Karhunkierros

Karhunkierros (Finnish for Bear's Round) is a hiking trail that stretches from Salla to Kuusamo in north-eastern Finland.

The route was first marked in 1955, and has since become the most popular hiking trail in Finland, attracting some 15,000 hikers every year, mainly over the high season lasting from mid-July to late September.

The paths starting at Hautajärvi and at Ristikallio converge at Taivalköngäs, from where the trail continues along the Oulanka and Kitka rivers towards Rukatunturi fell.

Starting from Hautajärvi makes the total length of the trail 80 kilometres, while the Ristikallio variant is some 9 km shorter.

It is also perfectly possible to hike the route in the opposite direction, starting from Rukatunturi, but most people prefer the aforementioned ways.