Joensuu sits on the Pielisjoki River in North Karelia, close to the Russian border in eastern Finland, and it was planned from scratch. Tsar Nicholas I founded the town in 1848, and its streets are laid out in a neat grid around a central square, with a graceful town hall and a wide river promenade. It is the capital of Finnish Karelia, a region of forest and lakes, and a university town with a youthful feeling, in spite of its distance from the capital.
Joensuu calls itself the forest capital of Finland, with forestry research institutes and a long relationship with the timber industry. The region of North Karelia is also known for its food: karjalanpiirakka, the Karelian pie, a thin rye crust filled with rice and topped with egg butter, is the regional specialty, along with fish dishes and berry desserts. Finland's eastern border region has a complicated history, as much of historic Karelia was lost to the Soviet Union in the Second World War, and many Karelian evacuees resettled around Joensuu.
For riders, the countryside north and east of town offers long, quiet roads through endless forest and lakes. Roads run toward Koli, a national park on a ridge above Lake Pielinen, whose rounded hilltops give the most famous views in Finland, with a huge panorama of water and forest. The road surface is good, speeds are limited and enforced with cameras, and traffic is light. The landscape is mostly flat to gently rolling, with the forest of spruce, pine and birch broken by lakes.
Joensuu has fuel, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and it is the last big town before the wilderness, so top up. The best months are June to August, with bright nights and warm days, and September, with autumn colors known as ruska, which are at their best here. Winter is long and cold, with snow and ice, making riding impractical. Reindeer and elk can wander onto the road, particularly in the north, and mosquitoes are fierce in summer, so carry repellent for the stops.