Piikkiö

Piikkiö (Swedish: Pikis) is a town in Finland Proper, nowadays part of Kaarina.

Understand

The town centre of Piikkiö

Get in

Piikkiö is 15 km east from Turku, 8 km east of Kaarina centre, on highways 1 and 110 (and the historic King's Road) between Turku and Helsinki. E18 runs along Turku bypass from Naantali, joining highway 1 north of Piikkiö centre. Road 110 (Helsingintie) and the King's Road go through Piikkiö centre; the bypass ends at the former 1 km east of the centre.

Kaarina, and thus Piikkiö, is part of the regional Föli cooperation, so you get in from Turku by local bus tickets (€4/2 or €3/1.5 depending on payment method; 2 hr free transfers), on lines 700–708 and 720–723 (most continuing to Paimio, the latter also to Sauvo and Kimitoön). The express coaches from Helsinki drive through without stopping, but you can transfer in Salo, Paimio, Kaarina or Turku.

The train station is not in use by passenger trains. Regional trains from Turku have been discussed since the 1990s, but are still in the blue as of 2023.

The Eurovelo Baltic Sea route E10 passes through Piikkiö. The leg from Turku is along cycleways by road 110.

Pikkiö has a shore to the Archipelago Sea, reachable from the south via Paimionselkä (between Pargas and Sauvo) either under the low bridge to Harvaluoto or south of Harvaluoto (no bridge), or from the west by Kuusistonsalmi with a low bridge or by Rävsundet with a high bridge. The latter bridges are being replaced in 2023–2025 and the Rävsundet fairway is closed until April 2025. The shore of Toivonlinna, that east of it and the east and south shore of Harvaluoto are accessible directly from Paimionselkä. The last legs to Piikkiö are by boating routes (1.5 m?).

Get around

The above mentioned regional buses are useful also for getting around, as are the local lines K4, K5 and K6 (in the timetables: "M–P"=M–F; keskusta=centre; T=by request).

Some buses drive to or via Hepojoki in the north, some to Toivonlinna in the south. Harvaluoto is an island in the south-west. Toivonlinna is home to an Adventist boarding school (primary and secondary, up to the baccalaureate). All buses pass through the centre.

A call taxi (shared taxi by bus fare) is available M–F 10:00–12:00, M F 09:00–12:00; call ☏ +358 50-501-3403 to request a ride. Rules on what rides you can request are unclear, just ask. The primary intent is to provide access to people whose homes are not well served by the buses.

See

Piikkiö Church

• 1 Avaruuspuisto Väisälä (Tuorla Planetarium), Väisäläntie 20, ☏ +358 45-317-9994, tuorla.planetarium@gmail.com. 
• 2 Piikkiön kirkko (Piikkiö Church), Hadvalantie 5.  

Do

Tuorla observatory tower

• 1 Tuorla observatory and planetarium. Skywatching. For a walk through the ages, see also the Time Trek in Go next. 

Eat

• 1 Istanbul, Hadvalantie 8, ☏ +358 2 472 6504, ademalgarib77@gmail.com. Kebab pizzeria. 
• 2 Tuorlan majatalo, Tuprlantie 1E (Tuorla manor, halfway to Kaarina by road 110; adequate bus connections from Turku and the centre: most of the 7xx lines; good cycleway), ☏ +358 50-303-9803, myynti@tuorlanmajatalo.fi. M–Sa 08:00–16:00, lunch M–F 10:30–14:30 Sa 11:30–15:00. A former mansion, now called an inn (lodging may be available) but mostly a lunch restaurant and café (takeaway available), with more elaborate lunches on holidays (such as on Mothers' Day and around Christmas; special prices, book in time). Shop with flours, jams etc. and some cosmetics and handicraft, all mostly by local producers. Weddings, awaydays etc. Most of the area is part of a farming and gardening school, also the Tuorla observatory is at the site. M–F €13.50, soup lunch €10, children (4–12) €6.80, Sa €17. (updated Oct 2024)

Drink

• Pukkila (former?) Manor Museum

Sleep

• 1 Kavalto Farm (Kavaltontila), Kavaltontie 11, ☏ +358 2 475-0000, kavalton@kavaltontila.com. An alternative to the city hotels, Kavalto Farm offers bed and breakfast in Finnish countryside. 

Go next

• Time Trek (Aikavaellus). A walk through the ages to Turku – 13,8 billion years in 13,8 km. The walk (or bike route) leads from the Big Bang near the Tuorla observatory to our time at the University of Turku, with major events signposted. The signs are in Finnish only, but the web site (QR coded) is bilingual with English, with descriptions of the events. The route mostly follows wide gravel paths accessible by bike and wheelchair; the last 300 m or so have stairs, mostly avoidable by detours. 

Routes through Piikkiö

Turku ← Kaarina ←	W  E	→ Paimio → Helsinki
Turku ← Turku countryside (Lieto) ←	W  E	→ Paimio → Helsinki