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Former town in Southwest Finland, Finland
Photo: User LPfi on the Swedish Wikipedia (on Commons: LPfi), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pargas] (Finnish: Parainen) is a small town in Finland Proper, the only real town in the Archipelago Sea. The town regards itself as the capital of the south-west part of the archipelago. There is a wooden old town, a giant limestone quarry by the centre (origin of Nordkalk Corporation and its siblings), industry and rural country-side.
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Medieval church.
the old town
Wooden old town by the church.
the local history museum
the quarry museum
Kuitia
Privately owned manor with medieval keep (four storeys left). The owners are involved in regenerative agriculture. Not open to the public. Occasional public events.
the limestone quarry
Private fine arts gallery, certified vendor of Dalí furniture. The permanent exhibition has a collection of sculptures, furniture and paintings by Salvador Dalí and you can get a dinner in his spirit (groups, advance booking). The varying exhibitions are about contemporary art.
Beach, shallow and deeper part separated by pontoon. Swim jump tower (5 m), beach huts, toilets. No guards. Quay for visiting yachts (mind the power line!), ramp for trailered boats. Feel free to eat some wild raspberries, growing by the footpath from the far end of the beach. Likewise, feel free to eat a few apples from the trees by the pond before the beach.
Sailing board, sup boards, kayaks etc. for rent, but a call in advance is needed. Also with teacher.
Marked area where your dog can enjoy the sea.
18-hole golf course. Restaurant.
2.1-km jogging/walking route in the woods. Cross-country skiing tracks in winter (early in the season: stored snow and snow cannon), 1–10 km. Lights in evenings.
Disc golf (frisbee) course through the woods – nice way to get a walk through them (if you don't want the complete course, take the eastern half), but you need your own discs, unless you hire ones from a business near the short course by the bus station (where you could ask).
Gamla Malmen kallar
Festival in the old town, with garden sales, theatre and general merrymaking.
City festival.
Organ and chamber music festival, concerts at varying locations, some in churches.
Farmers invade the town. Caress pigs, sheep and cows. Watch or drive tractors, excavators and forestry machines. Jump or glide in the hay. Plus normal market/fair action. Dance in the night.
Cross-country running competition, with 7-, 14- and 21-km routes (and 1 km for children). Late sign-up is possible on the day, 08:45–09:30.
Personal and cosy restaurant. Book your table for the 3-course meals. Also B&B.
A fast food joint.
Nice restaurant. Buffet lunch also Sa.
Pizza, kebab, salads etc. Large servings. The pita kebab rolls are huge.
Bar and grill.
Nightclub. Early evenings are more pub-like, with karaoke on Fridays. DJ or live music Sa nights. The first Friday each month is a special night for those over 40 (sic!) until 01:30, with also some (1980s and 1990s) nostalgia music.
Museum café. Former home of Fredrika Tengström (later Runeberg; 1807–1879), writer and wife of the national poet.
Nice café with several individually furnished rooms.
Hotel in Pargas centre.
Sattmarkin Tupa
Nice café, marina for guests, fresh and smoked fish, nature path. Cabins for 1–4 persons.
Camping, cottages for 2–10 persons, café, beach, bikes and rowing boats for rent.
Cottages, dinghy sailing, SUP-boarding, fishing trips, hire of rowing boats and small boats with outboard engine. Cottages for 2–6 persons, with sauna, shower and indoor or outhouse toilet. Self-catering. No check-in or check-out on Saturdays.
Customer quay on Kyrksundet, accessible by moderate motorboat (low bridges). Pharmacy (shorter hours, but a few hours even on Sundays). Otto ATM. Fuel station 200 m from the quay.
Café in the store, with lunch. Nosto ATM. Fuel station by Kyrksundet, with quay for boats (north of the bridges, but a power line restricts height: 11 m; max draught 1.2 m).
Grocery store. Posti and Post Nord service.
Smaller supermarket.
Kiosk. Also fishing permits and post services,
Fish shop. Fresh, frozen, pickled and smoked fish. Some is imported, but most is domestic, even local.
Market. Not many sellers, but often some fish, berry and mushroom.
Market.
Handicraft shop. Summertime a shop also in Sattmark.
Sheep farm with quite pricey but excellent products from yarn and mittens to sheep fur coats and art. Coffee served in nice surroundings. Sheep available for caressing. Herding dog performances at some occasions.
Apple farm with winery, shop and café. Wines and sparkling wines from apples, pears and berries, cider, other local products. Their liquors have to be bought via Alko, although teasers may be available in the café.
By bus
Since 2016 most services to Pargas are by TLO (timetables). Livery for buses to Pargas centre (lines 801 and 802) is the same as for buses in Turku, but Föli tickets are not valid for Pargas.
By boat
Pargas is a good destination also by yacht, but note the bridges. Getting to Turku via the centre of Pargas is somewhat awkward with sailing vessels, as there are long passages along narrow sounds.
By bike
There is a good and well signposted biking route from Turku.
By taxi
The taxi station is in the southern end of the centre, by the market square and Kyrksundet. There is a taxi rank also at the bus station, empty most of the time.
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