Welcome to the golden era of the tar trade!
Tales of Tar from Oulu
The cultural-historical Tales of Tar route takes you to authentic tar trade locations in different parts of Oulu through the short stories written by author Katariina Vuori. The stories are based on authentic locations, events and persons from the golden era of the tar trade in Oulu. You can listen to or read the fascinating stories on your phone.
In the 1800s tar export made Oulu a buzzing international seaside market town. Tar produced in Finland, and mostly shipped from Oulu, kept most of the sailing boats floating in Europe and beyond. This significant time in Oulu history is filled with stories, events, and destinies.
Katariina Vuori, the author of the stories, says she loves the waterways and the maritime feel of Oulu and Northern Ostrobothnia – the coast is unique, unassuming and slightly rag-ged, often hidden behind shrubbery along the waterline.
“It was fascinating to get to explore, through these tar-scented stories, the way in which waterways have influenced local history, the city’s growth and people’s lives, everyone from commoners to the high and mighty. The tar hegemony involved much more than mere glamour and oriental spices – there was pain, disappointment, and even personal tragedies in the mix,” says the author about the project.
The Tales of Tar route starts from the boundary of Leveri and ends in Toppila harbour. However, each story is independent and can be experienced in any order.
Stories: Katariina Vuori
Translation in English: Eva Malkki
Voice: Sami Lalou
Sound design: Pasi Alatalo
Photos: Finnish Agency of Heritage
Production and implementation: Oulu Culture Foundation
The main funder: Council of Oulu Region
© Oulu Culture Foundation
Tales of Tar from around the Oulujoki river
The Tales of Tar route continues along the Oulujoki river with three stories centred around the events that took place in Muhos, Utajärvi and Vaala. You can find the stories by following the digital map of the Tales of Tar route. You can also read the stories on this website.
The Oulujoki river stories have been realised by Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark/Humanpolis Oy as part of the project “Geoparks – attractive sustainable travel destinations”, which is funded by the European Union’s Regional Development Fund and the Finnish Government.
Photos: Finnish Agency of Heritage
The stories are available in English, Finnish, Easy Finnish, and Swedish.