November 21st, 2005 | The lowdown by Kathryn Lessey

An Introduction to Joensuu.

Joensuu represents the administrative center of Finland's easternmost province, North Karelia. Like most Finnish towns, bodies of water, namely the Pielisjoki River and Lake Pyhaselka, cradle Joensuu. The city was founded by Czar Nikolai I in 1848,when Finland functioned as a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Empire.

Today Joensuu is a lively city in the periphery of Finland with roughly 50,000 inhabitants. The atmosphere of the Joensuu is bolstered by a large number of young people studying in the local University and Polytechnic. The central market place and pedestrian Kauppakatu, 'Shop Street', comprises the core of the city. Here you can find various shops, bars, a newly renovated movie theater, restaurants, banks and Alko the state regulated alcohol shop where wine and spirits can be purchased at prices high enough to make you seriously reconsidering drinking all together.

It's good to be a student in Finland, discounts galore (50% on all trains!), cheap student cafeterias, and affordable student health services. Being a student in Joensuu also has its own perks. The International Section, in charge of providing support for international students, is very active and plans various activities, excursions and social gatherings throughout the year. The university itself organizes an informative orientation before each semester, acquainting new students with the University, the surroundings and helps students handle practical issues such as opening bank accounts, renting student housing, kitchen supplies, bikes, ect).

While perhaps other cities in Finland might offer more exciting nightlife, Joensuu in its relative calmness creates an atmosphere where students generally form close friendships. There are few bars or places to hang out, so you almost always see familiar faces when out and about. While stereotypes of Joensuu as a haven for skinheads endure, it's a safe and open community. There are over 1200 foreigners living in Joensuu, and even without knowledge of Finnish or Swedish, it's quite easy to go through daily live and make friends relying only on English. This said, learning Finnish is highly useful if you want to really become integrated into Finnish society.

Aside from city life, Joensuu and the surrounding area offers a wealth of outdoor activities. There are over 80 kilometers of trails to explore by foot, bike or on cross-country skis. Unlike southern Finland, Joensuu has a real winter, with heaps of snow, dry crisp air and occasional psychedelic light shows performed by mother nature. Koli National Park is not far from Joensuu, and offers visitors a glimpse of a typical Finnish landscape combined with downhill skiing.

While Joensuu is quite far from Finland's major urban centers, it is within reach of Lapland and only about an hour's drive from the Finnish-Russian border. Joensuu is the perfect place to learn more about Karelia, a unique region of Finland that originally included territory ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II, land which is now part of the Russian Republic of Karelia, a promised land of cheap cigarettes, booze, bootleg CDs and petrol. It's also fairly easy to reach St. Petersburg, the jewel of Imperial Russia, from Joensuu. There are direct buses between the two cities, and local tourist agencies in Joensuu can arrange visas and accommodation.