Vörå

Vörå (Finnish: Vöyri) is a town and municipality in Ostrobothnia. It includes the former municipalities Maxmo (Maksamaa) and Oravais (Oravainen).

Understand

Inre fladan, Maxmo. This kind of small lakes, connected to the sea by a shallow channel, are common in Ostrobothnia, created by the post-glacial uplift.

The municipality includes a bridge-reachable archipelago north of Maxmo and the Mickelsörarna archipelago of the UNESCO World Heritage Kvarken Archipelago farther out to the north-west, by the open sea.

The municipality has a 13% Finnish-speaking minority.

Get in

A beach on Vitfågelskär

By car

Oravais and Maxmo are on E8 (Highway 8, locally Vasavägen) between Vaasa and Kokkola. Regional road 718 connects Kaitsor on E8 between these two to Vörå town, and continues south to Tervajoki. In the east-west direction, regional road 725 connects from Highway 8 (the straightest way in from Vaasa) to Vörå town, and continues to Ylihärmä. Vörå is 14 km from E8 by either of these roads.

By bus

There are buses from Vaasa to Vörå town and Maxmo. In addition buses on Highway 8 (some coming from as far as Oulu and Turku) stop in Oravais and along the highway which passes 3 km from Maxmo town.

By boat

A 3.6-m fairway leads from Vaasa to the Bothnian Bay between Mickelsörarna and the inner archipelago. Several lesser fairways and boating routes lead through Mickelsörarna and the inner archipelago and to fishing ports and marinas reachable by car.

By bike

EuroVelo EV10 around the Baltic Sea (signposted until Vaasa, under development farther north) leads from Vaasa north of Karperöfjärden, along a cycleway and a minor road by E8 from Kvevlax to Vassorfjärden. It seems the last 2 km of cycleway (from Kuni/Sundbacken) isn't built yet, so you may want to take Kunivägen and Kunileden through the woods to join the route in Södra Vassor, from where it leads along Larvvägen (road 725) and Mäkipäävägen to Vörå.

From Nykarleby in the north-east, the route leads to Ytterjeppo and continues along mostly yet-to-be-built cycleways by E8. There are some cycleways in Oravais. In Kaitsor, the route turns to Vörå. Until the cycleways have been built, you probably want to take alternative routes along smaller roads, such as from Ytterjeppo via Jeppo to Oravais, and from there via Kimo to Vörå centre.

Get around

There is no problems getting around by car, unless you are going to Mickelsörarna or some smaller islands. There is a road through the archipelago, between Maxmo and Kaitsor, and roads lead out to most parts of the inner archipelago.

Köklot's fishing harbour and marina both have ramps for trailerable boats. There are several boating routes around the archipelagos. The archipelago is stony, so you might want to keep to the boating routes, which are well marked (but mostly without lights).

See

View to the battlefield

• 1 Furirbostället (Fänrik Stål centre), Slagfältsvägen 130 (1.5 km south of Oravais along Slagfältsvägen), ☏ +358 50-343-2642, kenny.sundqvist@adelbragd.fi. Café and museum Jul (ca) W–Su 12:00–18:00 or by agreement. The Battle of Oravais was the bloodiest of the 1808–1809 war. Furirbostället has a museum on the time, with café. Guided tours of the battlefield and re-enactment shows are arranged for groups and at special occasions. Exhibitions €1, guiding €3/person, film €2/person. 
• 2 Vörå church. Black and white wooden church from 1626, a bit reminiscent of the two almost twin church towers in Tallinn. (updated Aug 2023)
• 3 Klemetsgårdarna, Kärklaxvägen 308 (Kärklax by E8, 3 km south-east of Maxmo), ☏ +358 6 345-0122, +358 40-189-6882, info@klemets.fi. Late Jun–mid Aug Tu–Su 11:00–19:00 M closed, other times by agreement. Local history museum. Summer café. The three farmhouses were built in the 18th century by three brothers in a style like that of Västerbotten, where the family had fled the war. The farms were closed down in the 1970s. 

Do

• 1 Mickelsörarna (3.0 m fairway, 2.4 m at the quay; tours available). 24 hr daily; café 27 Jun–11 Aug 12:00–19:00. Archipelago off Maxmo, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Kvarken Archipelago. It has a nature station on Kummelskär, run by volunteers of local associations on behalf of Solrutten and Metsähallitus. The station has an information hut, lodging in the former coast guard station (closed for renovation in 2022), a nature trail (stony, 1.5 km), sauna (self-service, booked on-site) etc. Café in season. The island is not accessible by wheelchair, but the archipelago can be toured by suitable boats. The café is payable by debit/credit cards only, mooring and sauna also by Mobile Pay. Free; overnight mooring €10; sauna €20/company. 

Eat

• 1 Kaffikåppin, Vöråvägen 5. More than just a café (if you know dialectal Swedish), this place also has pizza and kebab on the menu. (updated Aug 2023)

Drink

• 1 Fjärdens kaffestuga, Vasavägen 119 (by E8, 1 km south-west from Oravais centre). By the shore of Fjärdsändan, this café is at the only point on E8 where the sea can be seen. The area to the west of the café is an important rest spot for migrating birds. A "stone park" shows different types of rock. Cottages, playground and beach. 

Sleep

• 1 Lillstugans Gästhem, Vöråvägen 899, ☏ +358 40 1971 629. Bed and breakfast. (updated Aug 2023)