and the most famous of these is lake Pielinen. Species such as perch, grayling, pike, lake salmon, whitefish, lake trout are found in Pielinen. Fishing is possible with a licence that can be bought from shops. There are three hiking areas in Nurmes: Raesärkkä area consists of a 5.9 km2 protected forest and a 1.2 km2 recreational forest. It has a grazing field, marshes, lakes and rivers. Mujejärvi area consists of a 20 km2 hiking area with cliffs, ridges, gorges and lakes. Lake Peurajärvi is suitable for families with children and fishermen. There are many lakes, ponds and rivers in the area, with easy access routes. There are many different mushroom, wild herb and berry species in the forests. There is Freedom to roam in Finland. Economy Key industries of Nurmes are wood industry, food industry and metal and mechanical engineering. Wood industry is the most significant industrial sector of our region in terms of turnover and employees. The products manufactured here include sawn and planed wood, glued beams, impregnated wooden poles, and high-quality special cardboards. Nurmes has strong expertise in bakery, fish and meat processing sectors. The most sold signature products have been bread in various forms, and gluten-free bakery products. Metal and mechanical engineering companies operate as subcontractors or manufacture products under their own trademarks. They develop innovative products & processes and search actively for new subcontracting opportunities. Nurmes has Green Industry Area (Nurmes GIA) which is a novel business district that offers spacious plots, modern infrastructure, and good logistic services. Nurmes GIA is an excellent platform e.g. for manufacturing and logistics of bio-based chemical products. The areal zoning and environmental impact assessment have been designed to benefit the start-up of forest-based industries and circular economy. Culture Nurmes was declared Finland's Christmas Song City in 2005 and the European Christmas Song City in 2009. A lot of musical activities, such as concerts and events, are organized during Christmas in Nurmes. During the summertime there are cultural events, such as Nurmes Summer Music, which takes place in the beginning of July. Finnish composer P. J. Hannikainen was from Nurmes, so a theatre, a street and a playschool are named after him. He has own monument in Nurmes city centre. Nurmes-talo is the Nurmes Cultural Center, where library, cinema, art gallery and a museum take place. Nurmes-talo has been under renovation since June 2019 and will reopen on August 9th,