Travelling with a dog might be cause for head scratching and some arrangements. On this page you will find a collection of tips on enjoying travelling in the Raahe region with a pet. Discover dog friendly accommodations and catering, parks and swimming spots, veterinary services, ideas for trips and travelling in the region. Be sure to also come back here, the page is constantly updated with new information! But first, can you guess why some many windows especially in the Old Town Raahe have two dogs sitting on them? The story of the dogs of Raahe can be found at the bottom of the page. Woof! So, you are all warmly welcome with or without fur!
Dog friendly accommodations
The Trade House of Lang has specifically reserved a pet friendly room, with comfy bed ready for the furry fellow. Pets are also welcome in guesthouses of Katariinan Kamari and Renkitupa. The Wanhakulma Guesthouse has also taken travelers with pets into account and they have reserved some nice one-person and two-person rooms for just such visitors. A large yard area provides further guarantees of a comfortable time spent together. Dogs are also more than welcome to hotel Raahen Hovi – and there just might be a surprise waiting for the furry ones when they arrive.
Restaurants and points of interest
Customers with a bit more fur on them are welcome to the terrace of Ruiskuhuone Café. In the yard area of the Trade House of Lang enjoyment can be found also for dogs. Providing water for dogs is also possible at both services. Pets are also welcome at the Graphics Shop in Lapaluoto. Tasty and refreshing water from Raahe is also available for thirsty pets if need be.
If the energy starts to wane from traveling, the owner can take a refreshing nap at Tirsanurkka while the furry companion can enjoy some quality time on the lap - assuming it's not shedding season and the buddy is house-trained.
Shopping and pets
Number one souvenir for a dog owner of their visit is, without a doubt, a Raahe-dog. These “ship dogs” made out of porcelain are modeled after Staffordshire hounds brought over from England by sailors. They are made exclusively by Taitopaja workshop in Raahe. You can pay a visit to the workshop during business hours or shop online. Another example of talented handicraft are the various goods made for pets available at the Kuutos-Tiimi store.
To the dog park
Hakotaurintie, 92100
Raahe Verstastie, 86400 Vihanti
Both parks have spaces for both large and small dogs with vestibules, lighting, benches and trash bins.
Dog swimming spots
Pirttiniemi 20, Raahe
Hietamaa dog swimming area, behind Hietamaa swimming hole, Hietamaantie, Ruukki, Siikajoki.
Hiking with Dogs
Dogs are welcome on the hiking trails in the Raahen region. Dogs should be kept on a leash. In Raahe, the Hummastinvaara trails offer various lengths of jogging paths, and there are shorter scenic routes near the shores. At the Raahe canoe center, you can rent stand-up paddleboards (SUP) and kayaks, and you can bring your dog along. It's advisable to bring your own flotation vests and ensure both the passenger and the driver are comfortable in the water.
During winter, specific skiing times for dogs are allocated in the Raahen ski lodge terrain. In winters with good ice conditions, you can walk, ski, or use a kick sled to reach the islands across the ice.
When Veterinary Care is Needed
The centralized veterinarian appointment reservation for Raahe, Siikajoki, and Pyhäjoki is available on weekdays from 8 to 9 am. For appointments and urgent cases, call the number 08 241 430. Reception is available at Raahen Pieneläinklinikka (in front of the hospital) at Rantakatu 4, 92100 Raahe, and at Siikajoki at Kauppatie 3, 92320 Siikajoki. There is also a private vet Triovet in the Pattijoki center at Puistotie 2, 92140 Pattijoki.
Local pharmacies provide medications also for pets.
And the Tale of Ship Dogs...
Raahe was Finland's largest sailing ship city in the 1860s, and a significant portion of the men in Raahe were seafarers sailing the world's oceans. Pretty porcelain dogs were crafted in Staffordshire, England, drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria's (1819-1901) favorite dog breed, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Staffordshire dogs accompanied sailors as souvenirs on their journeys around the world. In Raahe, sailors' wives took a liking to these dogs and placed them in windows, creating a unique signaling system: the dogs' positions communicated to the village whether the head of the household was home or had once again taken a job aboard a ship. When the dogs gazed out of the window, it meant the master was away; when he returned from the high seas, the dogs were turned to face inside the house.
The original Staffordshire dogs brought by the sailors are part of the artifacts on which Raahen Museum was founded in 1862. District physician C.R. Ehrström, who worked in Raahe during the 1850s-70s, was deeply concerned about the fate of the items brought by sailors from around the world when the sailors' time had passed. This concern gave rise to Finland's oldest local museum, Raahen Museum. The museum's collections, at Pakkahuoneen Museum and in the shipowner's interior museum, Soveliuksen talo, showcase five original Staffordshire dogs. Still today people in Raahe honor their maritime history by adorning their homes with these ship dogs. Raahe dogs have also found homes worldwide as souvenirs and gifts.
Sources of the story: Raahen Taitopaja and Raahen Matkailuoppaat ry.