The Years of Danger route

‘Stories from the War Years’ and the ‘Years of Danger’ route map to the locations of the stories in Kainuu and Koillismaa.

Visit the actual locations

‘Stories from the War Years 1939–1945’ tells the stories of people in wartime Kainuu and Koillismaa.
The historic war sites and story locations can be found in the ‘Years of Danger’ route map on the website.
You can visit the destinations with your own car or by bike – we have also planned some routes ready for
you.

Routes

On the ‘Years of Danger’ map, you can find both the historic war sites and some ready-made route
proposals.

Day routes

Circuit routes

Cycling routes

Story locations

War sites

Sites in Russia

War-time heritage room, Taivalkoski

Opened in June 2023, the heritage room includes a compilation of material from the Taivalkoski
region related to the war and the Trench railway: artefacts, letters, stories based on interviews
and documents. At the same time, the legacy of veterans is passed on to the following
generations.

Raatteen Portti Winter War Museum

In the Raatteen Portti Winter War Museum you can familiarise yourself with the Battle of Raate Road and battles that took place elsewhere in Suomussalmi. In the yard, you can view the Winter War Monument, and along the Raate Museum Road, you can find war memorials, renovated army posts and restored nature trails.

Tourism and Culture Centre Karhuntassu, Kuusamo

Tourism and Culture Centre Karhuntassu offers a comprehensive survey of the history, culture and nature of the Kuusamo region. The exhibitions also describe the war years and the period of reconstruction. In connection with Karhuntassu, which was renovated in 2023, you can find Hannu Hautala’s Nature Photography Centre.

Winter War Museum, Kuhmo

The Winter War museum exhibits objects, photographs, scale models and sound effects that illustrate what happened in Kuhmo during the Winter War. The exhibition themes include evacuation, destiny of the town centre, maintenance and medical care, as well as the actual battles and life after the war.