The lakeland of Central Finland is a place of low wooded ridges, narrow lakes and small farms, and Petäjävesi, a village of three and a half thousand people, lies on the shore of Lake Päijänne's northern arm, about twenty-five kilometres from Keuruu. Its old church, built entirely of pine logs, is one of the best-known wooden buildings in Europe and was inscribed by UNESCO in 1994.
The church was built between 1763 and 1765 by a local master carpenter, Jaakko Klemetinpoika Leppänen, to a design that mixes the traditions of Finnish log building with the shapes of the Baroque and Gothic styles known from stone churches elsewhere. Leppänen's son Erkki added the tower in 1821. The walls are hewn logs joined at the corners, the roof is covered in wooden shingles blackened with tar, and the whole building has a sturdy, handsome look, a little like a ship on dry land. Inside, the plain pews and the vaulted ceiling are simple and graceful, and in summer the church is open to visitors, with a small exhibition and guides. The smell of tar and old timber is part of the experience.
Riding in Finland is relaxed and orderly. The roads are well kept, speed limits are strict and speed cameras are common, and headlights must be on at all times. The scenery around Petäjävesi is a quiet repeat of lakes, spruce and birch, with long straights and gentle bends. Elk are a serious danger, especially at dusk and dawn from late summer onward, so slow down in forest sections and watch the verges. Mosquitoes and horseflies are active in midsummer, and in winter the roads can be icy and the days are very short.
The best time is June to August, when the light is long and the lakes are warm, with midsummer, the weekend closest to the 24th of June, a famous holiday when the whole country goes to its summer cottages. September brings the colours of autumn. Petäjävesi has shops, a petrol station and a cafe, and Keuruu, twenty-five kilometres away, is larger, with eleven thousand people, more fuel and a lakeside promenade. Try a fresh muikku, a small lake fish that is fried and served with potatoes, or a slice of rye bread with cheese, and drink coffee, which Finns take in vast quantities.