Welcome to the Kvarken Archipelago Internet map. In the map we have included information about services provided by Metsähallitus (Forestry Board) and Metsähallitus’ partners.

Choose area in order to get more information about existing service in the area. By clicking on a symbol you get more information about the place. You can change area on the tags on top of the map or by going back to page one by clicking on the Interactive map tab in the menu bar.

Law of public access

Light house

Norrskär

Norrskär is located in the middle of the Kvarken region, about 40 kilometres off the coast of Finland. This wave-washed island group consists of about ten reefs and islands, of which Västra and Östra Norrskär are the biggest. Västra Norrskär with its lighthouse, former pilot station and fishing village has been and is the most populated and visited island.

Link to Google Maps

Kvarken Nature guide

World Heritage information

Fäliskär

The Rönnskär archipelago is located almost 40 kilometres west of Vaasa. The archipelago consists of about one hundred islands and islets. Finland's oldest preserved wooden beacon is on Fäliskäret, which was previously the centre for pilot activities in the area.

Link to Google Maps

Kvarken nature guide

Nature trail

Storskär

Storskär is the largest island in the Rönnskär archipelago. It is more than 2.5 km long and about 1 km wide. Originally the island consisted of two islands, Storskär and Lillskär. The strait that previously separated the two islands has dried up due to the land uplift. The flora is very rich in species and in places very lush. The richness in species is due to Storskär's location in an area where the diabase rock type is common. Diabase is more favourable to plants than granite and gneisses.

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Light house

Strömmingsbådan

Strömmingsbådan was built in 1885. The Association for Strömmingsbådan Traditions now uses the former lighthouse buildings, it includes the local fishermen, a boat club and the local museum.

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World Heritage information

Molpehällorna's Nature station

Molpehällorna island is located outside Molpe village in Korsnäs municipality. Several other reefs and islands can be found around Molpehällorna, such as Molpegrunden, a rocky island with juniper heath and small groves of trees. South of Molpehällorna and close to the mainland is Halsön, a large forested island with many valuable pools and tidepools. The old coast guard station on Molpehällorna has been converted into a nature station.

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Light house

Utgrynnan

The first lightship in Finland, the Snipan (later Qvarken)served the Kvarken area from 1868 and was replaced by the lighthouse on Utgrynnan in 1960. Three lightships operated in the area until 1960. The Vaasa lighthouse at Korsögrundet
was completed in 1981 (Laurell 1999). The sector lights of Nikolai and Edvard, Sundom, were constructed during the Russian period. Other navigation aids worth mentioning are
the beacons at Norrgrynnan (1882), Rönnbuskö (1885), Tummelsön (1859), and the lighthouse on Korsören, south of the present pilot station at Vallgrund (Söderholm 2001).

Link to Google Maps

World Heritage application

Harbour

Sommarösund

Södra Vallgrund is located at the southernmost part of Replot-Vallgrund. Approximately 350 people live in the village. In the centre of the village you will find a shop, a school and Sommaröhallen.
Sommaröhallen was inaugurated in 1992, and has now become a great tourist attraction. The Village Association has organised the selling of products made by small entrepreneurs and handcrafters in Sommaröhallen.

Sommarösund, a 2 km long shallow bay, was still a sound in the 1400s and was used as a sheltered strait by seafarers. Nowadays, the bay is shallow and in many places it is impossible to go there by motor boat. Places that today are more than ten metres above sea level, have earlier been inhabited by people, who have been attracted there by the fish and seal rich waters.

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Nature trail

Sommarö nature trail

Here at Sommarösund there begins a 3.2 km.-long hiking trail to the old military base area of Sommarö. It stretches partly along public roads and partly along trails. About halfway to Sommarö you can see a so-called giant's kettle.

Link to Google Maps

outdoors.fi

Map over the area

World Heritage information

Sommarö old military base

Link to Google Maps

Map over the area

Nature trail

Björkö-Panike hiking trail

To hike the entire 12 km length of the Björkö-Panike Hiking Trail you need to arrange boat transportation at two points along the trail.

The trail crosses a varied landscape shaped by land uplift. Rounded hummocky moraines and washboard-like De Geer moraines give the landscape its special character. Traditional sheep grazing still occurs in area.
The Svedjehamn fishing harbour also serves as the starting point for a shorter nature trail called Bodvattnet runt. This 3.8-km long route passes through Bodback, where the fishing harbour of Björkö was previously located.

Link to Google Maps

World Heritage guides (pdf)
outdoors.fi
Places to visit

Map of the area (pdf)

Nature trail

Kikanberget

More than a thousand years ago the first small islands emerged from the sea in the Söderudden archipelago. At first the archipelago consisted of separate islands and islets. Due to the land uplift these islets grew into larger islands and finally the Söderudden archipelago became joined to Vallgrund.

In the beginning of the 20th century when the Russian soldiers stood guard here, the forest wasn't as high as today and the view was clear in all directions. On the top of the mountain there was a high pole which probably served as a land mark. The iron bolts, that held the pole in position, are still present.

The 0.7 km/0.4 mile nature trail over Kikanberget begins here.

Link to Google Maps

World Heritage information

Klobbskat harbour

Klobbskat fishing harbour was built in 1972 and was then classed as one of the 14 central fishing harbours in Finland. In addition to local fishermen, also trawlers from the northernmost harbours in the Bothnian Bay visited the harbour. At most, the harbour has been used by approximately 40 trawlers. In combination with the fishing harbour, there is also a guest harbour for leisure time boats.

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Korsholm archipelago

Nature trail

Valsörarna's nature trail

Valsörarna is a group of islands on the outskirts of Kvarken (the Botnia Narrows), about 15 km north-east of Björkö. The largest island in the group consists of Ebbskär and Storskär, which have become one island due to the land uplift. The archipelago here is an old cultivated landscape where traces of the permanent settlements of lighthouse keepers, haymaking and grazing animals can be seen. For many centuries the Valsörarna group has been the most important fishing base for people from Björkö.

The nature and culture trail provides opportunities to experience the varied natural life. The trail is 2.5 km long one way. The part of the trail that runs through the birch wood is called "the Lovers' trail".

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Light house

Lighthouse on Valsörarna

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Harbour

Harbour at Valsörarna

In Björköby both the fishing waters and
the land areas were traditionally split
according to the three original landowners:
Brådd, Skägg and Galt. The nature on Valsörarna has been shaped both by man and animal. In the old days the villagers from the same apportionment together took part in the hay-making and sheep-farming on Valsörarna. Today about a hundred sheep are transported to Valsörarna every summer.

Valsörarna?s biological station, the former Life savers? cottage, has functioned as centre for Ostrobothnia Australis bird watching observations for over 40 years.

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The Landscape on Valsörarna