Petäjäveden Vanha Kirkko

The Finnish Lakeland


This wonderfully gnarled Unesco-listed wooden church is located in Petäjävesi, 35km west of Jyväskylä. Finished in 1765, it’s a marvellous example of 18th-century rustic Finnish architecture, with crooked wooden pews, a pulpit held up by a rosy-cheeked St Christopher, and a fairy-tale shingle roof. Burials took place under the floorboards. Buses from Jyväskylä (€8, 35 minutes) stop here on their journey to/from Keuruu. If coming by car, walk across a road bridge to the church from the car park.


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