Huhmarin Karting-rata

In Ylivieska, in north-western Finland, the Huhmari track is the home of the Ylivieskan Urheiluautoilijat club. This outdoor circuit of around nine hundred and twenty metres serves both leisure sessions and competition: it regularly hosts national rounds such as the Flying Finn Cup and its junior version, along with historic car racing. So this is a genuine sporting track, run by an active club rather than a commercial centre.

The club holds open sessions for everyone, usually on Tuesday evenings through the summer, with a simple deal: a quarter of an hour on track, gear and guidance included, for a handful of euros. It is an affordable way to try karting or to train regularly, in a friendly atmosphere. Opening times depend on the club calendar and the weather, so it is best to check before coming along.

The site is more than just the track: there are also good running trails and a disc-golf course, enough to make a fuller day of it. Ylivieska is a town in North Ostrobothnia, an important rail junction for the region, surrounded by plains and forests. The countryside around, typical of northern Finland, offers a quiet setting for a day in the open air, far from the bustle of the bigger cities.