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Former municipality in Southwest Finland, Finland
Photo: BishkekRocks, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Houtskär (Finnish: Houtskari) is a former municipality in the Archipelago Sea in Finland Proper. It consists of about 700 islands with 19 villages. Houtskär has about 520 permanent residents but many more reside there in the summer.
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Houtskär kyrka
Wooden cross church built in 1703 on a small hill in the middle of Näsby village.
Houtskärs Skärgårdsmuseum
Exhibition on traditional handicrafts, boats and scale models, and fishing equipments.
Observation tower on a hill in the Järvis village.
Observation tower in Mossala Island Resort. A view to Mossala fjärden, a circular structure that never turned into a volcano.
This small group of islands is considered as one of the most valuable nature spots in south-western Finland. The elder-flowered orchid, Adam och Eve, is flowering on its wooded meadows in June. This centuries old fishing village later became a navy fortress but was opened to public in early 2000s and now most of the islands belong to the Archipelago National Park, some are privately owned. The right to access is restricted, leave no trace! Excursion harbour with toilets. Camping site. Nature trail.
A culture trail with info boards around Näsby village.
June–August
À la carte and breakfast. Café. Small bar.
A pub that seems to be open during the summer months every now and then.
former Houtskärs Gästgifveri
Restaurant with home-like food. Breakfast, lunch and à la carte. Also rooms.
Houtskarin lammastila
Finnsheep sheep farm. Sheep products for sale. Stay a week as shepherd. Three different houses/cottages with beds for 2–6 persons each, pets welcome in two of them. Solar power, gas stove, sauna, outhouse privy, no running water (the house might have modern facilities).
In 2021 open 1 May–24 August, restaurant 14 June–22 August. Also family rooms. Pets welcome in some of the rooms. Breakfast included.
former Houtskärs Gästgifveri
Rooms. Restaurant with home-like food. Breakfast, lunch and à la carte.
Windy Hill's Inn
B&B with unique rooms
B&B in boarding school, in summer or on agreement. Originally a folkhögskola providing post-school education primarily for youth living in the archipelago, in the 1980s mostly gap year students from elsewhere. Nowadays mostly short courses for adults and school camps for youth. Most rooms double, a few larger ones (for 3–8+) available. Also cottages (4 persons). Linen and breakfast included. Shared toilets and showers. Silence requested 21:00–08:00. No smoking, no alcohol. Pets allowed in some rooms. Lunch and dinner may be available.
Cabins, camping site, caravans. Guest marina. Restaurant. Nature trail and observing tower. Activities include fishing, SUP boarding, kite boarding and disc golf.
Camping site
Cabins with B&B for meetings, courses and camp schools. Smoking and alcohol consumption are forbidden.
Guest marina. Fuel, sewage pump, laundrettes, water, electricity, showers, sauna, Wi-Fi, restaurant, bikes for hire.
Cabins, camping site, caravans. Guest marina. Restaurant. Nature trail and observing tower. Activities from fishing to disc golf.
B&B and a small guest marina (not for sailing boats!) far in the archipelago. Fishing. Nature trail. Accessible by M/S Karolina.
Guest marina for 1–2 boats. Sheep farm.
Groceries, mail service, self-care drugs, fuel, Alko pick-up point
The main route to the Houtskär islands is along Skärgårdsvägen ("the Archipelago Road", regional road 180). Take highway 1 (E18) or regional road 110 between Helsinki and Turku and turn to Skärgårdsvägen in Kaarina.
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