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Medieval stone churches
The most beautiful medieval stone churches are found in Hämeenlinna!
Medieval stone churches and domestic pilgrimage routes are trendy travel destinations. Did you know that the world-famous pilgrimage route Santiago de Compostela reaches all the way to Renko in Hämeenlinna?
There are many reasons to visit these churches: some seek an experience of spirituality and tranquility as a counterweight to exhausting daily life, while others wish to explore Finland through culturally and historically significant sites and local stories. Lovers of aesthetics and art are also inspired by church tours: the churches are architecturally beautiful buildings that also house a vast amount of fine art from centuries ago.
At its simplest, a trip to a church is a break from the everyday: many of us crave time during our holidays to slow down, find peace, and reflect on life and its meaning. What better place for this than a medieval church, where within its stone walls there is finally time to listen to one’s own thoughts – or let them fall silent for a moment.
Medieval Church Tour in Hämeenlinna
St. John’s Church, Hauho
Dedicated to John the Baptist during the Catholic era, St. John’s Church and its surroundings are a magnificent tourist attraction located right along the old village road of Hauho, near the shores of Lake Hauhonselkä. The medieval, shingle-roofed grey stone church was likely built in the early 16th century, while the brick sacristy dates from 1784.
Special feature! The mummified body of former vicar Johan Norhmarck rests beneath the floor of Hauho Church. Nohrmarck served as the vicar of Hauho from 1769 to 1778. The mummy located under the altar choir is no longer displayed to the public, but a viewing hatch has been left in the floor.
Lammi Stone Church, Lammi
In the center of the village of Lammi, within a nationally significant cultural environment, stands the medieval grey stone church of Lammi, estimated to have been completed in the 1510s. The church is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, a learned martyr maiden who died in 307.
Special feature! Lammi Stone Church burned down during the Civil War in 1918 when German forces set fire to a Red Guard ammunition depot located in the bell tower. Only the bare stone walls remained standing, and the reconstruction was completed in 1920. However, the interior of the current church still retains a touch of the Middle Ages.
St. James’s Church, Renko
Located along the Rengonraitti road, literally in the center of the village, is St. James’s Church of Renko, built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Renko is mentioned as a chapel of Vanaja in 1440, so it is believed that a church existed on the site well before this mention. A votive chapel dedicated to St. James was erected near a pagan sacrificial spring in the early Middle Ages; its location along the Hämeen Härkätie (Oxen Road) made it a suitable resting place for pilgrims.
Special feature! Renko Church is a rarity among Finland’s medieval churches due to its octagonal floor plan. Renko Church is also the northernmost starting point of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route that traverses Europe.
Tuulos Stone Church, Tuulos
The church dedicated to St. Bridget in Tuulos is one of the smallest medieval grey stone churches in the country. It was originally likely built as a manor church for the Sairiala estate. According to documents, construction of the church began in 1478 by the order of the manor’s owner at the time, Knut Posse. The church is estimated to have been completed by 1520 at the latest.
Special feature! Feel a breeze from the past and stop for a moment before the wooden sculpture of St. Bridget, which dates back to the 15th century.
Vanaja Church
Dating from the 15th century, the Vanaja grey stone church is located in a prehistoric area in Hämeenlinna. Near the church are the Mantere hillfort, Iron Age cemeteries, and sacrificial stones. Vanaja Church is one of the smallest medieval churches in Finland. Large cornerstones and beautiful brick-built gables give the church a distinctive appearance.
Special feature! The church’s rarities include an external pulpit on the west gable, from which sermons were preached during the summer to the crowds gathered on the church hill.
On a Pilgrimage to Hämeenlinna
Pilgrimage is an ancient way of making an inner journey. In a pilgrimage, the essential element is not the distance or duration, but the journey and the destination. Anyone can embark on a pilgrimage regardless of age, gender, nationality, or religion – the significance and goals of the journey are personal to everyone. It may also be that an unnamed longing only finds its focus during the trek.
Rest and rejuvenation in nature, providing space for one’s own spirituality through walking, and experiencing something new is also possible in Hämeenlinna.
A pilgrimage is more than just any hike, but on the other hand, any hike can be turned into a pilgrimage.
Kalle Elonheimo, Doctor of Theology and Pilgrimage Chaplain
Pilgrimage Route: Hämeen Härkätie
Hämeen Härkätie is the most distant tail in the northeast of the roads leading to Santiago de Compostela, and Renko Church is its northernmost starting point. There is no certain information regarding the age of Hämeen Härkätie, but it is believed to have been in use as early as the Viking Age and developed into a continuous road during the early Middle Ages. It formed an important pilgrimage path between Turku and Hattula and was also a central connecting route between the castles of Turku and Häme.
Pilgrimage Route: Jaakontie
The Jaakontie route follows the Hämeen Härkätie from Renko to Turku, from where it continues via Rymättylä toward Santiago. The association Jaakontien ystävät ry maintains the Jaakontie route in Finland and also organizes pilgrimages with local partners. Additionally, it issues pilgrim passports for those going to Santiago and organizes blessings for pilgrims in the spring, intended for all travelers.
Note! A Nomadi mobile app and online guidance are available for the Jaakontie route from Renko via Turku to Rymättylä.
Pilgrimage routes of the Hämeenlinna-Vanaja Parish
The Hämeenlinna-Vanaja Parish is opening new pilgrimage routes that can be completed independently at the most convenient time using the Google Maps mobile app. Read more about pilgrimages on the Hämeenlinna-Vanaja Parish website.
