57th Kainuu Orienteering Week

The History of Heikkilä’s Pirtti, the Competition Center for the Kainuu Orienteering Week 2025, Reaches Back Centuries

In 2025, the competition center of the Kainuu Orienteering Week will be located at Heikkilä’s Pirtti in Ohravaara. This summer, orienteers will get to explore a historic Kainuu hill landscape that has been inhabited since the 1800s. What echoes of the past can be felt in these surroundings?

How does an orienteering holiday in the stunning hills of Vuokatti sound? Here's how to find the perfect open orienteering course for you at Kainuu Orienteering Week!

Looking for an unforgettable orienteering experience without the pressure of competition? Kainuu Orienteering Week’s open recreational classes are perfect for you! Open courses recreational classes offer something for everyone – from fun beginner routes for young children and families to technically demanding A-level courses for experienced orienteers.

Choose a course that suits your level and mood – and enjoy the best of orienteering in the rugged landscapes of Kainuu, on world-class maps and expertly designed courses.

In this article, you’ll find descriptions of all Kainuu O-Week recreational courses along with key information and sample maps and courses.

Answer the customer survey and you could win a free entry to the Kainuu Orienteering Week 2025 in Sotkamo or 2026 in Suomussalmi

Take part in our customer survey and you could win a free entry to the Kainuu Orienteering Week – either in Sotkamo 2025 or Suomussalmi 2026!

By answering the survey, you’ll help us improve the Kainuu Orienteering Week and make it an even higher-quality experience.

All responses are handled anonymously and confidentially. Completing the survey will take no more than 10 minutes. The deadline to participate is April 30, 2025.

Volunteer with Us! Shared Effort, Shared Joy

Summer holidays and nothing to do? How about an active week in great company?

Kainuu Orienteering Week (June 29 – July 4, 2025), Finland’s largest orienteering week, is still looking for more volunteers for a variety of tasks.

Piia Määttä and Merja Salonen are seasoned pros when it comes to volunteering at orienteering events. These enthusiastic and sunny “superwomen” from the Kainuu O-Week info team are dedicated engines behind orienteering events in Sotkamo – now and into the future. After next summer’s Kainuu Orienteering Week, their compasses will be pointing toward the Jukola Relay 2027, which will also be held in Vuokatti. We asked Piia and Merja to share their thoughts on volunteering for this article.