Tähtitorni Observation Tower

Just a stone’s throw from Oulu Market Square, you can find the lovely, pastel-coloured Tähtitorni Café, which has served as a summer café since 1912. The idyllic setting invites you to experience an interesting piece of history while enjoying a nice cup of coffee – you are sitting on top of the renovated foundations of Oulu Castle which was destroyed in 1793 when the gunpowder storage blew up. From the observation tower, you have a nice view of Pikisaari Island where a stone from the castle landed in the explosion. The stone is still there.

Finished in 1875 according to a design by Wolmar Westling, the building with its observation tower originally belonged to Oulu Maritime School. More than 200 sea captains graduated from the school.

In the summer, the castle cellar is home to an exhibition about the history of the castle. For centuries, people have tried to find a rumoured, secret passage from Linnansaari Island to the city. Can you find it?