Pohja/Pojo
This village is definitely worth a visit, especially for any one with an interest in the history of ironworks in Finland. Don’t miss the Fiskar Ironworks industrial community.
Places to visit
- Antskog Ironworks – The second oldest ironworks in Finland. Founded in 1630.
- Billnäs Ironworks – Founded in 1641 by Carl Billsten. The oldest buildings date back to the 18th century.
- Fiskars Ironworks – A charming, old industrial community. Founded by Peter Thorwöste in 1649. A must see village with old world charm. Many of the ironworks buildings still exist including the Stenhuset ( Kivimuuri) Manor house. The workshops and industries related to the iron works are also preserved, such as the cutlery mill, copper smithy, plough workshop and workers tenements. Most of these are now craft workshops, exhibition spaces and local businesses. Local craftsmen produce ironwork, porcelain, ceramics, stoneware, glass, jewellery, textiles and graphic art.
- The Church of St Mary – the parish village of Pohja. An impressive granite church from the 15th century.
Pohja to Perniö
- Take 111 Road
- Travel for 9.5 miles (15km)
- Turn Right on to 52 road
- Travel for 11 miles (17.5km)
- Turn Right for 1.7 miles (2.5km)
- Total distance 22 miles (35.5km)
Perniö
Set in fertile river valleys and forests the Perniö area is a peaceful place to stop. The district has many manor houses which developed because of the King’s road and the successful ironworks in the region. The metal industry is still an important part of the economy here. The nearby villages of Teijo and Meri-Teijo have retained their old world feel.
Places to visit
- Perniö Museum – Aside from the changing temporary exhibitions, Perniö Museum also has prehistoric relics and a large collection of arms, tin, glassware, textiles and money.
- Teijo Church
- Village of Teijo
- The Church of St. Lawrence
- Teijo Recreation and Hiking Area
- Wiurila Manor and Carriage Museum – The Wiurila estate was designed by Engel and exhibits a wide selection of the local manors’ horse-drawn vehicles, the oldest from the 18th century. The museum also has harnesses and different kinds of related equipment. There is a manor shop, a restaurant, a hostel, horse stables and a gallery nearby.
Perniö to Salo
- Head towards the 52 Road
- Travel for 1.7 miles (2.5km)
- Turn Right onto the 52 Road
- Travel for 16 miles (25.5km)
- Total Distance 18 miles (29km)
Salo
Salo, on the banks of the Uskelan River was the largest export port in Finland in the 17th century and even today you can arrive by boat beside the market place. It has become a very international town with only half of it’s 25,000 residents speaking the local Salo dialect. This town was part of communications revolution as far back as the 1920’s when a group of locals began manufacturing high quality wireless radio sets (Because of Salo’s location; surrounded by rocky hills, the standard quality sets could not pick up a clear signal) Nokia now has it’s phone development and engineering departments in Salo.
Places to visit
- Uskela Church – Uskela Church stands high on a Uskela hill. It was designed by C. L. Engel, and was built in 1832.
- Uskela Old Church and Graveyard – at Isokylä on Vanha Perttelintie, west of Us-kelanjoki. The old church, originally Catholic, was dedicated to St. Martin, and later became Lutheran. The church was destroyed by a rainstorm one Christmas Eve
- Salo Church – Originally a prayerhouse built in 1894 the building was turned into a church and consecrated 1927.
- Helisnummi Chapel – The Helisnummi Burial Chapel at Helisnummi, designed by Eero Eerikäinen, was built in 1964. The triangular shape of the chapel symbolises the Holy Trinity
- The Chapel of the Holy Cross – Located on Uskelankirkkotie Road at the foot of the Uskela Church Hill is a Greek Orthodox chapel built in 1990.
- Nakolinna Centre of Local History and Culture
- Salo Art Museum Roundhouse – This new art museum is located in an old railway building and also houses an art reference library and café.
- Meritalo Museum – The building is one of the oldest in Salo centrum. It was originally the servant quarters of the Joensuu Manor and was later converted into a school, the first school in Salo, in 1873. Primarily a school museum, it has changing exhibitions of local character. In museum you can also see Uskela Dress, a new regional dress made public in 2003.
- The Viitankruunut Burial Mounds – Three graves from the Bronze Age at Viitanmäki Hill. A marked path leads to the right from Merikulmantie Road about 3,5 kilometres from the centre of the town.
- Isokylä Prehistoric Area – West of Uske-lanjoki and Hämeentie. Start at Vanumammantie. Iron age burial mounds and Culture Path
- The Lauri Statue – Lauri, the blacksmith stands in the centre of the town near the west bank of the Salo River. Lauri was the first citizen of Salo. The sculpture by Ben Renvall was unveiled in 1963.
- The Memorial Monument for Fjalar Nordell, founder of the Salora Radio and Television Factory. It stands in St. Anthony Park not far from the factory. The sculpture by Jarkko Roth was unveiled in 1996.
- The Flame of Freedom – A Memorial commemorating Finland’s 75th year of independence is situated in Sibelius Park not far from the Blue House. The monument was designed and made by Seppo Manninen and erected in 1992.
- The Elk Sculpture stands in the Sibelius Park. The sculpture by Simo Helenius was erected in 1995.
- Old Anchor and Cannons – These naval-archaeological artefacts located in Horninpuisto Park were found and salvaged from the bottom of the Baltic Sea of Hiittis by the diving club Simppu in 1982. They presumably belonged to a Russian war ship in the late 1700´s or 1800´s.
Campground
- Vuohensaari, Salo – Tel. 7312651. Beach, playing field, nature trail, playground, table tennis, dance hall, guest boat dock. Open June – September
Salo to Paimio
- Take 1 Road (towards Turku)
- Travel for 20 miles (32km)
- Take Exit Paimio
- Take 181 Road for 2.5 miles (4km)
- Total distance 22 miles (35.5km)
Paimio
Paimio is a small modern town on the banks of the river Paimionjoki.
Places to visit
- Paimio Sanatorium – A building designed by architect Alvar Aalto in an Early-Modern style and built 1929-1933
- Paimio Electricity Museum – A fascinating museum which is part of a working hydroelectric plant.
- St Jacob’s Church & Rehbinder Mausoleum – The earliest known church on this site dates to medieval times. The present church was designed by Lars Sonck, and was built in 1928. It replaced an earlier church, which was built in 1806 and destroyed by fire in 1909. The belfry dates from 1734, and the neo-classical tomb was built in 1824.
- Paimio River valley – The best way to explore this beautiful river valley is by bicycle or canoe.
- Hahkapyöli Manor estate and peasant museum – See how rural people lived in the 18th century
- August Pyölniitty Museum
- Paimio Local Museum
- The Old Railway Station – This lovely old train station is now a craft shop
- The Church of St. Michael – This church was built in 1681-1689. It replaced an earlier wooden church, and is oblong in shape. It was reconstructed in 1863, and the interior was remodelled in the Neo-Renaissance style.
- King’s Road Manor House – A pleasant place to stop for something to eat or drink
Paimio to Kaarina
- Take 181 Road
- Travel for 2.5 miles (4km)
- Take 1 Road / E18 towards Turku
- Travel for 8 miles (13km)
- Take Exit Pargas
- Travel for 2.5 miles (4km)
- Total Distance 13 miles (21km)
Kaarina
Kaarina is a lovely, medium-sized town (pop. 20,000) just outside the town of Turku. With access to beaches, the archipelago, ferries to the Aland islands, forests and rivers, you will not be stuck for activities in this lovely place.
Places to visit
- Kuusisto Manor House
- Ruins of the Medieval Piispanlinna Bishop’s Palace – The building of this bishop’s castle began in the 14th c. under the Catholic bishop Ragvald II and was destroyed only a year after completion by the Russians. Though it was restored many times afterwards it was eventually demolished in 1528 by order of King Gustavus Wasa of Sweden. The ruins have been partially restored by the National Board of Antiquities.
- The Archipelago – Kaarina provides access to the Turku region of the archipelago, with over 20,000 islands and islets. This area is a nation park area.
- Aland Islands – Ferries connect Kaarina to Aland. This autonomous province of Finland comprises of over 6,500 islands with it’s own culture and government. Tourism is very well catered for here.
Campground
- SF – Caravan Kaarina, Rantamäentie 170, Kuusisto, 21220 Raisio Tel. 040-7644 911.
Kaarina to Turku
- Follow signs for Turku town centre
- Total Distance 5 miles (8km)
Turku
Turku is the oldest city and the first capital of Finland. To day it is the capital of its region, the Southwest Finland. The name of Turku originates from a Slavic word “torg” – meaning a market place. The Swedish name for the town is Åbo – referring to the first settlers by the river, “å”. Turku was founded on the river Aura and it is one of the best attractions of the town. All the main places of interest are located by the river. The riverbank is pulsing with life in summertime when people gather there to dine and wine, to listen to music and to have a good time. Look out for the sculptures and statues which dot the city.
Places to visit
Turku Cathedral, Museum and café – Built in the 13th century, this is the nation Finnish shrine and the mother church of the Lutheran Church of Finland. Many changes have been made to the cathedral over the centuries up to the modern day- The Historical Museum of Turku – Located in the Bailey of Turku castle. Houses local history, scale models and a fine collection of coins and medals.
- Qwensel House and Pharmacy Museum – Built around the turn of the 17th century, the rococo and Gustavian styled rooms display some of the lifestyle of the upper classes during the period of Swedish rule in Finland. The Pharmacy Museum displays the history of pharmacies in Finland from the time when the drugs were all made on the premises. Also in the grounds are a bakery, a storehouse, a carriage shed, a barn and stables. In the interior courtyard are an herb shop and a café.
- The Biological museum – This museum is the only one in Finland in which the permanent exhibition is made up of dioramas only. Birds and mammals are displayed in their natural surroundings in Finland. The beautiful Art Nouveau building of the Biological Museum was built 1907.
- Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum – This area houses over 30 craft workshops and shows a way of life before the industrial revolution.
- Kylämäki Village of Living History – This is a working farm museum with artefacts, costumes and tools based on archaeological finds.
- Turku Art Museum – This museum is currently housed in the old observatory on Vartiovuorenmäki hill. This is a temporary measure until renovations are complete on the original museum building (April 2005) The city of Turku has a priceless collection of art and holds many temporary exhibitions.
Turku Castle – This castle dates from the 1280’s. The modest fortification became over the years a huge grey stone castle. During it’s life the castle has seen many important chapters in Finnish history. Interesting parts of the castle include King and Queen’s halls, the prison of Erik XIV, and collections of medieval wooden sculptures, costumes, china, glassware, gold and silver artefacts, and toys.- The Rettig Palace – Located on the river, this was the former residence of a tabacco factory owner. Rettig now houses 2 very different museums; Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova. Aboa Vetus – During some renovation work a medieval town block was discovered 7 meters below ground. Visitors can walk on the streets of this old Turku and see the uncovered houses. Exhibitions in this museum are constantly changing. Ars Nova – This is a museum of 20th century art with a collection of 500 works both Finnish and international. During the year both museums run workshops and host events. Special children’s tours are arranged regularly.
- Kupittaa Adventure park – A family park that includes playgrounds, handicraft exhibitions, a pedal car park, outdoor swimming pool and a theatre tent.
- And much, much more….!
Campground
- Ruissalo Camping – Aurakatu 4, 20100 Turku Tel. 02- 262 7444.