Kimitoön

Kimitoön is a municipality in the Archipelago Sea, Finland. The main island is a large coastal island with rural landscape typical for southern Finland. It is surrounded by inner archipelago and outer archipelagos of minor islands, similar to that in the rest of the Archipeago Sea.

  • Kimito, a traditional rural village (or a couple of them) with a medieval church and some museums. The new centre by the main roads hosts large grocery stores and other service.
  • Björkboda, village between Kimito and Dalsbruk with lock factory and museum.
  • Dalsbruk, the most urban settlement of Kimitoön, nice village with ironworks and a related museum, famous for its Baltic Jazz festival. Marina.
  • Hitis, island group and former municipality south of Kimitoön. The quite large village of Hitis has retained much of its traditional character. The adjacent Rosala has a Viking centre. Ferries from Kasnäs.
  • Kasnäs, spa hotel, marina and ferry harbour in the south-west.
  • Högsåra, island near Kasnäs, with a road ferry passage.
  • Vänö, a larger remote island, ferry from Kasnäs M–F and Sun.
  • Västanfjärd, with two churches and some shops.

The Bengtskär lighthouse.

  • Bengtskär, a skerry in the outer archipelago, with the tallest lighthouse in the Nordic countries. Tours from Kasnäs via Rosala and from Hanko, with optional dinner, sauna, accommodation etcetera at the lighthouse. phone: [tel:+35824667227 +358 2 466-7227]. Service is provided also for those arriving with own boat, but the island is difficult to reach, due to location and lack of shelter.
  • Örö, a large island with valuable nature south of Hitis. Until recently the island was closed for outsiders as a military base (first fort by the Russians 1915), which has retained many otherwise threatened features. There are meadows with rare butterflies, old forests and nice cliffs and beaches. Also the military history is interesting. It is now part of the Archipelago Sea National Park (from the beginning of 2015) and most army facilities have been converted for tourism use, with services arranged by private partners; minor areas are still off limits. Ferry connection from Kasnäs. Accommodation in hotel rooms, cottages (private or shared), at a campsite or in your yacht in the guest harbour.

Kimitoön as a municipality was created 2009 by joining the municipalities of Kimito, Västanjärd and Dragsfjärd, all partly on the main island. Earlier many of the island groups and some other villages were independent municipalities. What is now the municipality of Kimitoön was the eastern part of the Åboland region .

Kimitoön has a Swedish speaking majority, like the rest of Åboland. Most people also speak decent Finnish, and people know English as in the rest of Finland.

Interior of Söderlångvik mansion.

  • Churches.
  • The ironworks museum in Dalsbruk, Tullbacksvägen 7, +358 40-721-9535. daily 11–18 or by request. Dalsbruk has ironworks traditions from 1686. The museum tells about the history of ironworking and worker housing. Signboards probably in Swedish only, ask about guiding in English in advance. €4/2, children under 16 free, guiding included.
  • The lock museum in Björkboda, Tullbacksvägen 7, +358 40-721-9535. 27.6–5.8 Wed–Sun 14–18 or by request. Björkboda has ironworks traditions since 1732. The museum tells about the local locksmith and lock factory traditions . The museum is in a worker house from the 1840s. Signboards probably in Swedish only, ask about guiding in English in advance. The museum is administratively part of the Dalsbruk ironworks museum. €2/1, children under 16 free, guiding included.
  • Sagalund local museum, Museivägen 7 (Vreta, 500m from the bus stop, +358 2 421-738. 1.6–31.8 daily 11–17, wintertime (main building only) Mon–Fri 9–16, Sat 10–13. Good local museum with history revival activities for children (perhaps Swedish/Finnish only). Includes houses of district court, schools and farms. Café. Nice museum shop. Groups should call in advance. €6/5/1, children under 7 free, guiding included, history revival tours €5/person, lunch 8,50.
  • Söderlångvik manor, Amos Andersonvägen 2 (also mooring for guests when museum open, +358 2 424-662. 13.5–31.8 and weekends in September daily 11–18, park open for the public at all times. Mansion, museum, park, farm, café, craft and farm shop, cottage-like accommodation. The museum is primarily about Amos Anderson, but has also e.g. a large art collection from the first half of the 20th century. The mansion interiors and the park are in themselves worth a visit. €3.50, children under 18 free.

  • Tour to the Bengtskär lighthouse, including a visit to the Viking centre.
  • Sailing with traditional sailing ship, +358 440 427 862. about weekly in July, check in advance, groups of 15–34 can book trips of their own. The original Eugenia, built 1879–1880, was one of the last Finnish ships without engine in 1951. She was a small ship sailing with coastal cargo, e.g. stone for the Bengtskär lighthouse 1905–1906. The replica was built 1997–2000. The ship is maintained by volunteers. €40/20 for a four hours trip including lunch.
  • Go on a sea kayaking tour
  • * Aavameri, +358 50 569 70 88. Full service guided trips and supported solo expeditions with transportation from/to Turku. Also help with route planning and maps. Equipped sea kayak 40€ first day, 35€ consecutive days, delivery or pick up at Kimitoön 40€; hiking mattresses and sleeping bags for two, tent and camping stove 56€/day/night. Day tour with guide from Kasnäs or Rosala 95€/adult, 50€/child. Four days' tour with guide and tent accommodation (own food, 4–8 persons) 440€/person, with accommodation indoors 560€/person.

  • Baltic Jazz, Dalsbruk, +358 440 790 340. 7–9 July 2017. Relaxed music festival annually in July. Mostly €20–25.
  • Kimito Music Festival. 10–17 July 2017. Chamber music. Concerts at different venues, such as Söderlångvik and Sandö mansions, Kimito, Dalsbruk, Karuna, Hitis, Teijo and Västanfjärd churches, Dalsbruk market place and Salo art museum. Mostly €25–30.
  • September Open, Dalsbruk. 9–10 September 2017 (2016: Sat 10 September 10:00–19:00, party 19:00–02:00). Harvest and handicraft markets, medieval and 19th century reenactment shows (including tournament by Rohan Tallit), entrepreneur expo and evening party with social dancing. Free; party €25.

There are decent or good restaurants at least in some of the See/Do/Sleep places and in Dalsbruk. Restaurants with limited supply also in Kimito and probably in a few of the other villages.

  • Mathildedal, with old ironworks, and Teijo national park, near Strömma, in the municipality of Salo