Hossa

Hossa is a village in Finland and is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Suomussalmi municipality. The village is a popular outdoor tourist destination and is known for the oldest rock paintings in Northern Finland, dating back to 1500-2500 BC (Värikallio). The name "Hossa" originates from the old Sami word "Huossa" meaning "a place far away".

Hossa Visitor Centre

Hossa Visitor Centre was opened in 1991 and is situated on the shore of Lake Öllöri. The Visitor Centre is managed by Metsähallitus.

Hossa Hiking Area

Hossa has various hiking paths and nature trails. The Hossa Hiking Area (90 km²), established in 1979, is the oldest official hiking area in Finland. There are about 90 km of marked trails in the area. Most of the trails are not demanding and lead through spectacular ridge and lake dotted terrain. Some of the forests in the hiking area are preserved in their natural state. The area is connected with the Eastern Border Hiking Trail (Itärajan retkeilyreitti) which is 162 km long.

Nature

Hossa is the meeting place for three waterways, which is the reason why there are many areas of flowing water there. There are about 130 lakes and ponds in Hossa and their waters are clear, except for mire ponds, which are dark. Most of the forests in Hossa grow pine and are quite barren looking. The last Ice Age left its marks in Hossa. For example a chain of ridges traverses the area with kettle ponds and holes, which were made by melting ice after the Ice Age.

External links

* [http://www.hossa.fi/ Hossa]
* [http://www.luontoon.fi/page.asp?Section=5497/ Outdoors.fi Hossa]