Petäjävesi Old Church
Located in the municipality of Petäjävesi, in the Central Finland region of Finland. Old Church tells the story of the Finnish people’s everyday life over four centuries.
- The old church of Petäjävesi is an impressive example of northern wooden architecture. It is representative of Scandinavian, Lutheran church architecture and the long tradition of log building. The church exemplifies how local master builders skilfully adapted the styles of European ecclesiastical architecture to the vernacular technique of log jointing. Petäjävesi church was inscribed in 1994.
- The Petäjävesi Old Church, located on a lake shore in Central Finland, was built in 1763-65 by master builder Jaakko Klementinpoika Leppänen. Some 60 years later his grandson Erkki Jaakonpoika Leppänen built the bell-tower. Since the new parish church was built in 1879 the old one has not been used for regular services. It was decided, however, not to dismantle the church. The bells were left in the old belfry and the graveyard is still in use.
- The Petäjävesi Old Church is beloved by the residents of Petäjävesi, and it is visited by thousands of enchanted tourists every year. Continuous repairs have been carried out since the 1920s. The church is occasionally used in summer.
How to get there?
- The trip from Jyväskylä to Petäjävesi takes less than 30 minutes.
- When you arrive in Petäjävesi, just follow the signs to the Petäjävesi Old Church.
- Get direction button on this page will guide you to your destination using google Maps.
World Heritage in Finland
- Unesco approved the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972. The World Heritage Convention is a global decision to promote the treasuring and preservation of unique cultural and natural heritage for future generations. In Finland there is seven World Heritage sites.
