Welcome to the beautiful coastal town of Närpes !

National Highway #8 runs like a monotonous line through the landscape of western Finland. You get the feeling to keep on driving...

But don't listen! You will be doing yourself a favour by turning off Highway #8 and taking the road of birches to a town by the coast called Närpes. Enjoy the beautiful scenery while you are still close to the conviniences of civilisation. This rural town will give you some wonderful experiences if you just allow it.

In this brochure you'll get a taste of what Närpes can offer you; beautiful scenery, the many unforgettable faces of the sea, the marvellous archipelago, our special culture and history, a varied number of free-time activities and much, much more. Have a rewarding holiday in Närpes!

The land that rises from the sea

The rising of the land is a phenomena that makes Närpes unique. Today you can walk, cultivate, live and work on land that was a sea bed not too long ago. And Närpes is still rising. With one meter per century the land resolutely rises from the sea.

The town of Närpes

Until 1607 the county of Närpes extended from Petalax and Bergö in the north to Sideby in the south as well as Östermark in the east. The present county was formed in 1973 through a union of the counties of Närpes, Övermark and Pörtom. On New Years Day 1993 Närpes became officially a town. The inhabitants of the centre of Närpes and surrounding areas comes to approx. 10.200, of which 93 per cent are Swedish speaking.

Until 1607 the county of Närpes extended from Petalax and Bergö in the north to Sideby in the south as well as Östermark in the east. The present county was formed in 1973 through a union of the counties of Närpes, Övermark and Pörtom. On New Years Day 1993 Närpes became officially a town. The inhabitants of the centre of Närpes and surrounding areas comes to approx. 10.200, of which 93 per cent are Swedish speaking.

The sea and the arcipelago

The sea has in many ways made an everlasting impression on this area and its population. Hundereds of years ago Närpes was known for its boatbuilding and on old maps you can read "Naerpensis- Hic naves fabricatur". Boatbuilding is still a living tradition.

Along the 45 km coastline there´s over 500 km of seashore and hundreds of summer cabins. We enjoy the closeness to the sea and our arcipelago is a boating paradise. You can go swimming, fishing, boating, hiking in the woods or you can just enjoy the scenery. There are many beaces to explore in the summertime.

The sea has many faces and each season has its own charm. Enjoy the natural beauty and explore the archipelago. Go ashore on one of the islands in the outer arcipelago for example Gåshällan or Märigrund. These islands are very popular with the locals as well as tourists. For not long ago Gåshällan was a pilot and coast quard station.

Nowadays the Närpes Skipper club keeps the buildnings in repair and arranges regular public activities. On Märigrund a fishing museum has been equipped with old fishing tools and utility articles. Verkan in Norrnäs is a typical shore view from Ostrobothnia. The boathouses along our coastlines are still in active use.