Near Suomussalmi was some of the bitterest fighting of the Winter War, along the Raate road. Rusted ordnance commemorates it, as does Raatteen Portti, 20km east of town. This has a good display of memorabilia, preceded by a worthwhile audiovisual. Alongside, the moving Avara Syli monument is endowed with 105 bells, one for each day of the war, and surrounded by a field of stones, one for each dead soldier. The museum has a good cafe.
