Ylivieska

Ylivieska is a town in Southern Oulu region of Northern Finland. The municipality of Sievi is also handled in this article.

Understand

In the early 1900s, Ylivieska was connected by rail, which meant rapid development of the area.

In the urbanisation of the 1960s, Ylivieska grew dramatically. Ylivieska became the centre of the region, with a wide range of services and good job opportunities. In 1969, Ylivieska was granted city rights.

Today the town is the administrative centre of the southern part of the Oulu region and a regional shopping destination especially known for its numerous car dealerships.

Sievin Jalkine is one of few remaining shoe manufacturers in Finland, one of the bigger ones in northern Europe.

Get in

By plane

The closest passenger airports are in Kokkola (KOK IATA) and Oulu (OUL IATA). Outside the town there is an airstrip used by general aviation.

By train

Ylivieska is located at Finland's main north-south railway, and all trains going from southern Finland to Oulu or Rovaniemi stop here. There is also a track east to Iisalmi. See VR.

By bus

There is a direct intercity coach from Kokkola and a connection from Oulu needing a transfer at Kalajoki.

By car

Ylivieska is two hours south of Oulu, one hour east of Kokkola, and about six hours north of Helsinki by car, on highways 27, 63 and 86. Sievi is 10 km south of Ylivieska, on highways 28 and 63.

Get around

As you could expect from towns in rural Finland, the towns are small enough to get around by foot; if you need to go further out your options are to drive or to take a taxi.

By dial-a-ride

A demand-based taxi (kutsutaksi) with a discounted fare is available on Thursdays. The shuttle runs on Thursdays from the morning and the ride is ordered the previous evening by 21:00 from ☏ +358 44-757-5505. If Thursday is a public holiday, the service will run on Wednesday. The call taxi service is operated by Ylivieska Taxi (as of 2022).

By taxi
See also: Southern Oulu region#By taxi
  • Ylivieska Taxi, ☏ +358 600-30050 (€1.25/call + €1/min + pvm), . Local company, part of the Pohjanmaan taxi and Otaxi cooperations. Uses the app Taksini. Flag fall M–F 06:00–20:00, Sa 06:00–16:00 €5.90, Su and nights €7.90; €1.75/2.25 per kilometre (1–4/5+ persons); waiting time €1/min; additional charge for wheelchair etc.. (updated May 2022)

See
  • 🌍 Savisilta and Kalajoki river. The bridge Savisilta across the river Kalajoki is the second oldest concrete structure in Finland. It was built in 1912 and is still used. 
  • 🌍 Jumbo, at the railway station. An old restored steam locomotive. 
  • Statues and monuments. The town has plenty of public pieces of art including a statue depicting Kyösti Kallio (president of Finland in 1937–1940), several monuments related to World War II and art related to the region like "the flame of the plains". 
  • 🌍 Puuhkala Regional Museum (Puuhkalan kotiseutumuseo), Puuhkalantie 6. open in the summer months, W–Su 12:00–18:00. A museum depicting the history of the region. 
  • 🌍 Helaala mill (Helaalan mylly), Kauppakatu. A former mill right in the town centre, hosting an art gallery in the summer. 

Do
  • 🌍 Ylivieskatalo Akustiikka, Koulutie 2B. A concert and convention hall. Classical music performances about twice a week. 
  • Ylivieskan Härkäjuhlat. A song festival held yearly in August. 
  • Sun Pampas. Yet another music festival, focusing on country music, held yearly in June. 

Buy
  • 🌍 Mutti fair (Muttimarkkinat) (Sievi). A market fair and a town festival around mutti, a traditional food of Southern Oulu region. During the one-day fair visitors consume 700 kg of this barley-based delicacy (in addition to other street food available), so this isn't as small event as one might think. The festival is arranged every year at the 3rd Saturday of July. (updated Mar 2021)
  • There are a couple of fairly big shopping malls along the road towards Iisalmi, such as Kärkkäinen and Prisma.
  • 🌍 Kärkkäinen, Ollilanojankatu 2. Independent shopping centre. 

Eat

A local speciality is maitorieska, a white milk-based flatbread.

Drink

Sleep

Go next
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