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Place in Finland
Photo: Ypsilon from Finland, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The West Coast of Finland is a geographically flat region bordering the Gulf of Bothnia. Being the westernmost part of Finland, this is where western influences such as Christianity first arrived in Finland. As a result of this, here you can find some of Finland's oldest cities and towns as well as half of the country's Swedish-speaking minority. This article comprises the pre-1997 Turku and Pori and Vaasa provinces.
Central Ostrobothnia is both geographically and population-wise relatively small. Most things of interest can be found in the region's largest city Kokkola. The town Kaustinen hosts a huge yearly folk music festival.
The region of Ostrobothnia has a Swedish-speaking majority and the Kvarken Archipelago, which is slowly rising up from the sea due to post-glacial rebound.
This remarkably flat region is home to several music related events and the country's most famous hard alcohol brand, Koskenkorva.
This region hosts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites; Rauma's old town and the Sammallahti bronze age burial site. The sand beaches of Yyteri are also quite popular in the summer.
The southwesternmost part of Finland is called Finland Proper for historical reasons. The largest city here, Turku, is the oldest city of Finland and hosts a castle and a cathedral that are amongst the oldest in the country. The archipelago that reaches all the way to the Åland islands is another popular destination in the region and especially beautiful in the summer.
By plane
Domestically, Pori, Vaasa and Kokkola have flights from Helsinki, though unless you're connecting from an international flight or in an extreme hurry flying from Helsinki doesn't make much sense —…
By train
The Finnish main north-south train line, between Helsinki and Oulu, passes through Seinäjoki, Bennäs near Jakobstad, and Kokkola.
By bus
Major cities are connected to each other and to Helsinki by several coaches a day – Turku has coaches from Helsinki more than hourly – and most smaller towns have a couple of daily buses to the…
By boat
There are four daily ferries from Stockholm to Turku via Åland; Silja Line and Viking Line have one day and one overnight departure each.
By car
There are good roads to any town in the region. Also minor places have decent connections, although you may need to leave your car behind for some island destinations.
The national road 8, part of E8, colloquially known as Kasitie or Riksåttan, is the backbone of transport along the west coast, with coaches from Turku to the coastal cities northward, and some more between them.
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lighthouses, seals and waterfowl, accessible with tour boat, a few spots also by road
open bogs, small lakes, and old growth forest. Accessible with public transportation from Turku
woodland, coast to the archipelago and old ironworks
Huittinen is a town in Satakunta, Finland.
highest point of Western Finland
mires, lakes, ponds and forests
post-glacial bouncing coast with De Geer moraines
famous wooden old town
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