Kuhmo receives first international log driving city designation

Kuhmo will receive Finland’s first International Log Driving City designation on Saturday, awarded by the International Log Drivers’ Association in recognition of its deep-rooted log driving and lumberjack traditions.

The ceremony, led by association president Frank Thiel, takes place at 10:00 at Maakunnan ranta. The title is granted to locations where timber floating played a historically significant role and where the tradition remains actively preserved.

In Kuhmo, forests, waterways, and log driving have long been intertwined. For decades, rivers served as vital transport routes for timber, providing livelihoods for many locals and fostering a strong lumberjack culture. Skills, stories, and communal spirit from this era remain central to the town’s identity.

The designation coincides with Kuhmo’s ongoing Lumberjack Week, which began Thursday with a lumberjack camp and culminates Saturday with the Finnish Lumberjack Championships at Pajakkakoski. The town first hosted the national championships in 1949, with the most recent editions held in 2022 and 2024.