Easy to breathe

Easygoing, welcoming and direct - these three qualities describe Joensuu. In this town, you won’t have to queue; the ski tracks start on your doorstep; and there are plenty of committed adults working in our schools and nurseries. The city’s values start at working together. In Joensuu, everyone is accepted as they are, and it’s easy to get on with the people here. Here, it’s easy to breathe!

How do you know a person is from Karelia? You’ll hear them happily chattering a block away - even if they are walking alone. Joensuu is the capital of happy people, full of wholesome life. Here, people regard each other with a down-to-earth attitude, and get on with things. Hedge fund bosses and the unemployed easily fit in the same stadium for a game of softball.

In Joensuu, we know how to do things together. Even though our discussions may get a bit heated , we always work together. Friendliness, helpfulness and a sense of hospitality run in our genes. In Joensuu, you soon feel like home.

To find out more about the Joensuu attitude, read the fascinating story of Joensuu.

If the awesome Finnish nature doesn’t strike your fancy, you should stay well away from Joensuu. Here, the nearest berry bush is always just around the corner; there are four national parks nearby; you can hop over to Koli in a dash; and the amazing Pielisjoki runs straight through town. Joensuu is Europe’s forest capital - and for good reason. Whether your hobby is mountain biking, hiking or hunting, we have enough space to wander for a lifetime.

Joensuu is a paradise for people looking for easy spots for a bit of exercise and hiking. On longer routes, you can experience hilly Northern Karelian landscape and admire impressive rapids. Suitable routes for day trips with plenty of spots for little breaks can also be found all around town.

Joensuu is a modern university town whose attraction keeps growing year after year, and where development is on a healthy upward trajectory. The younger population, brought here by the university and polytechnic university, are pushing the town to keep moving forward and to always look ahead.

The city offers an array of culture, a bustling restaurant scene and great nightlife. Joensuu is a hub of live music with lots of events of different sizes. Several top tier teams also play in the town, and the setting for sports is amazing.

Joensuu is a town where everything is close by. The city has put a lot of work in to encourage cycling, and many consider Joensuu to be the best cycling city in all of Finland. Here we say that rush hour only happens once per day, and even then it lasts no longer than 10 minutes. We have no need to spend time running from one tram to the next in the pouring rain - we just like to have more time to live.

The laid-back pace of life can also be seen in the service culture of Joensuu, which is in a league of its own. We say hello and look you in the eye.

The city of Joensuu updated its values in 2021. A large group of people - residents, city employees and council members - came together to define those values. By working together, we made sure that these values are shared by all of us.

In Joensuu, we work together, equally, boldly and sustainably.

Joensuu is the same as its people. There are many ways to be a Joensuu resident. We respect each other and allow everyone to live the way they want to live. We treat everyone fairly. We welcome everyone.

We listen to each other in Joensuu. We build our city and our services to serve the residents as well as possible. We are approachable and co-operate. Our decision-making is open and transparent.

By working together, we have the courage to try and create something new. All of our activities are characterized by the principle of continuous improvement, and we lead the way in issues that are important to us.

We ensure the wellbeing of our residents and the future of our city by upholding economical, social and ecological sustainability. Joensuu is a safe place to live. We live surrounded by amazing nature and we take care of it for the coming generations, too.