Villas in Pohjanmaa

Ähtäri suits lakeside cottage holidays, Lappajärvi has a meteorite crater lake, and Vaasa gives you the Kvarken archipelago on the coast. Ostrobothnia (Pohjanmaa) is flat farmland and forest in western Finland, with lakes inland and Swedish-speaking villages along the sea. It is a long way from Helsinki, so plan on driving or a connecting flight.

Where

Villas: 45
From, per week: £395
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: Helsinki, around three hours from London, has the most flights, but it is three and a half to five hours by car to most cottages. Vaasa and Kokkola-Pietarsaari airports have connecting flights from Helsinki. Tampere is the closest larger airport to Ähtäri. A ferry runs from Umeå in Sweden to Vaasa.

Where to stay in Pohjanmaa

Ähtäri and Soini (lake country)

Ähtäri has the most of our cottages in the region, on the wooded, lake-dotted high ground where Ostrobothnia meets central Finland. Ähtäri Zoo, which closed after its operator went bankrupt, reopened under new owners in 2026 for a summer-only season. The town is spread around Lake Ähtärinjärvi. Soini, to the north, is quieter and more remote. Tampere is around two hours away by car, Helsinki about three and a half.

Best for: Classic Finnish lake cottages with a sauna and a rowing boat

Not for you if: You want the sea: the coast is around two hours west.

Lappajärvi, Alajärvi and Evijärvi (the crater lakes)

Lake Lappajärvi fills a meteorite impact crater around 78 million years old, now a UNESCO Global Geopark, with the island of Kärnäsaari at its centre. Alajärvi, at the southern end, has several buildings by Alvar Aalto. Evijärvi, to the north, is a lake village with farmland down to the shore. Seinäjoki, the nearest city and rail hub, is around an hour from Lappajärvi.

Best for: Big-lake swimming, fishing and a bit of geology

Not for you if: You want towns with plenty of restaurants: Alajärvi is small and the rest are villages.

Kuortane and Alavus

Kuortane lies along Lake Kuortaneenjärvi, with a well-known sports institute on its shore, and is the birthplace of Alvar Aalto. Alavus is a small town to the south with its own lakes and a summer beach. Both are around half an hour to 45 minutes from Seinäjoki, which has trains to Helsinki and Tampere and shops for a big weekly stock-up. Ähtäri is around half an hour east of Alavus.

Best for: Lakeside cottages within easy reach of Seinäjoki

Not for you if: You want wilderness: this is farmed, settled country with roads along the lakes.

Kaustinen, Halsua, Lestijärvi and Kruunupyy (Central Ostrobothnia)

Kaustinen is home to Finland's biggest folk music festival, held each July, when the village fills up. Halsua and Lestijärvi are remote forest villages, Lestijärvi on a large, shallow lake. Kruunupyy (Kronoby) is a Swedish-speaking parish nearer the coast, and Kokkola-Pietarsaari airport is in the municipality, with flights from Helsinki. Kokkola, the nearest town, has a wooden old quarter by the sea.

Best for: Folk music fans and anglers who want space

Not for you if: You need a town nearby: services are thin outside Kokkola.

Vaasa, Iskmo, Vöyri-Maksamaa and Laihia (the Kvarken coast)

Vaasa is a bilingual university city with an airport and a harbour for ferries to Umeå in Sweden. North of it lies the Kvarken archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the land is still rising after the last ice age, reached over the bridge to Replot. Iskmo and Maksamaa are coastal villages north of Vaasa, close to the islands, and Laihia is farming country inland, about 20 minutes away.

Best for: Archipelago days, sea kayaking and a city on hand

Not for you if: You want sandy beaches: the shore here is rock, reeds and low islands.

Närpiö, Korsnäs and Isojoki (the south-west)

Närpiö (Närpes) is a Swedish-speaking farming town known for its greenhouses and the old church stables around its church. Korsnäs has a rocky coastline and small fishing harbours. Isojoki is inland, beside Lauhanvuori National Park, a forested hill with boulder fields and marked trails. The wooden town of Kristinestad is around half an hour from all three, and Vaasa airport about an hour or more.

Best for: Quiet coast, Swedish-speaking villages and forest walking

Not for you if: You want a choice of cottages: there are only a few here.

When to go to Pohjanmaa

June to August is the main season. Days are very long around Midsummer (Juhannus, in late June), the lakes warm up for swimming by July, and summer events such as the Kaustinen festival run. Finnish holidays fill July, while August is quieter. Mosquitoes can be bad in June and July. September has autumn colour and berry picking, but many summer cafes and the zoo close. Winters are cold and dark, with snow and frozen lakes most years, and few cottages are set up for it.