Karis

In Karis you fall in love with the rich nature, the architecture and the verdure nature trails. Here is plenty to do for both adults, youngsters and kids.

Karis is known as a traffic center because most of the people who visit Raseborg arrive first in Karis. The transportation connections from Karis to the rest of the villages in Raseborg are good. Karis is the second biggest suburb in Raseborg, approximately one hour’s travel away from both Helsinki and Turku.

History and sights

The lush and wonderful park Pumpviken is one of the most important sights in Karis. In the middle of the lake in Pumpviken you’ll find a small island, which is a perfect place to have a picnic. The locals are very proud of their church, St. Cathrine’s Chruch, that descends from the Middle Ages. The church was built in 1470 and is situated in Prästgården next to the lake Kyrkån. Here you can get to know the history of the area back from the Middle Ages. Eurydike is a nostalgic sculpture to many of the Karis citizens. The sculpture is located in front of the old town hall and during the spring 2018 local entrepreneurs and volunteers of Karis repaired and restored it. The Läppträsket nature and culture path is a great place for those interested in birds and history. The lake Läppträsket is known as a resting spot for migrating birds, and hikers can also explore the Iron Age remains along the path.

The stylish functionalist houses planned by architect Ekelund also belong to the tourist attractions. It’s possible to get to know more about the town’s architecture by booking a guided tour. On the other hand, the castle ruins of Junkarsborg and Grabbacka as well as the prehistorical graves in Läppträsket tell us about the older settlements back from the Iron Age. 

Culture

Kulturhuset Fokus is a new cultural center in the heart of Karis. Here you find the library, music institute, café, gallery, theater and inspiration. The Fokus is the towns new living room and a gathering place for surprising meetings.

The retro style cinema Bio Pallas offers unique movie experiences in their old, traditional theater. Karis also offers some annually arranged events, for example Karis Night and Faces Festival. In addition to these events, Karis also offers a rich food culture.

Activites

The adrenaline hunters also find a nice supply of activities in Karis. For children the greatest sights are the Skate park or Parkour park in the summer, and during winter the best activities are found in the ice rink. You can swim in the lake Svedjaträsket or try disc golfing anywhere near the Pumpviken park. Or how does kayaking in the Svartån river sound like? Just outside the city you can ride Icelandic horses at the horse stable Solfari stable.