Taivassalo

Taivassalo offers various ways to explore history and regional culture: a rare Holy Cross church complex on the island of Kirkkosaari, a museum in Viiasten Manor and a historic post road that is still open to traffic. There are also notable buildings and a tradition centred on Baltic herring. If you are looking for a holiday rental for your stay, these different themes can help you decide what to focus on during your trip.

Church and archipelago

The Church of the Holy Cross, Pyhän-Ristin-kirkko, stands on the large island of Kirkkosaari in the Turku Archipelago. This architecturally rare Holy Cross church complex includes a stone church built in the 15th century. The site therefore brings together a specific historical period of construction and an unusual type of church. If you are interested in sacred architecture or the history of church buildings, you can include this in your travel plans. The church’s location on Kirkkosaari also connects it to the archipelago’s island landscape.

Manor house, bridge and bunker museum

The Taivassalo Museum is located in Viiasten Manor in the village of Viiaisten, about 3 kilometres from the centre of Taivassalo. Eight rooms on the ground floor showcase a range of interiors and exhibits. Together, they form an ensemble that illustrates manor-house culture and offers a glimpse into life at the manor up to its final years as a residence. Rather than viewing individual objects in isolation, you can explore several rooms and their different furnishings as parts of a broader way of life.

The approximate distance between the museum and the centre is useful for finding your way around as you consider which places to visit during your stay. Another historic structure is the Muntin Museum Bridge: a stone arch bridge dating from 1850, at Turuntie 185. Its design and specific year of construction give it a different character from the manor house museum. Taivassalo’s history also includes Tukikohta Motti, a bunker museum built by war veterans. These places offer different points of interest, from manor-house culture and architecture to military history.

Post road and regional landmarks

The historic Great Post Road ran from Stockholm through the Åland archipelago to Helsinginranta in Taivassalo, and from there via Mynämäki to Turku. The road is still open to traffic and marked with Postitie signs. This means that the route offers a connection to both its history and signs of its present-day course. The landmark Punainen graniittipaasi represents the importance of red granite in Taivassalo and adds a distinctive feature alongside the historic buildings and roads.

An event centred on Baltic herring

Silakrysäys, a Baltic herring festival described as the largest rural fair in Southwest Finland, takes place in Taivassalo on the first weekend of July. Its set date gives your travel plans a seasonal dimension: if you are planning to visit Taivassalo at this time, the festival is one of the local events you can take into account. It adds an event connected with Baltic herring to the area’s cultural and historical attractions.

Planning your stay

The bus departure and arrival point in Taivassalo is at Turuntie 47. Together with the information that the museum is about 3 kilometres from the centre, this gives you a specific reference point for finding your way around. When choosing a holiday rental, you can first consider whether you would like to focus your stay on the centre, a visit to the museum or the historic sites in the surrounding area. The places described differ in their content and character; which ones you choose to focus on depends on whether you are particularly interested in church architecture, manor-house culture, buildings, history or the herring festival.

Discover more places

Add Naantali, Härkälä, Laitila, Yläne, Salo, Loimaa, Turku and Askainen to your search for suitable destinations.

For the broader travel overview: Varsinais-Suomi.