Information for visitors

In summer the Old Church is open every day.

The Old Church is open in May!

Opening hours

The Old Church is open 16.5. - 31.5. Thu-Sun from 2 pm until 5 pm. Open other times by appointment.

In summer (1.6. - 31.8.) the Old Church is open every day from 10 am until 6 pm  (please notice that the ticket office closes 15 minutes before closing time).

The Old Church is open in 16.9. - 15.5. by appointment. Please make the reservation at least three days in advance by contacting the World Heritage coordinator of Petäjävesi Old Church.

Admission fees & guided tours

The admission fee to the Old Church is 5 €/person, 3 € for students, schoolchildren or pensioners.

For groups of 10-20 persons the fee is 3,50 €/person and for groups over 20 persons 3 €/person.

Guided tour (about 30 minutes) is 5 € /group. For groups over 20 persons the guided tour is included in the admission fee.

In winter season (16.9.-15.5.) an additional door opening fee 10 €/group.

Parking

The parking lot of the Old Chuch is by highway 23. There is space for both cars and buses. From the parking lot it's about 200 meters walk to the church along a paved footpath at the side of a road.

Souvenirs and other services

Souvenirs of the Old Chuch and local handicrafts are sold in the church and in direct sale Heinähattu in the centre of Petäjävesi. It is also possible to order souvenirs like postcards and artcards, books and pens, by post. There are pictures of the souvenirs in the Facebook-site of the Old Church.

If you would like to visit the church by rowing an old church boat or have coffee served for you in the stairs of the church, please contact Kumpunen country holidays. You can also reserve a guidning to the churchyard of the Old Church. For children is it possible to reserve a churchrat - Jaakko Kirkonrotta - as a guide, tel. + 358 46 554 3818.

We warmly recommend you to visit two other wooden churches built also in 18th century - The Old Church of Keuruu and Pihlajavesi Wilderness Church - while you visit Petäjävesi Old Church. You can reserve a group guidning to all three churches from World Heritage coordinator of Petäjävesi Old Church. Information about other services such as accommodation, shops and restaurants can be found in the website of Petäjävesi municipality.

Events in the Old Church

In summer there are many events in the church and they may affect your visit. During the weddings, baptizings and concerts it's not possible to freely explore the church. In summer there are weddings nearly every Saturday afternoon so please prepare to wait a while or call us in advance to check the schedule.  

On summer Sundays there's a service in the Old Church usually at 10 am. The timetables of the services can be checked from the parish website. Service is free for everyone to attend. However, please remember to respect the church and parishioners by appropriate clothing.

On summer there are also concerts on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm.

Summer concerts 2013:

17.7. Arja Koriseva (song) and Jouni Somero (piano): In the church, 15 e (children under 16 years 5 e).

24.7. Seeli Toivio (cello) and Lily-Marlene Puusepp (harp): Serenade, 15 e.

31.7. Ritva Oksanen: A moment. Lord! 10 e.

7.8. Vox Auratie: Summer concert, 10 e.

14.8. Keuruun Serena, 10 e.

21.8. Taize mass (free admission).

28.8. Kolmen Keisarin Liitto, 10 e.

Photographing

It is allowed to take photos in the Old Church for your own use. Photographing for commercial use should be negotiated in advance with the parish. Please keep in mind not to disturb for example services by walking around the church taking photos.

Accessibility

Petäjävesi Old Church is not entirely accessible. In a very old wooden building the floors are not straight and smooth and the thesholds are really high. Also the stairs are quite steep. There is a ramp for wheelchairs in one of the entrances. The ramp is quite steep so it is recommended to have an assistant.

Toilets

There are two dry toilets near the Old Church. One of them is accessible by wheelchair.