Raate | Exploring Finland
Raate is a small border settlement in Eastern Finland, right at the border with Russia. It lies along the historical road Raatteentie, or Raate Road, to the east of Suomussalmi. The area was made famous for the Battle of Raate Road during the Winter War. There is still a border guard station here and the area nearest to the border is closed off for civilians. The border station is as close as you will legally get to the actual border which is about a kilometer away. This is the “Maantie Päättyy“, where the road ends.
A Short History of Raate
The Winter War began in November 1939. The village of Suomussalmi was captured on December 7th and the Soviet attackers wanted to cut Finland in half. The Raatteentie was one of two supply routes for the Soviet soldiers. The Finnish soldiers were able to cut these supply routes during the Battle of Suomussalmi in mid-December. What followed was a Soviet retreat along the Raatteentie and the Battle of Raate Road in early January of 1940. The road continued to be a battlefield until the end of the war in March. The Soviet soldiers did not only fight the Finns. They thought against the Finnish winter, with soldiers both freezing and starving.
Things to Do and See
The gate across the road is in itself interesting for about a minute. There are also a few monuments here and we are still wondering if it is possible to climb the high watch tower. One of the main sights here is the Raatteen Vartiomuseo, the “Raate Frontier Guard Museum”. The museum is housed in a small building that has been restored to its pre-war state. This small building is the old frontier guard post and exhibits the history of the post.
How to Get to Raate
- Flights: The closest airport in Finland is either to the north at Kuusamo Airport or to the south at Kajaani Airport.
- Car: Raate lies to the east of Suomussalmi, along the long gravel road of Raatteentie.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 698 kilometers (8 h 10 min)
- Turku – 761 kilometers (9 h)
- Vaasa – 506 kilometers (6 h 10 min)
- Oulu – 234 kilometers (3 h 10 min)
- Joensuu – 310 kilometers (3 h 50 min)
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