Excursions at BARNLEK 2026 in Ekenäs
| No. | Excursion | Estimated duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farm visit at the Valtonen family in Svartå + Tytyri Mine in Lohja | 6h |
| 2 | Tvärminne Zoological Station + Agricultural Museum in Finbygränd | 6h |
| 3 | Farm visit at the Collins family + Kopparö Nature Trail | 4h |
| 4 | Fiskars Village + Downhill cart riding in Påminne + Finnish outdoor games | 5h |
| 5 | Air rifle shooting in Västerby + swimming at Dagmar’s Spring | 5h |
| 6 | Raseborg Castle Ruins + Malmbacka Charcoal Kiln | 4h |
| 7 | Boat trip to Jussarö, max 27 people | 6h |
| 8 | Paddling in the Ekenäs archipelago | 5h |
Description
1. Farm visit at the Valtonen family in Svartå + Tytyri Mine in Lohja
Get to know dairy cows, pigs, sheep, horses, chickens, cats, and dogs.
Try hay handling, learn to recognise grains and grasses, explore farming machinery, and answer questions along a guided walk.
The limestone mine is over 100 years old. Down in the mine, you can see traces of past miners and sense the history. Parts of the mine are still active. The troll Rönni lives in the mine. Finland’s fastest elevator makes the descent particularly exciting! Guided tour included.
https://www.tytyrielamyskaivos.fi/sv-FITytyri
2. Tvärminne Zoological Station + Agricultural Museum in Finbygränd
The research station is part of the University of Helsinki. Explore marine biology and marine ecology research. Try a marine research task: Who lives in the seaweed? Walk the nature trail.
At the museum, explore horse equipment, tractors, combine harvesters, agricultural tools, workshop equipment, hunting and fishing tools, toys, and household items.
3. Farm visit at the Collins family + Kopparö Nature Trail
Get to know beef cattle and Icelandic horses. Take a guided walk on the pasture.
The nature trail at Kopparö includes a suspension bridge.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/finland/helsinki-uusimaa-region/kopparon-luontopolku
4. Fiskars Village + Downhill cart riding in Påminne + Finnish outdoor games
The Fiskars ironworks, founded in the 1640s, is now a notable tourist attraction. Explore it via an information-board trail with questions to answer.
https://fiskarsvillage.fi/en/Fiskars Village website
In summer, the ski slope in Påminne is used for downhill cart riding. Participants must be at least 150 cm tall. The track has 15 turns, is 420 m long, and has a 40 m height difference. We have to skip this if raining.
5. Air rifle shooting in Västerby + swimming at Dagmar’s Spring
Try air rifle shooting. Minimum age 8 years.
A beautiful swimming beach is located next to a natural spring where you can fill your water bottle. The spring was visited several times by Queen Dagmar, the spouse of Russian Emperor Alexander III.
6. Raseborg Castle Ruins + Malmbacka Charcoal Kiln
In medieval times, Raseborg Castle served as the administrative centre of the region. Experience legends of enchanting love, shipwrecks loaded with treasure, and a disastrous collapse in the beer cellar. The castle once stood on the coast, but due to land uplift, the sea is now 2 km away. The castle lost significance in the 1500s.
https://raaseporinlinna.fi/sv/
Malmbacka is a reconstructed charcoal-burning village with a charcoal kiln. It is Finland’s only village where you can learn about the history of traditional charcoal production. A traditional charcoal-burning weekend is held annually in September. Learn about charcoal workers’ lives hundreds of years ago, why all kilns have women’s names, who the forest spirit is, folklore, and more. Explore kiln bases, buildings, and exhibitions with images and text. A short nature trail with puzzles is nearby.
7. Boat trip to Jussarö
Max 27 people.
Join a unique boat trip to Jussarö—formerly a coast guard station, lighthouse, and iron mine. Today the island features old-growth forest, an automatic coastal weather station, beautiful nature, and rich history.
8. Paddling in the Ekenäs archipelago
Join a guided group paddling tour. Experience the archipelago from up close. Not available in rainy weather.
Things to do in Ekenäs town centre
- Minigolf at Stallörsparken
- Swimming at Stallören, Knipnäs, or Ramsholmen
- Walk in the Ramsholmen grove forest
- Visit the Old Town, dating to the 1500s (including the garden café Café Gamla Stan)
- Raseborg Museum
- Chappe – Museum of Contemporary Art
- Bio Forum – Finland’s oldest cinema still in operation
- Kungsgatan – Finland’s oldest pedestrian street
- Library
- Market days: Wednesday and Saturday; evening market on some weekdays
- Indoor climbing: https://keiv.fi
- Bowling: https://www.ekenasbowling.fi/
Other things worth experiencing
Raseborg Summer Theatre: The largest Swedish-language summer theatre in Finland, located next to the Raseborg Castle ruins. This summer, Rock of Ages is performed.
Performances only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. For those wishing to attend, plan for either Sunday July 19th at 16:00 or Sunday July 26th at 16:00.
