Kustavi

Kustavi is an archipelago municipality, with all traditions of fishing and seafaring you'd imagine, along with cottages along the shores. It is named after king Gustav III of Sweden, who reigned in 1783, when two chapels where consolidated to the one of Kustavi.

Because of the post-glacial rebound many former islands are now connected. The place names usually reflect the former islands, and the former sounds can often be recognised as deep bays and lowlands.

The parish village Kustavi is on the former island Kivimaa, by the main boating fairway between the Archipelago Sea and the Bothnian Sea.

As seen in many place names, the area is heavily influenced by the Swedish language.

Volter Kilpi, a famous Finnish writer, was born in Kustavi, and a Volter Kilpi week is arranged yearly by the local society of literature. His books are very hard to translate, using features of the Finnish language and colloquial speech for a very special style. His main work (Alastalon salissa) is about a meeting in Kustavi on building a sailing ship – a big enterprise for the countrymen (the 800-page book covers the grand 6 hr of the meeting). There is a culture path following the route described in another book by Kilpi (Kirkolle).

Most businesses try to use local produce.

Kustavi is at the end of road 192 (Kustavintie) from Raisio via Taivassalo. The junction from E8 is some 17 km north from Turku, a bit north of the Turku bypass and the centre of Raisio. Road 196 leads from Uusikaupunki (here called Lokalahdentie) via Lokalahti to Taivassalo and Kustavintie.

There are coaches from Turku to the centre by Taivassalon Auto. There are coaches also between Turku and the ferry quays of Vuosnainen and Heponiemi, connecting to some ferry arrivals. The coaches to Heponiemi either go via Kustavi centre or go there after Heponiemi. See Matkahuolto.

The port for the northern ferry route from Åland (via Brändö) is in 1 Vuosnainen in the south-west of Kustavi. See Brändö for special arrangements for this connection.

There is a ferry connection also from Iniö, in turn connected to the rest of the Swedish-speaking archipelago in season. The quay on the Kustavi side is in 2 Heponiemi, Laupunen. Bikers from the mainland can come via Naantali, Merimasku and Taivassalo, with the Teersalo–Hakkeenpää ferry of Velkua. These connections are part of the Archipelago Trail.

There are guest marinas in Vuosnainen (Vuosnaisten meriasema, by the ferry quay to Åland), in Parattulanlahti near the ferry quay to Iniö (Peterzéns), and south of the centre (Lootholma). For short visits to Kustavi parish village there are jetties near the road ferry quay and (restricted height and draught) in Flara east of the centre. There is a jetty for short visits also in Pleikilä (by the main 5.5 m fairway, near the north end of the Ströömi sound).