Kirkkonummi is a fairly large coastal borough of about 30,000 people, situated about 30km west of Helsinki. Although traditionally a cluster of small rural villages, it is now shaping into a suburb of the capital. The main attraction of Kirkkonummi, or Kyrkslätt in Swedish¹, is a very old church².

History

The earliest mention of Kirkkonummi dates back to the 1330s, at which point the church had already been finished. In the following centuries, Kirkkonummi developed into a prospering farming area and an important supplier of grain for Helsinki. During the time of Sweden's rule over Finland (c1155 - 1809) the inhabitants were often burdened by war taxes, and even raids: in 1577, Tatars of the Russian army wreaked havoc on Porkkala peninsula.

In 1918, Kirkkonummmi played its own minor part in the Finnish Civil War when local Whites, ie the bourgeois side of the conflict, tried to seize the military base (built and controlled by the Russians) on the island of Mäkiluoto. The attempt failed, and the Whites surrendered to the Reds: ie, the Socialists. They were held captive until the bourgeois side seized Helsinki.

The great upset came in 1944. The truce ending the hostilities between Finland and the Soviet Union stipulated that about two thirds of Kirkkonummi³ would be leased to the Soviets for fifty years. The Porkkala territory residents had ten days to evacuate the area.

In the following years the Porkkala territory was home to a very secretive Soviet military base. No Finns were allowed to enter the area; Finnish trains that travelled through had to have their windows blinded. As an effective political statement, the Soviets used the church as a cinema.

To the astonishment of Finns, the Soviet Union gave the Porkkala territory back to Finland much earlier than expected, in 1956. Since then, the borough has grown considerably as it has become a homebase for people working in Helsinki. Through the influx of new residents, the majority language has changed from Swedish to Finnish.

The Centre of Kirkkonummi

The centre of Kirkkonummi is a somewhat unattractive place. Almost completely built in the second half of the 20th Century, it consists of flat, box-shaped concrete buildings. It is also rather small, as there are other clusters of habitation in Kirkkonummi⁴.

Most of the centre's services are along a straight pedestrian path that takes you from one side of the centre to the other. At one end there is the train station with connections to Helsinki and Turku. In summertime there is an ice-cream stand just on the other side of the road. At the other end there is a town square by which the library and the aforementioned church stand. There is a market on the square every weekday. Most people sell flea-market-type items, but there is also a trailer kiosk that sells fast food and ice-cream. The library is one of the better looking buildings in Kirkkonummi, and it houses a good collection of books, newspapers, magazines and music, as well as a gallery. The austere church, which is made out of grey stone except for the showier bell tower from the 19th Century, plays host to many concerts in addition to its more obvious functions.

Between the train station and the square there are a couple of supermarkets, the school complex (which has almost 1,500 pupils), the police station, the bus station⁵, and a few cafés and shops. In daytime, the centre is usually flooded with teenagers with a few old people in the mix, while in the evening most people there are middle-aged grocery shoppers.

Where To Eat

• Angora Pizzeria is near the square, at Toritie 1. Angora is one of the many good pizzerias/kebab places in the centre. They can make you a reasonably priced, delicious pizza in five minutes. Students get a 50-cent discount.

• Rosso is by the square. A restaurant chain that offers tasty, if unimaginative food with a vague Italian twist.

• Fortuna is opposite the train station, at Munkinmäentie 19. This is a lunch restaurant by day and a dance venue by night. This is where the natives go.

Other Things To See

While the centre of Kirkkonummi might not be very pretty, the countryside around it is. The centre is surrounded by fields and forests that are free for anyone to roam, which is exactly what people do. An admirable number of couples in matching sweatsuits can be seen walking, Nordic walking⁶, jogging, cycling or skiing every evening.

There are also beautiful lakes and natural parks, as well as some sights of historic importance in Kirkkonummi.

Lake Meiko

The beautiful Lake Meiko is situated about five kilometres north of the centre. Most of the lake and the surrounding area are part of a natural park, so you have to leave your car about a kilometre away from it and make the rest of the way by foot.

Secluded and surrounded on all sides by untouched forest, Lake Meiko is a hidden gem. It is no puddle, but since it forms several smaller coves, it gives off a feeling of both intimacy and space. The water is a lovely greenish hue and exceptionally clear in Finnish terms. Large, flat rocks - ideal places for sunbathing and picnicking - form the shoreline. Mostly Lake Meiko is a peaceful place: there's never much wind, but no mosquitoes or gadflies, either. The serenity can be somewhat broken when children dive into the lake from on top of the highest cliff. They tend to scream when they do that.

The Porkkala Peninsula Recreational Area

The Porkkala Peninsula is a public recreational area with wells, WCs, and places for camp fires and cooking. The area has been mostly left to its natural state: it is covered with pine forest, except for the beautiful, rocky shoreline. It's a great place to spend a day walking, napping on the smooth rocks, or even swimming if you're up for it.

Hvitträsk

Hvitträsk is an impressive Art Nouveau manor house that was built at the beginning of the 20th Century by the three famous architects, Gesellius, Lindgren and Saarinen. It was originally an atelier and a home for their families. Nowadays it houses a museum and a restaurant. The surrounding nature - it is on the shore of Lake Vitträsk - is an important part of Hvitträsk's charm.

The first rock paintings in Finland were found near Hvitträsk in 1911. The composer Jean Sibelius, who was visiting the manor, stumbled upon the paintings near the shoreline of the lake. They have later been estimated to be about 5,000 years old.

Links

The official site of the Borough of Kirkkonummi has all sorts of useful information on Kirkkonummi, but only in Finnish and Swedish.

The official site of Hvitträsk is also in English.

Wikipedia has an informative article on the Finnish Civil War.