Finnish records

What are Finnish records

Finnish records brings together on a map locations that sources describe using the phrase "Finland's largest", "Finland's longest", "Finland's oldest" or similar. Some claims are precise measurement results, others are local knowledge or information presented by individual websites, carrying qualifications such as "it is said" or "according to sources". The collection includes natural records, such as the highest waterfall, the longest river and the largest tree specimen, building records, such as the world's largest wooden church and the oldest still-operating public sauna, and smaller curiosities such as the longest wall or the smallest shop museum.

How records came about

Many records arose in their own time without deliberate pursuit. Kerimäki church was designed in 1844 for five thousand people, as the congregation wanted room for the entire parish at once, and the result remains the world's largest wooden church. The Tsar's poplar has grown in Heinola's riverside park for a long time and survived the great Kymijoki flood of 1901. Rajaportin sauna in Tampere has warmed the public since 1906, and Korkeakoski near Kuopio has been a destination for excursions with the first steps built as early as the 1860s. Näsinneula, on the other hand, was erected in Tampere in 1970–1971 and was Finland's tallest building for over fifty years when completed.

Most interesting examples

Among natural records, Korkeakoski in Kuopio plunges 36 metres and is Finland's highest continuous waterfall, while the Kemijoki in Keminmaa is the country's longest river at 550 kilometres. Torholan cave near Lohja is the largest known limestone cave, and in its narrowest passage your hands can already touch both walls. Among building records, Kerimäki church in Savonlinna seats about 3,000 people, Näsinneula in Tampere rises to 168 metres, and Rajaportin sauna in the same city is the oldest still-operating public sauna. Imatrankoski near Imatra is known as Finland's oldest tourist destination, visited since the late 1700s.

Where records are most numerous

Building records are concentrated in population centres: Helsinki and Tampere each have several locations on the map, as both have had the means and need to build on a large scale. Natural records, on the other hand, are located more rarely in sparsely populated areas of northern and eastern Finland: Lapland has both the longest river, the Kemijoki, and Finland's largest single-municipality lake, Lake Inari, and near Kuopio stands the highest waterfall. Southern and western Finland, in turn, has more church and building records, such as Kerimäki church and Vöyri's oldest still-operating wooden church.

Before you go

The locations differ greatly from one another, so it is good to check the specific conditions for each type in advance. Churches are usually open during services or by arrangement, for natural sites such as waterfalls and caves it is wise to bring proper footwear and consider the weather, and waterfalls flow most powerfully in spring as the snow melts. Saunas and museums have their own opening hours, which may vary seasonally. Many sites are accessed via marked trails or routes for safety and nature conservation, and up-to-date information should be checked from the site's own pages before travelling.