Joensuu

Welcome to Joensuu!

Joensuu, the second largest city in Eastern Finland and the capital of North Karelia, and at the outfall of the river Pielisjoki.

The city center is on the right bank of the river around the main square, and this is the place to find sights, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Joensuu has a square town plan. From the main square, a bridge leads across the island Ilosaari to the train station.

Joensuu (Karelian: Jovensuu, lit. river's mouth) is a city and municipality in North Karelia, Finland, located on the northern shore of Lake Pyhäselkä (northern part of Lake Saimaa) at the mouth of the Pielinen River (Pielisjoki). It was founded in 1848. The population of Joensuu is 76,833 (March 31, 2021), and the economic region of Joensuu has a population of 115,000. It is the 12th largest city in Finland. The nearest major city, Kuopio in North Savonia, is located 136 kilometers (85 mi) to the west. From Joensuu, the distance to Lappeenranta, the capital of South Karelia, is 233 kilometres (145 mi) along Highway 6.

The neighboring municipalities of Joensuu are Liperi, Kontiolahti, Lieksa, Ilomantsi, Tohmajärvi and Rääkkylä. In addition, the city is part of the Joensuu sub-region, which currently also includes the municipalities of Heinävesi, Ilomantsi, Juuka, Kontiolahti, Liperi, and Polvijärvi, as well as the town of Outokumpu.

As is typical of cities in Eastern Finland, Joensuu is monolingually Finnish. Along with Kuopio, Joensuu is one of the major urban, economic, and cultural hubs of Eastern Finland. Joensuu is a student city with a subsidiary of the University of Eastern Finland, which has over 20,000 enrolled students, and a further 4,000 students at the Karelia University of Applied Sciences.