Nurmes railway station is the northern terminus of a twice-daily VR passenger train service from Joensuu.

The municipality is officially unilingually Finnish, but in 2009, Finland's first Karelian language "nest" (pre-school immersion group) was established in Nurmes.

[6] Nurmes is located in Finnish Karelia on the shore of lake Pielinen, next to the counties of Kainuu and Northern Savonia.

North Karelia is one of the snowiest regions in Finland, with a typical March snow depth of more than 50 cm.

The products manufactured here include sawn and planed wood, glued beams, impregnated wooden poles, and high-quality special cardboards.

The areal zoning and environmental impact assessment have been designed to benefit the start-up of forest-based industries and circular economy.

[citation needed] A lot of musical activities, such as concerts and events, are organized during Christmas in Nurmes.

During the summertime there are cultural events, such as Nurmes Summer Music, which takes place in the beginning of July.

Nurmes-talo is the Nurmes Cultural Center, where library, cinema, art gallery and a museum take place.

Nurmes is the home town of the main protagonist of the acclaimed 2002 Aki Kaurismäki film Mies vailla menneisyyttä (The Man Without a Past).