Sastamala: Culture, Literature and Nature

You can plan a trip to Sastamala around the themes of culture, literature and nature. In Kirjakortteli, you’ll encounter museums and the history of the book; the Ritajärvi nature reserve and two differently designed routes offer additional reasons to visit.

Book History and Regional Culture

In Kirjakortteli, the Finnish Book Museum Pukstaavi presents the 500-year history of the Finnish book. The main exhibition explores this subject through several specific themes: it features bookshelves in Finnish homes, the world of 17th-century printers and remarkable stories from writers’ lives. Everyday life with books, their production and literary lives thus come together in one exhibition.

The Sastamala Region Museum offers a different focus. As a cultural history museum, it preserves and presents the history of the region. Events, services and activities related to cultural heritage are also part of its offerings. The Pukstaavi café and Pukstaavi museum shop serve visitors during the museum’s opening hours.

Ritajärvi and Routes Through Sastamala

The Ritajärvi nature reserve is a 127-hectare protected area in central Sastamala. The Louhi shelter and Paavinhattu kota cannot be reserved; their outdoor areas, fire pits, jetty and dry toilet are available to all visitors at any time. If you’re planning a visit, check the condition of the facilities beforehand.

The Sastamala Church Pilgrimage is an approximately 40-kilometre pilgrimage route from the Karkku district, through central Sastamala in Vammala, and onward to Keikyä on the other side of Sastamala. A different kind of route is the 91-kilometre Rautareitti cycling route: it connects the lake loops around Kulovesi and Rautavesi and is part of the Järvien-Reitit routes in Sastamala. When planning, you can choose between a pilgrimage route of approximately 40 kilometres and a 91-kilometre cycling route. The routes pass through different places or connect different lake loops.

Literary Worlds

Herra Hakkarainen’s House is a themed attraction in Sastamala based on the children’s books by writer Mauri Kunnas. Detailed settings offer the chance to playfully immerse yourself in the stories. The themed worlds include Herra Hakkarainen’s own home, King Arthur’s Knights’ Hall, a futuristic space world and the Koiramäki children’s town. The different themes lead through distinct story worlds; individual installations may change.

The themes are easy to distinguish: Pukstaavi focuses on Finnish book history, the Sastamala Region Museum on the history of the region, and Herra Hakkarainen’s House on the stories of Mauri Kunnas. Ritajärvi and the two routes complement these cultural destinations with nature and different types of routes. This selection can help you decide what to focus on during your trip to Sastamala.

Discover more destinations: Parkano, Pälkäne, Metsäkansa, Viiala, Killinkoski, Terälahti, Orivesi, Ruovesi

For the broader travel overview: Pirkanmaa.