Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola

In Petola you can get to know the Finnish large carnivores: brown bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine. You will learn what they look and sound like, what their tracks look like, how they move, behave and breed and what sort of environments they live in. Petola can also offer plenty of scientific information on large carnivores.

A tall and angular building with a sign on the wall identifying it as Visitor Centre Petola. Kuhmo Nature Center Petola. Photo: Visitor Center Petola.

The multifaceted Petola

Petola offers opportunities, facilities and equipment for multifaceted learning activities and sessions. When combined with the other sights and destinations in the area, Petola is a great place to spend a few days. See more information on Visitor Centre Petola in Kuhmo (nationalparks.fi).


Permanent exhibition

The main exhibition at Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola, "Pedot liikkeellä", is divided into several sections, where images, sounds, lights and tangible objects familiarise visitors with the large carnivores inhabiting the Finnish woods. The golden eagle is often counted as one of Finland's large carnivores, so it too has its own place in the exhibition. The Info Section also has more information about large carnivores. In addition to the display walls, this section has a lot of magazines and literature related to large carnivores. For more information, see read about Petola's program offerings (nationalparks.fi).


Nature trail

The Petola nature trail familiarises visitors to the behaviours and abilities of predators. The trail is packed with informative activities and visitors can compare their jumping prowess to the pounce of a lynx, try to find where a wolverine has hidden its quarry, attempt to communicate without words like wolves and compare their brawn to that of a bear. The activities are also entwined with ancient folklore concerning the birth of the animals. There are also some predator-related brain teasers for jogging the grey cells. For more information, read about Petola's activities.(nationalparks.fi).

Finland is home to four large land carnivores

There are four large carnivore species in Finland, all belonging to different families. The lynx is a feline, the wolf is a canine, the brown bear is from the family Ursus and the wolverine is from the family of weasels. They have been classified as large carnivores based on their size and behaviour...

Bear tracks

The bear has the largest tracks of all of Finland's native species. The paw print of a bear's hindpaw slightly resembles the footprint of a human. In summer the bear might leave behind a destroyed anthill or tree stump. The bear's winter den is very difficult to find.

Wild forest reindeer

Large carnivores are one of the reasons for the decline of the wild forest reindeer. Read more about the wild forest reindeer on site www.suomenpeura.fi.

Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola

Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola is home to Finland's large carnivores and offers a window on the Kainuu wilderness. Here you can obtain information on the brown bear, the wolf, the lynx and the wolverine. There is also plenty of information on wild forest reindeer. At Petola, you can buy unique souvenir...