The bear hides are the core. Brown bears — often several at once, including females with cubs — come to the clearings through the evening and night, and sightings across a season run close to guaranteed. Photographers book multiple consecutive nights to work different light and behaviour.

The wolverine is the other prize, and Kuhmo is one of very few accessible places on Earth to see one. They arrive unpredictably, usually at speed, and the sight of one moving through a clearing where bears are feeding is worth the trip alone.

The wolf packs along the border are seen from the same hides, most often in the small hours — scarcer than bears and more likely later in the season.

The forest and bog around the hides hold the boreal specialities: Siberian jay, three-toed woodpecker, capercaillie, whooper swans on the lakes and cranes calling over the bog.

The winter option is entirely different: bears are denning, but the frozen landscape and the hides for eagles and other winter species run through the cold months.

The main season runs from around April to August, with May and June the strongest for bears with cubs and the endless northern light.

Practicalities

Kuhmo is reached by air to Kajaani followed by a drive, or by train and road from Helsinki. The hides are basic — a bunk, a dry toilet and photography slots — and you are locked in for the night, so bring everything you need.

The hides are baited to draw animals into view, which some visitors find changes the experience. Operators are open about it, and it is worth deciding how you feel before you book.