Satakunta

Satakunta on Finland's west coast has two UNESCO World Heritage sites, one of the longest sandy beaches in the country, and a jazz festival of international standing. A vacation in Satakunta combines colorful wooden houses, a seaside resort, and Bronze Age burial sites within just a few miles.

Coast and River Valley

The landscape lies between Southwest Finland and Ostrobothnia on the Bothnian Sea. The Kokemäenjoki, one of Finland's largest rivers, flows into the sea at Pori, where it has formed a delta with wetlands. Inland, around Eura and Kankaanpää, fields and forests alternate. Around 210,000 people live here, mostly in Pori and Rauma. The region has an industrial character, with shipyards, a port, and the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant near Eurajoki.

Sights in Satakunta

Old Rauma is the largest contiguous wooden town district in the Nordic countries and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Around 600 wooden houses in pastel colors line the lanes, interspersed with cafés, craft shops, and the lacemakers who produce the famous Rauma lace; in July the town celebrates Lace Week. The Bronze Age burial site of Sammallahdenmäki near Rauma, with more than 30 stone burial cairns, is the second World Heritage Site. Pori has interesting sights in the Juselius Mausoleum, whose frescoes were designed by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, and the art museum. In July, the Pori Jazz festival turns the city into a stage for tens of thousands of visitors. Yyteri beach, four miles of fine sand with dunes, is the west coast's most popular summer swimming spot. Offshore lies Bothnian Sea National Park, with lighthouses on rocky islands. On the Kokemäenjoki, the delta near Pori is one of the largest river deltas in Northern Europe, with bird-watching towers and hiking trails through reed beds, and inland you'll find church villages with medieval stone churches, such as in Ulvila, the oldest town in the region.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Pori is known for Porilainen, a bun with a thick slice of sausage, onions, and pickles. On the coast, people eat smoked Baltic herring and salmon. You can reach Pori by train via Tampere, and Rauma by bus from Turku. The best time to visit is June through August, when the beach and festivals beckon. In fall the coast is quiet and ideal for strolls through Old Rauma without the crowds.