It’s long been my ambition to see bears up close in their natural environment, but while they’re found in dozens of European countries – from Norway to Greece – they are famously elusive.
To give myself a decent chance, I headed to Finland, where there are thought to be more than 2,000 bears in the wild, with the largest concentrations close to the country’s eastern border. In summer, this far north, there are 16 hours of daylight in which to spot them.
After landing at Helsinki Airport, I took a six-hour scenic rail journey from nearby Tikkurila. The train hurtled through the dramatic Arctic Lakeland region, dominated by evergreen pine forests and shimmering lakes. From the sleepy town of Kajaani, the regional capital of the eastern Kainuu region, it was about an hour’s transfer to my destination.
Here, the Martinselkonen Wilderness Centre operates alongside the Martinselkonen Nature Reserve to preserve ancient forests and promote sustainable wildlife tourism. Riina Nilsson-Määttä, who took over the business in 2016, offers simple but welcoming accommodation and outdoor experiences for visitors.
It’s more than 40 miles from the nearest supermarket but only a short stroll from the Russian border. On our way to the hide from which we’d be watching for bears, guide Maija Määttä, Riina’s daughter, agreed to take me on a short detour. I’d expected to find miles of barbed wire fencing and guards wielding Kalashnikovs, but there wasn’t even a solid barrier – just a few yellow flags marking the perimeter.
I was warned to stay well clear as there are cameras everywhere, and anyone caught could face immediate arrest as well as potential imprisonment. The entire 800-mile land border between Finland and Russia has been closed indefinitely.
Keeping the might of the “Russian bear” at a safe distance, we continued on our quest to commune with Finland’s more benign brown bears. After hiking for about half an hour, we reached a wooden hide set deep in the forest and were stopped in our tracks by a group of feeding males.
The magnificent beasts were intimidatingly bulky – males can weigh up to 200kg – but thankfully unperturbed by our presence. Brown bears can be quite territorial, especially around cubs, but attacks are extremely rare in Finland; there has only been one fatal attack in the past 100 years.
Because our arrival coincided with feeding time we were able to sneak inside the hide unnoticed. For safety reasons, we wouldn’t be leaving until the following morning – hence the row of bunk beds, large tea urn and packets of biscuits.
Armed with a dinner of ham sandwiches provided by Riina, I relaxed into one of the comfortable swivel chairs positioned next to the large viewing window. The hide sleeps around 12 guests, but as it was still early in the season, we had the place to ourselves.
The hide is pretty basic, with no electric lights, but that added to the wonderful sense of isolation, and candles gave the place a cosy feel. As I made myself comfortable, several more bears – a group is commonly known as a “sleuth” or “sloth” – emerged from the forest in search of food.
They were feeding on chunks of meat left by a park ranger, but brown bears are generally omnivorous foragers, with around 70 to 90 per cent of their diet consisting of berries, mushrooms and green vegetation.
Finland is one of the few European countries where tempting bears with carrion for commercial viewing is legal, although the practice divides opinion. Environmentalists argue that it compromises the animals’ natural behaviour, creating an unhealthy reliance on humans, while proponents claim commercial hides and eco-tourists form a de facto sanctuary for the bears.
The animals, of course, are simply happy to eat. I watched as they sat upright in an enchantingly anthropomorphic way, using their front paws to shovel in their dinner. And for well-fed creatures, they were remarkably agile, shinnying up and down skinny pine trees.
The younger, more inquisitive bears came right up to the glass, inches from my face, while the adults chased each other.
My visit coincided with the beginning of mating season, which runs from mid-May to early July; females give birth in winter, while they’re still in deep hibernation. Having consumed vast amounts of energy-rich berries prior to hibernating, they develop fat reserves that keep them alive and healthy through the bitterly cold months.
Male bears, Rina told me, rarely stick around once the cubs are born, and may even kill them to force the females back into heat.
Returning to the hide for a second night gave me a real insight into the animals’ routines. Because brown bears are naturally crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk), the viewing schedule is designed around their most active hours. They would begin to emerge into the clearing at about 5pm, following a strict social hierarchy.
Large, dominant males typically arrived first to stake out their territory. Then, once the females and younger bears felt safe enough, they would tentatively enter the feeding area. The group would remain for several hours before disappearing back into the forest, creating plenty of photo opportunities, but I preferred to remain in the moment.
Back at the Wilderness Centre, once I’d bade farewell to the bears, I was provided with tasty Finnish stews and homemade beer, as well as the use of a sturdy fatbike for exploring the lakeside trails. On a guided walk to magical Lintulampi Lake I spotted a herd of reindeer and a single mighty moose.
An hour’s drive north, in beautiful Hossa National Park, I get the chance to see one of Finland’s most important prehistoric archaeological sites: the Värikallio Rock Paintings. The sheer rockface is peppered with over 60 depictions of animals, hunting scenes and spiritual rituals dating back thousands of years, which can be admired from a viewing platform.
It’s the charmingly enigmatic brown bears that stick in my memory, though. Seeing them at such close quarters in their natural environment was a humbling experience, and I hope they continue to thrive in this beautifully remote, unspoilt region.
How to get there
Finnair offers return fares from Heathrow to Oulu via Helsinki from £441.
Where to stay
Martinselkonen Wilderness Centre’s two-night Bear Photography Hide experience costs from €440pp, including meals, guiding and accommodation at the centre and in the hide.