.3) | −9.5 (14.9) | −3.3 (26.1) | 2.9 (37.2) | 8.6 (47.5) | 11.7 (53.1) | 9.9 (49.8) | 5.6 (42.1) | 0.6 (33.1) | −4.6 (23.7) | −9.5 (14.9) | −1.2 (29.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −42.0 (−43.6) | −42.0 (−43.6) | −36.0 (−32.8) | −23.2 (−9.8) | −10.4 (13.3) | −1.0 (30.2) | 2.6 (36.7) | −2.5 (27.5) | −8.0 (17.6) | −19.0 (−2.2) | −33.0 (−27.4) | −38.0 (−36.4) | −42.0 (−43.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 40 (1.6) | 35 (1.4) | 31 (1.2) | 29 (1.1) | 49 (1.9) | 64 (2.5) | 80 (3.1) | 65 (2.6) | 62 (2.4) | 59 (2.3) | 54 (2.1) | 49 (1.9) | 618 (24.3) |
| Average precipitation days | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 117 |
| Source 1: Finnish Meteorological Institute ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Record highs and lows ||||||||||||||

## Economy

Key industries of Nurmes are wood industry, food industry and metal and mechanical engineering.
Wood industry is the most significant industrial sector of our region in terms of turnover and employees. The products manufactured here include sawn and planed wood, glued beams, impregnated wooden poles, and high-quality special cardboards.
Nurmes has strong expertise in bakery, fish and meat processing sectors. The most sold signature products have been bread in various forms, and gluten-free bakery products.
Metal and mechanical engineering companies operate as subcontractors or manufacture products under their own trademarks. They develop innovative products & processes and search actively for new subcontracting opportunities.
Nurmes has Green Industry Area (Nurmes GIA) which is a novel business district that offers spacious plots, modern infrastructure, and good logistic services. Nurmes GIA is an excellent platform e.g. for manufacturing and logistics of bio-based chemical products. The areal zoning and environmental impact assessment have been designed to benefit the start-up of forest-based industries and circular economy.

## Culture

Nurmes was declared Finland's Christmas Song City in 2005 and the European Christmas Song City in 2009. A lot of musical activities, such as concerts and events, are organized during Christmas in Nurmes.
During the summertime there are cultural events, such as Nurmes Summer Music, which takes place in the beginning of July.
Finnish composer P. J. Hannikainen was from Nurmes, so a theatre, a street and a playschool are named after him. He has own monument in Nurmes city centre.
Nurmes-talo is the Nurmes Cultural Center, where library, cinema, art gallery and a museum take place. Nurmes-talo has been under renovation since June 2019 and will reopen on August 9, 2021. There is another museum in Nurmes called Ikola museum.
Nurmes is the home town of the main protagonist of the acclaimed 2002 Aki Kaurismäki film Mies vailla menneisyyttä (The Man Without a Past).

## Notable people

* Elli Saurio (1899–1966), Economist
* Mikko Collan, military officer and politician
* P. J. Hannikainen, composer
* Jani Hartikainen, football player
* Juha Holopainen, skier
* Ilkka Laitinen, military officer and government executive
* Pekka Meriläinen, stonemason and politician
* Urho Peltonen, javelin thrower
* Olli Soikkeli, jazz guitarist

## International relations
### Twin towns — Sister cities

Nurmes is twinned with:
* Laholm, Sweden
* Møn, Denmark
* Ørsta, Norway
* Volda, Norway
* Segezha, Russia