Visit Kaskinen - Brochure

Kaskinen

Finland

since 1785

www.visitkaskinen.fi

An old wooden town KASKINEN

is one of those rare gems, a pristine treasure off the well-worn path. Once you find it, you’ll wish you’d always known this secret. When we discovered this island town, on a long sailing trip along Finland’s west coast, we were utterly charmed. The sea hugs this perfectly preserved eighteenth-century wooden town from all sides.

One of the many enchanting gardens and traditional Finnish courtyards you can enjoy.

THE OLD FIRE BELL

Arriving here felt like entering a much-loved children’s book by Astrid Lindgren or Tove Jansson: the carpenters poured their hearts into the decorative details of each house. We spent hours just walking around and taking in the beauty of these colourful old buildings.

has protected Kaskinen well over the centuries. In the early 19th century, all residents, even the elderly, took turns keeping night watch. The bell’s location, next to the former prison, came in handy also if more than fire-fighters had to be alerted. This spot was used

by Kaskinen’s news agency of the day too: Mr Häggblad walked back and forth along the main street, using a hand bell to draw attention to the information he shouted out in a booming voice.

Cover pictures ©: MS, SS, MS, MS Pictures ©: AO, AO, PR, AO

With its grid-style street plan, Kaskinen resembles

Manhattan, but this town was designed by the order of King Gustav III of Sweden in the mid-18th century. Today it is protected by the Finnish National Board of Antiquities.

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Pictures ©: MS, MS, MS

Seaside comforts THE GUEST HARBOUR is right in the centre of the old town, offering all the services a sailor needs – and plenty more. The harbour café has dangerously delicious home-made cakes and ice cream, along with less decadent fare: fresh local vegetables and bread. We loved their free bike hire, which let us explore the whole island with ease.

Our B&B was decorated with a local retro feel. We loved it!

Every evening, we returned to a quaint seaside restaurant that serves local fish from its own smokehouse. Our first time in Kaskinen, we slept in our yacht, of course, but the following summer found us at a charming bed and breakfast by the sea. For a week, we enjoyed the big garden, just for us, with sheep on the meadow right below. Kaskinen also offers the comforts of a traditional hotel, well-appointed flats, and beautiful wooden villas.

THE ‘MIDNIGHT SUN’ draws

people to the Finnish west coast from the world over. And where better to enjoy all those hours of sunlight than the gorgeous Kvarken Archipelago?

Pristine nature and beautiful old villages wait to be explored along the way. Sailors know that the Baltic Sea is not as vulnerable to Atlantic depressions as, for example, the North Sea is. The summer months are more likely to be sunny and lovely up here.

Pictures ©: MS, SS, SS, MS

Next summer, we will rent this beautiful seaside villa.

It was sunny and warm all the time, so we spent hours just swimming.

The best beach is at a sandy bay right next to the popular camping site Marianranta.

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Summer heat and lots of swimming.

Pictures ©: MS, PR

Sälgrunds

Lighthouse

&

Fishing waters

THE ISLAND OF SÄLGRUND is a fantastic place to get in touch with the power of nature in the Nordic region. From the early 18th century to the 1980s, a pilot station overlooked the stark beauty here. The old pilot station has been turned into a comfortable guest house, where the original feel remains. Right next to it, the majestic lighthouse reaches to the skies and brings echoes of reflection and solitude.

Our fishing guides knew exactly where to go for the best catch, and we got to experience a traditional way of catching Baltic herring.

Kaskinen has been known as an excellent harbour. A few centuries back, handsome sailing ships were transporting tar and timber from Kaskinen all over the globe.

Even today, the Port of Kaskinen is a significant gateway for Finland.

The exceptionally good fishing waters of Kaskinen too have provided a livelihood for the locals over the centuries. Today, the modern fishing harbour here sees 20 million kilos of Baltic herring on its way each year.

Pictures ©: MS, AO, IR, PR

We booked a fishing trip, and with our guides we prepared an amazing dinner of the fresh wild salmon, whitefish, and Baltic herring we caught here. The soft heat from the island’s wood-heated sauna gave us the most rejuvenating bathing experience we have ever had.

DRAWING: Seppo Laurell

EVER SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES,

After exploring the old forest and the beautiful cliffs carved by the waves of the open sea, we slept sweet and sound.

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A 10-minute trip by boat taxi gets you to Sälgrund from the fishing harbour of Kaskinen, where you can leave your car with no fuss.

Pictures ©: MK, SS, MS, MK

Where history

meets the present

THE MUSEUM OF KASKINEN is a large wooden

building that originally was the home of a wealthy man who ran a champagne factory on these grounds. It tells of the life and surroundings of a mid-19th-century bourgeois family. We especially enjoyed seeing all the handmade furniture and textiles, beautiful paintings, and clever kitchen utensils, and nostalgia rolled off the old cigar boxes and matchboxes.

OLD FISHING HARBOUR DAYS

is a popular annual event held on the last weekend of June. Area fishermen bring their catch and smoke it on the spot. Piers and barns become cafés and restaurants. Artisans show their work, making this an ideal time to find locally hand-crafted products. The locals’ traditional dress invites you even further into the atmosphere of the Finland of old.

Pictures ©: SS, SS, MS, KR

Always wanted to kno to clean and prepare Baltic herwrinhow g?

Visitors to Old Fishing Harbour Days, in late June - our favourite event in Kaskinen.

THE OLD FISHING HARBOUR is one of the most genuine and idyllic places we have found in Finland. It drew us back into the times when fishing was the town’s most vital livelihood. You can still smell the tar and Baltic herring on the fishing net racks. There is also a museum that explained what once went on here, showcasing authentic tools of traditional fishing methods. We also visited an old Dutch-style windmill and the memorial to fishermen who perished in a storm.

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Sometimes we daydream of never returning from a place like this.

Pictures ©: MS, SS, AO

Unique,

hand-made treasures

BOUTIQUES AND SHOPS

are often attached to the owners’ home, continuing centuries-old tradition. Once you step into their showrooms, you catch a glimpse of those gorgeous interiors of old wooden houses. Our favourite is the pottery of an Irish-Finnish couple.

We lingered for ages in their beautiful garden and took in the magical atmosphere of their atelier.

IN THE OLD DAYS

Kaskinen was home to about 30 small shops, from a hat-maker’s shop to a crafter of wine and spirits to a purveyor of hand-made sausages, along with an ironmonger’s, bakeries, and cafés. The town remains popular among artisans and artists, and recent years have seen several new arts and crafts shops open their doors to visitors. You could easily spend an entire day hopping from one shop to another. Most boutiques in Kaskinen do not have fixed opening hours; you simply check whether the owner is at home.

Pictures ©: SS, SS, MS, PR

For the last weekend of every July, the whole town is transformed into a huge flea market.

We also loved a shop in a former bakery, full of fabulous retro items.

One lady has an entire collection of aprons in a fresh and clever style reusing antique cross-stitch work. Yet another designer makes pillows that combine knitted textures with finer fabrics.

We couldn’t help ourselves and ended up doing quite a lot of shopping. After all, it’s rare to find such great value when browsing one-of-a-kind products crafted by those who are selling them.

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Seeing all of this lovely stuff worked us into a shopping frenzy Pictures ©: SS, SS, SS

Sound

&

silence at

Bladh House

KASKINEN MUSIC SUMMER is hosted in this expertly

Merchant, ship-owner and statesman Petter Johan Bladh 1746-1816.

restored 18th-century mansion each July. This fantastic chamber music festival is in our diary every year.

This is a fantastic venue for private festivities.

Kaskinen Music Summer, on every July’s calendar.

It’s hard to believe that such a small town as Kaskinen sports a festival with this interesting a programme and musicians of the highest international standard. The music hall of Bladh House is renowned for the splendid acoustics it offers small ensembles, and it would be hard to conceive of a more charming milieu for enjoying the pearls of chamber music.

PETTER JOHAN BLADH was an

important figure in Finland’s development in the 18th century. His trade voyages took him as far as China, and later in life he became a leading voice in economics and politics.

His two houses - on a farm near Kaskinen and this townhouse were decorated in Chinese style, and the orangery here became home to a wide range of exotic plants he brought back from his travels. Bladh is seen as the founder of Kaskinen - it was his work and the international harbour that led to the cosmopolitan atmosphere Kaskinen enjoys today.

Pictures ©: MS, MS, SS

This stately home also boasts a period garden and beautiful salons facing the sea. This is a perfect venue for a yoga or meditative retreat, an art course, or a small conference.

Coupled with the unique places to stay in Kaskinen, Bladh House brings plenty of possibilities and an inspiring location for the creative mind.

Lavish dinners are sometimes laid on in 18th-century style.

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Pictures ©: SS, SS, SS

Winter delights AN ISLAND PARADISE - locals too wax lyrical

about this place, mainly because it is statistically one of the sunniest spots in Finland. We often fly to Finland in winter for the unforgettable atmosphere of generous helpings of snow lit by bright sunshine.

Easter in Western Finland brings religious traditions and older mythology together in an intriguing mix of bonfires, witches, and the promise of spring.

CONVENIENT AIRPORTS are only

In late January and February, ice-frosted trees sparkle in the sun, and the thick ice formed from the waters around Kaskinen will remain solid for months yet. Discover the best winter fishing waters and the most pleasant trails for cross-country skiing in the small archipelago around Kaskinen.

about 100 km away, in Vaasa and Seinäjoki. The most practical way to get to Kaskinen from there is by car – two bridges connect the island to the mainland. There is a daily bus connection, but for the smoothest trip to Kaskinen by public transport, it is best to contact the tourist information office for details. The loveliest way to come to Kaskinen is by sea – the guest harbour is one of Finland’s most pleasant.

Pictures ©: AO, OA , AO, PR

A SNOWMOBILE TRIP to the lighthouse of Sälgrund is well

worth the while, ice conditions permitting. The masses of ice pressed up against the cliffs of the island are among the season’s other treats, along with Kaskinen’s wildlife. The majestic white-tailed eagle can be seen on its daily rounds, preying on the fish left by the local fishermen.

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Pictures ©: MS, PR, AO, MS

22 Kalasatama Fiskehamnen Fishing harbour

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KALARANTA 10 SJÖBOBACKEN OLD FISHING HARBOUR

Hostel

Bladh House

22. Sälgrund: Lighthouse, guesthouse, & the old pilots’ station

21. Fishing harbour

20. Harbour

19. Car-repair shop

18. Post office, petrol station, & supermarket

17.

16. Pottery workshop

15. School

14. Memorial

13. Campsite

12. Museum

11. Sport hall

10. Sports ground

9. Pharmacy

8. Restaurant/café

7.

6. Hotel

5. Church

4. Petrol station & restaurant

3. Café

2. Library

2. Health centre

1. Town hall

Kaskinen

Pictures: © MS, MS, SS, MS, MS

www.visitkaskinen.fi

VAASA

KORSNÄS

OULU

NÄRPIÖ

tourism@kaskinen.fi

Pictures : Mårten Sjöblom (MS), Sirkka Suurla (SS), Pia Ruotsalainen (PR), Auvo Ojanperä (AO), Margit Kaseva (MK), Irmeli Ristiluoma (IR), Kari Rintala (KR), Ossi Aho (OA).

Part of the Town of Kaskinen’s ‘Vauhdilla Matkassa’ project

67

KURIKKA

Raatihuoneenkatu 34, 64260 Kaskinen

Text: Sirkka Suurla, Sonja Lapveteläinen, and Alba Saga Digital Freelance

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The Town of Kaskinen

The Town of Kaskinen: +358-6-2207711 Tourist information: +358-400-868781

SEINÄJOKI

3

VAASA

Kaskinen PORI TURKU

Kaskinen SEINÄJOKI

TEUVA 67

KRISTIINANKAUPUNKI

TAMPERE

HELSINKI

E8

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KAUHAJOKI

JALASJÄRVI

KASKINEN ... ... Vaasa: 93 km ... Seinäjoki: 108 km ... Pori: 117 km ... Tampere: 198 km ... Turku: 256 km ... Helsinki: 363 km

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