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West Coast
Why Go? Uusikaupunki ...... 218 The West Coast off ers 500km of charming seashore, along Rauma ...... 220 with historic towns and fantastic summer festivals. Tiny Around Rauma ...... 223 Kaustinen hosts the north’s biggest folk-music aff air, and Puurijärvi-Isosuo hardworking Seinäjoki and Pori let their hair down at huge National Park ...... 223 rock, tango and jazz festivals. Pori ...... 223 Heading north from Turku, the coast is lined with ven- erable old wooden towns like Uusikaupunki, Kristinestad Around Pori ...... 226 and Unesco-recognised Rauma, founded at the height of the Kristinestad ...... 227 Swedish empire. The western shore still shares more with Kaskinen ...... 228 neighbouring Sverige (Sweden) than Suomi. Newsstands are Närpes...... 229 packed with Swedish gossip magazines, Stockholm’s radio Seinäjoki ...... 229 and TV fi ll the airwaves, and you’ll hear Swedish spoken Vaasa ...... 231 almost everywhere. Jakobstad ...... 236 Seaside Vaasa, known for its arty atmosphere and an is- Around Jakobstad...... 239 land-full of kids’ theme parks, is super-accessible by budget airline. The area is popular with families, boasting expan- Kokkola ...... 239 sive sandy beaches at Kalajoki, and cosy holiday cottages Kalajoki ...... 241 dotting the dunes and woods. When to Go Best Places to Eat WEST COAST °C/°F Te m p Rainfall inches/mm » Gustav Wasa (p234 ) 30/86 6/150 » Athens Palace (p 231 ) 20/68 » Bucco (p 225 ) 4/100 10/50 » Vanhankaupingin Ravintola 0/32 (p 240 ) 2/50 -10/14
-20/-4 0 Best Places to J FDNOSAJJMAM Stay May Windsurfing Jun Water babies Jul Some of » Hotel Kantarellis (p 234 ) season starts at delight as out- Finland’s biggest » Hotel Astor (p 234 ) Finland’s most door waterparks festivals – Pori » Spa Hotel SaniFani (p241 ) popular beach, open their slides Jazz, Seinäjoki’s Yyteri. and turn on the Tangomarkkinat » Sokos Hotel Vaakuna wave machines. and Vaasa Rock. (p 225 ) 217
To Oulu West Coast (115km) SWEDEN 0 50 km Highlights 0 30 miles 1 Wandering Kalajoki the picturesque 27 wooden Old Towns Sävar Himanka of Rauma (p220 ), Jakobstad (p 236 ), Kokkola (p 239 ) and Kokkola Kristinestad (p227 ) Luoto 2 Paying your Kokkola- Pietarsaari respects to genius WEST COAST Pohjanlahti 8 WEST COAST Jakobstad Airport Lestijoki inventor Per Bonk at Bennäs Uusikaupunki’s Bonk Nykarleby Ån Kaustinen Dynamo Centre tävä (p218 ) Kvarken Lapuanjoki Björkön n Archipelago jo 3 Exploring the ki Brändövik Replot 13 scattered Kvarken
Replot Oravais Archipelago (p 237 ) Södra Vallgrund by bike or canoe Vaasa Lappajärvi Vanha Kauhava Seeing a city as a Vaasa 4 symphony with Alvar Bergö Solf 16 Aalto’s masterful town centre in Seinäjoki (p229 ) Korsnäs 8 Seinäjoki Kuortane 5 Viewing modern Ilmajoki ki jo art at Vaasa’s on Kurikka yr Närpeså K impressive Kuntsi Närpes museum (p 232 ) Alavus Joining jolly Ähtäri 6 Kaskinen crowds at Pori’s Kauhajoki Karijoki Kauhaneva- LÄNSI-SUOMI fabulous Jazz Jockå Lauhanvuori Pohjankangas Festival (p225 ), National Park Kristinestad National Park or pitching a tent Sarviluoma Virrat E12 23 at the fi ddletastic Isojoki Lauhanvuori 3 Kaustinen Folk Sideby (231m) Helvetinjärvi Music Festival 8 Honkajoki Parkano National Park (p239 ) 7 Letting the forest Seitseminen 23 National Park whisper you back to Isojärvi Kyrösjärvi the Bronze Age at Sammallahdenmäki Mäntyluoto burial site (p 223 ) Noormarku Lavia Näsijärvi 8 Paddling, Yyteri E63 windsurfi ng or Beach Kullaa Pori 11 fl ashing your bits in Leineperi Kiikoinen Tempere the naturist section – Luvia 2 12 Harjavalta 44 3 Kangasala Finland’s favourite Vammala beach Yyteri (p 226 ) Kokemäki Pyhäjärvi Kiukainen 43 Puurijärvi-Isosuo 12 has space for National Park Vanajanselka everyone Rauma Sammallahdenmäki Huittinen E63 12 2 Lappi 43 Säkylä Vampula Pyhäranta Korpi Puurijäri 41 Hämeenlinna LÄNSI- Alastaro SUOMEN Uusikaupunki Vläne Forssa 8 Kurjenrahka Kalanti National Park Oripää Loimaa To Turku E63 9 (30km) Mynämäki