Jakobstad: Skata, museums and Fäboda

Jakobstad offers a range of experiences for a stay: the protected wooden district of Skata, museums covering local and maritime history, gardens, nature trails and coastal experiences. If you’re looking for a hotel in Jakobstad, you can plan your trip around whether cultural history, gardens or outdoor activities are most important to you.

Skata and the city’s history

Skata is Finland’s largest contiguous wooden district and comprises 40 blocks. The district has been protected since 1982 and has largely retained its original character. The best way to explore Skata is on foot; the district as a whole shapes the experience.

Two rooms in the Malm House are dedicated to the history of Jakobstad. Exhibitions also showcase period rooms from the late 19th century, as well as ship portraits and ship models. The city’s history and maritime heritage meet here in displays of interiors and seafaring.

The Strengberg Tobacco Museum traces the history of Jakobstad’s tobacco factory: from its beginnings as a small spinning mill to its role as Finland’s largest tobacco producer at the beginning of the 20th century. Nanoq offers another historical perspective. It opened in June 1991 as Finland’s first Arctic museum. Visitors learn about Arctic cultures, history and nature, and hear stories about famous expeditions to the North and South Poles. One admission ticket provides access to the main building and the open-air museum. Check the current admission and access conditions before your visit.

Gardens, events and guided tours

The Aspegren Garden is one of Finland’s oldest parsonage gardens and is an exceptionally well-preserved garden setting in Scandinavia. The Skolträdgården Botanical Garden covers about 1.35 hectares. From early May until late autumn, it displays plants in a variety of forms and colours. Ramps connect the different areas of the school garden and make it easier to move freely through the park.

A permanent outdoor stage in the school garden was built in 1992 and is used for major celebrations in Jakobstad, including Jakobs Dagar. Event programmes may change, so check the dates if you’re planning to attend a celebration. Guided tours of Rosenlund are available by prior booking. Various events are also held there; specific programmes may vary.

Fäboda: hiking trails and nature experiences

The Fäboda hiking trail network is about 40 kilometres long in total and also offers shorter routes. The accessible nature trail consists of two sections: the first is 170 metres long, and the second about 600 metres. There is another nature trail for children, with nature-related activities, animal sculptures and a balance course. The lengths of the accessible sections set them apart from the extensive trail network as a whole; the children’s trail offers its own focus with activities and play stations.

The Fäboda hiking trail can also be used for mountain biking, and the forests of Fäboda are suitable for cross-country skiing. Along the coast, you can admire the smooth rocks, enjoy the sea air and watch the sunset from the shore. Alongside the trail network, there are also specific nature experiences by the water and activities in the forests to choose from.

Old Harbour: recreation and harbour history

The Old Harbour is a recreational area with a beach, forest and a small boat harbour. Traditional red-painted boathouses bear witness to the history of the harbour area, and there is also a large playground. This makes it different from Skata’s contiguous wooden district: at the Old Harbour, the shoreline, forest and recreation sit alongside the harbour’s historical traces.

Discover more destinations: Vörå, Korsholm, Iskmo, Nordanå, Eugmo, Kristinestad, Lappfjärd, Larsmo.

To the regional travel overview: Ostrobothnia.