Finland's Fiskars Village

Where History, Art, and Nature Live in Harmony.

Mar 16, 2007 Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Swedish speaking Fiskars, Finland is home to a converted iron works, art galleries, and a nice spot for an afternoon picnic, bike ride, or browsing at an outdoor market.

Fiskars Village was once home to the Fiskars ironworks, which opened in the 17th century when Finland was under Swedish rule. The factory is closed and the village is no longer a factory town, but a peaceful place full of history, art, and natural beauty. The former ironworks has been converted into a museum showcasing the history of the iron production and the development of the city. There is a gift shop where you can buy Fiskars garden tools, kitchen products, and scissors. You think you’ve never heard of the small, Finnish village of Fiskars? Well, do you have a pair of orange handled scissors in your drawer? Check the name on the blades - they were probably made in Fiskars, Finland.

Fiskars has a vibrant arts community and it has become a town of workshops, designers, and art galleries. You’ll find original, locally made paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, and Finnish handicrafts on display and for purchase in the galleries along the main street. From April through September there is an open air crafts and flea market in town. Fiskars has a cute ice cream cafe on the main drag where you can sit at a table outside and people watch. Or, enjoy a picnic lunch on the grass by the river, watching the swans and ducks swim underneath the footbridge and past the mill. The countryside around Fiskars in the Pohja region is relatively flat and there is not much traffic, which makes it a nice area for a leisurely bike ride. The 2007 Folk Music Festival will be on June 16.

Fiskars is about an hour’s drive (78 kilometers) west of Helsinki, in the heart of the Swedish region of Finland. Fiskars can also be a jumping off point to visiting other towns in western Finland, like Tamasaari, Mustion Linna and Hanko. The Swedish language is the dominant language in this region of Finland. Road and street signs are often written in Swedish only (Fiskars Village is called Fiskars Bruk in Swedish), or sometimes signs list Swedish names first and Finnish second (in comparison, Helsinki lists Finnish place names first, Swedish names second). Driving from Helsinki in late June or early July, you’ll travel through bucolic countryside, passing farms, rolling hills, and bright fields of yellow and purple flowers. Or, take the train from Helsinki to Karjaa. Fiskars is about 15 kilometers from Karjaa and it is accessible from the train station by bus or taxi.

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