//
Region of Finland
Photo: Aaro Koskinen, Attribution via Wikimedia Commons
Ostrobothnia (Swedish: Österbotten, Finnish: Pohjanmaa) is a stretch of coastal Western Finland. The historic province of the same name has been split in parts; this is the one where Swedish-speakers are found.
By air
There are flights from Helsinki and Stockholm to Vaasa airport. There is also an airport in Kronoby, which serves the cities of Kokkola and Jakobstad.
By train
There are train connections to Vaasa and Jakobstad, the latter with bus for the last stretch. Most connections require changing trains in Seinäjoki.
By bus
There are several coaches a day along the main roads, some from neighbouring regions. Some services make detours to nearby towns, others keep to the highway, with stops at the main junctions.
By car
The main routes are national roads 3 (E12) and 8 (E8). A more rural route with less traffic from Helsinki is via roads 1, 2, 12, 44, 67 and 3 to Vaasa.
By boat
There is a ferry to Vaasa from Umeå, Sweden: mostly day services, 4½ hr.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Vaasa · International · VAA
Loading places around the airport…
Vaasa (Swedish: Vasa) is the capital of the administrative region Ostrobothnia, Western Finland. The surrounding municipality of Korsholm (Finnish: Mustasaari) is also handled in this article.
Jakobstad (Finnish: Pietarsaari) is a nice small port town in Ostrobothnia. The adjacent municipality of Pedersöre is also handled in this article.
Kaskinen (Kaskö in Swedish) is an idyllic harbour town on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia in Ostrobothnia, Finland.
Kristinestad (Finnish: Kristiinankaupunki) is a town on the Ostrobothnian coast in Western Finland. Like many other towns in coastal Ostrobothnia, Kristinestad is bilingual with a Swedish speaking majority.
Nykarleby (Finnish: Uusikaarlepyy) is a town and municipality in Ostrobothnia.
Närpes (Finnish: Närpiö) is a largely Swedish-speaking farming town in Ostrobothnia, Finland. Närpes is the "Tomato Capital" of Finland.
The Kvarken Archipelago (Swedish: Kvarkens skärgård, Finnish: Merenkurkun saaristo) is an archipelago in the narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia, between Finland and Sweden. Along with the neighboring High Coast of Sweden, it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Articles and travel topics about Ostrobothnia and Finland.
Nature & adventureWhere to see the northern lights in 2026 and 2027 during Solar Cycle 25, comparing weather in Tromsø, Abisko, Fairbanks and Iceland.
7 min read
InspirationThe best places to visit in December across sun, snow and culture, comparing Lapland, Chiang Mai, Vienna, Costa Rica and Cape Town.
7 min read
InspirationDiscover 10 rewarding emerging travel destinations for 2027. Escape crowded tourist hubs and explore quiet spots with rich culture and great food.
8 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.