Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
2 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Finland Oulu Oulu Groke

Oulu Groke

This lonely rock has been turned into a character loved and feared by children.

Oulu, Finland

Added By
Henrik Johansson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Oulu Groke.   hrnick / Atlas Obscura User
The Oulu Groke.   hrnick / Atlas Obscura User
The Oulu Groke.   hrnick / Atlas Obscura User
The Oulu Groke.   hrnick / Atlas Obscura User
The Oulu Groke.   hrnick / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On this knoll in the otherwise flat city of Oulu, there is a lonely rock that almost seems to have been placed there on purpose. From one side it just looks like an ordinary rock. But if you walk around to the other side, you'll spot a familiar face.  

The Groke (Mörkö in Finnish, Mårran in Swedish) is a fictional character from Finnish author Tove Jansson's Moomin stories. She's a mysterious ghost-like character who leaves a trace of ice behind her wherever she goes.

Moomin is a part of Finnish identity, and this piece of outsider art pays tribute to the rich fantasy world Jansson has created. The Oulu Groke is a beloved character in the city, and on a few occasions, Finnish hockey fans have come to her to celebrate World Cup victories.

Related Tags

Children's Literature Fantasy Rocks Outsider Art Geology

Know Before You Go

The Oulu Groke is located on a knoll right next to the Heinäpää Sports Center in Oulu.

Community Contributors

Added By

hrnick

Edited By

Martin

  • Martin

Published

September 6, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Groke
  • https://www.visitfinland.com/article/long-live-the-moomins/
  • https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Oulu
  • https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fi&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaleva.fi%2Fuutiset%2Foulu%2Foulun-heinapaasta-loytyy-morkokivi-tuleeko-paikasta-kiekkofanien-vaelluskohde%2F820908%2F
  • https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fi&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mtvuutiset.fi%2Fartikkeli%2Ftassako-mantan-haastaja-oulun-morkokivi-kestanee-kovempaakin-murjontaa-jos-legendaarinen-havis-amanda-laitetaan-pannaan%2F7429590%23gs.yzvtsy
  • https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fi&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaleva.fi%2Fuutiset%2Foulu%2Foulun-heinapaasta-loytyy-morkokivi-tuleeko-paikasta-kiekkofanien-vaelluskohde%2F820908%2F
Oulu Groke
111 Isokatu
Oulu, 90120
Finland
64.999179, 25.451528
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Valkea Mall Floor Clock

Oulu, Finland

miles away

Air Guitar World Championships

Oulu, Finland

miles away

Paska Kaupunni

Oulu, Finland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oulu

Oulu

Finland

Places 4

Nearby Places

Valkea Mall Floor Clock

Oulu, Finland

miles away

Air Guitar World Championships

Oulu, Finland

miles away

Paska Kaupunni

Oulu, Finland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oulu

Oulu

Finland

Places 4

Related Stories and Lists

19 Places to Explore Children's Literature

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Rock Art Trail

    Grapevine, Texas

    Parr Park Rock Trail

    In Parr Park, thousands of painted rocks line this walking trail.

  • El Jalacate

    El Jalacate, Nicaragua

    Carvings of El Jalacate

    Located in the mountains of Nicaragua, one man has spent most of life beautifying a massive cliff by hand.

  • The quote.

    Natural Bridge, Virginia

    Hidden J.R.R. Tolkien Quote

    Lines from a walking song are etched into a rock in Natural Bridge State Park.

  • Bethlehem.

    Calhoun, Georgia

    Rock Garden Calhoun

    Incredible miniature towns and buildings created and decorated with thousands of tiny rocks.

  • A typically cryptic, yet intense aphorism.

    Twentynine Palms, California

    Samuelson's Rocks

    The only thing stranger than stumbling onto these philosophical musings is the story of the homesteader who created them.

  • Sisyphus Stones with GW Bridge.

    New York, New York

    The Sisyphus Stones

    Hordes of precariously balanced stone figures crowd the shores of the Hudson River.

  • Painted Rocks.

    Barstow, California

    Painted Rocks

    The cluster of boulders near Fort Irwin is covered in military insignia.

  • Colin’s Barn’s turrets.

    Chedglow, England

    Colin's Barn

    Colin Stokes "got a bit carried away" and built a castle that looks like something out of Tolkien.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.