Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
DEVIL'S NEST
Pirunpesä NATURAL FEATURE
(Devil's Nest; www.jalasjarvenkylat.fi/ylivalli_pirunpesa ;Pirunpesäntie, Jalasjärvi;adult/child €5/3;
noon-8pm Sat & Sun May-mid-Jun, noon-8pm daily mid-Jun-mid-Aug, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun mid-
Aug-Sep)
OK, so it's a hole in the ground, but it's Europe's deepest, at 23m, with a diameter of 14m,
and mystery surrounds its origins (glacial erosion or a natural-gas blow-out are the most
plausible theories). You can descend a metal staircase into the cavity or view it from the
21m-high observation tower. Pirunpesä is 52km south of Seinäjoki (there's no public
transport). Take Rd 19 to the Jalasjärvi exit then head southeast for 16km; it's on your
right.
Vaasa
06 / Pop 66,450
Vaasa (Swedish: Vasa) sits above the 63rd parallel and southern Finns consider it 'The
North'. Just 45 nautical miles from Sweden, the city has a significant Swedophone popula-
tion, with a quarter of residents speaking Swedish as a first language.
The 17th-century town was named after Swedish royalty, the noble Vasa family, but 200
years later it was in Russian hands. The Old Town burned down in Vaasa's Great Fire of
1852 - caused by a careless visitor who fell asleep and dropped his pipe - and the new city
was built from scratch, 7km away from the cinders.
Long a family holiday playground, Vasa also has three universities and a thriving arts
scene.
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