Vakka-Suomi

The area consists of several former or current municipalities: Askainen (Swedish: Villnäs), Lemu (Lemo), Lokalahti (Lokalax), Mietoinen (Mietois), Mynämäki (Virmo), Pyhäranta, Taivassalo (Tövsala) and Vehmaa (Vemo). Not all the area described here is part of the Vakka-Suomi region proper.

The name Vakka-Suomi originates from the 19th century, when a significant export of the region was vakkas, lightweight containers made out of wood.

Most of the area is coastal, with fishing and seafaring traditions, and the area includes significant archipelagos, partly counted as part of the Archipelago Sea, but parts are normal inland agricultural countryside.

The main town in the area is 1 Uusikaupunki (15,000 inhabitants), founded 1617 as the twelfth town in Finland. It has a nice wooden old town, seafaring traditions and a car factory. There are cruises to a few lighthouses in the archipelago. North of Uusikaupunki is 1 Pyhäranta. 2 Pyhämaa off Pyhäranta, 3 Kalanti to the east of Uusikaupunki and 4 Lokalahti to the south of Uusikaupunki nowadays belong to the town. In the inland beyond Kalanti is the other town of the area: 2 Laitila (8,000 inhabitants; regarded town since 1986).

South of Uusikaupunki are 5 Kustavi, entirely in the archipelago, but with most main islands connected by bridges, 6 Taivassalo, also with much archipelago, and 7 Vehmaa (with main village Vinkkilä), reaching to the sea only at the bay Mynälahti, but with many lakes. South of Laitila is 8 Mynämäki with 9 Karjala TL in the inland and 10 Mietoinen by Mynälahti, and 11 Askainen and 12 Lemu, now both part of Masku, both with some inner archipelago.

The area borders Satakunta to the north, the inland of Finland Proper to the east, Greater Turku including Raisio, Naantali proper and the Turku countryside to the south-east, the Archipelago Sea to the south, Åland to the south-west and the Bothnian Sea to the west.

Tourist information:

Turku, 20 km south-east from Lemu, is one of Finland's main cities, with good connections by rail, road and ferry, and a minor airport. National road 8 (E8 through Finland and Norway) leads north-north-west from Turku, through the centres of Mynämäki and Laitila. Road 43 leads from the inland via Laitila and Kalanti to Uusikaupunki.

Road 192, Kustavintie, leads from Raisio (just north of Turku) via Lemu and Mietoinen around the Mynälahti bay to Taivassalo and Kustavi. Near the northern shore of Mynälahti, Y-tie (road 194) forks off to Vehmaa and Lokalahti. Road 196 leads along the coast from Taivassalo via Lokalahti to Uusikaupunki and Pyhäranta and finally to E8.

By bus:

There are express coaches along the E8 and buses to Kustavi (via Taivassalo), Uusikaupunki and some other centres. For minor villages, don't rely on there being buses without checking. Timetables at Matkahuolto.

By train:

Turku has connections from Tampere and Helsinki.

Regional traffic along the railway from Turku to Uusikaupunki has been planned, but as of 2021 it is used only for freight.

By boat:

Southern Taivassalo reaches the fairway networks of the Archipelago Sea, with a 3.4-m fairway passing between Taivassalo and Kustavi, towards Uusikaupunki and the Bothnian Sea. A 2.4-m fairway leads to a fishing port in Mynälahti, east of Taivassalo parish village; two boating routes continue a bit farther into Mynälahti. The bay north of Naantali, reaching Askainen, Lemu and Masku, can be reached from the west via Merimasku parish village (bridge: 16.5 m) and from the south sailing on either side of Luonnonmaa of Naantali (lower bridges).

There is a boating route (2.0 m) between Pyhämaa and Pyhäranta in the north, leading in from the Bothnian Sea to their parish villages. Uusikaupunki is well-connected from the Bothnian Sea, Åland and the Archipelago Sea. A 2.6-m fairway reaches Hahtemaa of Lokalahti from the fairway west of Taivassalo.