Day trip to Renko

Renko Week

Renko’s summer is crowned by Renko Week, during which the parish hosts events such as the Rengon Jaakko Market, market dances, and various children’s events.

Hämeen Härkätie

Winding through Renko is the Hämeen Härkätie, familiar even from a lullaby, which is one of Finland’s oldest prehistoric roads. Today, Hämeen Härkätie is a national tourist route, along which you will find a variety of cultural and natural attractions.

The Rengon Uudenkylä roadside settlement and the Kuittila roadside settlement, where the roadside habitation has preserved the compact ribbon-like structure of a clustered village, are attractions in themselves. The Kuittila roadside settlement is believed to be Renko’s oldest habitation along the Ox Road, possibly dating back to the Iron Age. Uudenkylä’s attraction is the mystical Naskali Egg.

The peasant museum maintained by the Renko Society, Härkätie Museum, is located next to Rengon Pyhän Jaakon Church (St. James’s Church of Renko). The museum houses peasant artefacts from Renko and objects related to Hämeen Härkätie, as well as artefacts connected to the history of Rengon Pyhän Jaakon Church. Härkätie Museum is open on summer Sundays and on Renko Market Day. (For groups by appointment.)

The beautiful and exceptionally octagonal stone church, built in the late 1400s, was a significant medieval pilgrimage site, attracting visitors from abroad.

Härkätien Kynttilä is an attraction in itself

The summer café Härkätien Kynttilä is located along the Ox Road on the old cantor’s farm, where the church’s singing official is known to have lived as early as the 18th century. The premises have served as an inn several times during the 19th century. At that time, the Crown required landowners to arrange inn transport and take care of travellers. So history repeats itself here as well.

The over 600 m² barn conceals, among other things, a room with over a thousand angels, the Elephant Room, an exhibition of Arabia china, and a small souvenir shop. For children, there is a playroom with a ball pit, and the old potato cellar has been renovated into a small chapel, which is open to travellers by prior arrangement.

Heinisuo boardwalk trail

Heinisuo, located in Renko, is a nationally significant, pristine wetland and forest area that, in addition to roe deer and moose, provides habitat for rare species such as the flying squirrel, Ural owl, and luminous moss. A three-kilometre boardwalk trail runs through Heinisuo as part of the Lynx Trail. You can reach Heinisuo by turning from Highway 10 onto Suvipielisentie; there is a Heinisuo sign at the junction.

On hot summer days, visitors can cool off at the public Pursunjärvi beach, next to which you will find the summer café of Nummi Village Hall during the summer.

For the hungry and thirsty

Travellers along the highway will be delighted by Grilli-Kahvila Pyyttämö, located right along Highway 10 in the magnificent lakeside scenery of Pyyttämö. Sweet tooths are served by the charming café-shop Pikku-Helmi, and a more substantial lunch is offered by café Härkä in Renko village.

Getting there

Renko is located along Highway 10, 125 kilometres from Turku and 90 km from Lahti. From Helsinki, the distance is 110 km, and from Hämeenlinna city centre only 15 kilometres.

You can reach Renko by bus from Hämeenlinna (approx. 20 min.), Turku (1 h 50 min.), and Lahti (1 h 45 min.).