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Sommarö Nature Trail

—•Hiking Trails

5.4 km

Route

P 1

Description

Luontoon.fi – Sommarö Nature Trail+

Description

Sommarö is a marked hiking area on the south side of Replot (Raippaluoto) in Mustasaari, inside the Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Metsähallitus manages the trail network; for access notes and the official trail description, open the Sommarö nature trail page on Luontoon.fi. The City of Mustasaari lists the main loop length and on-site services in Finnish, and Visit Finland summarises the shorter loops and the longer shore connection for international visitors. On our map this hiking line is about 5.4 km and runs point-to-point from the Sommarösund shore cluster toward the Sommarö fortress end, rather than a short circuit only. If you begin near Sommarösund you pass Södra Vallgrund Beach, Sommarösund Sauna, and Sommarö Motorhome Camping before the path works inland. About 4 km in you reach Sommarön parkkipaikka, the natural hub for the Sommarön luontopolku, Hålören loop: dry toilets sit near Sommarön kuivakäymälä stops, Sommarö pihasauna and Sommarön vartiotupa (vuokratupa) neighbour the parking, and Sommarön Laavu offers a wind shelter and campfire spot a few minutes farther on. The route finishes near Sommarö, laituri and Sommarö Laavu at the pier end—handy if you link a walk with a boat or combine with Kayaking to Sommarö Laavu on our map. Along the way you move between coastal rocks and pockets of spruce, past former fortress roads and clearings. Korsholm’s Swedish outdoor pages describe 1.5 km and 2.4 km circular options plus a 7 km one-way variant marked with orange blazes, and point travellers to Metsähallitus Kvarken trail information for wider context. Retkipaikka publishes Luontopolkumies’ walk report with practical colour: a spacious Sommaröntie parking area with boards explaining how the fortress protected Vaasa’s sea approach from 1940 until Defence Forces activity ended around 2000, orange square markers (blue toward Sommarösund on the spur), a sandy beach with picnic tables, a second fireplace near Hålören, and interpretation about land uplift turning former sea lagoons into mires and ponds—exactly the story UNESCO cites for the archipelago. You might spot sea eagles along the shore; keep a respectful distance and follow campfire instructions on site. Sommarön luontopolku, Hålören on our map is the shorter-signed nature loop that shares the parking and many of the same shelters—worth tacking on if you want extra views without committing to the full crossing.

Length & route

The trail on our map is about 5.4 km point-to-point from the Sommarösund side toward Sommarö. Official signage and municipal listings also describe shorter circular options of about 1.5 km or 2.4 km around the fortress and shoreline, and a longer about 7 km one-way shore connection marked with orange blazes. Retkipaikka timed a roughly 3.2 km loop variant at about an hour and a quarter, which fits the easy–moderate character on wide dry tread. Combine legs if you want both the fortress loop scenery and the crossing toward the pier.

Getting there

Korsholm’s outdoor pages aim drivers at the guardhouse parking on Sommarövägen with a mapped link and note Metsähallitus as maintainer. Retkipaikka describes a spacious Sommaröntie car park with trail boards; public transport reaches Replot from Vaasa, with the nearest stop to the south shore several kilometres away, so many visitors bike or walk the last stretch. Our route starts near 63.1709 N, 21.2751 E beside Sommarösund services; Sommarön parkkipaikka sits near 63.1639 N, 21.3031 E if you prefer to join at the fortress parking. Visit Finland routes visitor questions through Visit Vaasa.

Good to know

Visit Finland suggests the trail for visits from April through October. Stay on marked paths around heritage structures, practise Leave No Trace at campfire sites, and check Luontoon.fi or the municipality for any temporary closures before you travel. Sea conditions matter if you finish at Sommarö, laituri.

History

From 1940 to 2000 the Finnish Defence Forces used Sommarö as an ammunition depot and coastal artillery fortress guarding Vaasa’s sea approaches. Foundations of demolished buildings, gun emplacements, ammunition niches, a pier, and a memorial to the coastal artillery unit remain; one residential building plus the guardhouse complex survived when the area transferred to Metsähallitus management.

Managed by

Mustasaari

Official Maintenance

GPX data from: © Metsähallitus, 2024

Trail info

Our line runs from the Sommarösund shore services toward Sommarö harbour facilities; shorter signed loops near the parking can be walked clockwise or counter-clockwise as you prefer.

Route direction

Recreation Area

Archipelago

UNESCO

Area

Orange painted trail markers on the main network; Retkipaikka notes blue markers on the spur toward Sommarösund.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Retkipaikka – Luontopolkumies: Sommarön luontopolku+

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

5.4 km

Distance

about 1.5–3 hours depending on loops, photography, and whether you walk the full 5.4 km crossing

Est. Time

Soil

Surface

Point-to-Point, Wide Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Location

63.16394°N, 21.30308°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

OstrobothniaRegion

MustasaariCity

Södra VallgrundVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Mustasaari, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.

Finland Ostrobothnia Mustasaari Hiking TrailsSommarö Nature Trail

Photo: Sommarön Hiking Trail Södra Vallgrund, Raippaluoto, 2026

Sommarö Nature Trail5.4 km

Route

P 1

Parking 1

0.0 km|Free

Södra vallgrund beach volleykenttä

0.0 km|Free

Volleyball CourtsN63 10.246 E021 16.493

Sommarösund

0.0 km|€3

Södra Vallgrund Beach

0.0 km|Free

BeachesThere are is a pier, changing rooms, beach volleyball court and a WC. Connected to this place is a sauna (see other listing) an outdoor grill and very close by a RV camping spot.

Sommarösund Sauna

0.0 km|€3

Sommarö Motorhome Camping

0.1 km|Free

Description

Luontoon.fi – Sommarö Nature Trail+

Description

Length & route

Getting there

Good to know

History

Managed by

Mustasaari

Official Maintenance

Trail info

Location

Our line runs from the Sommarösund shore services toward Sommarö harbour facilities; shorter signed loops near the parking can be walked clockwise or counter-clockwise as you prefer.

Route direction

Recreation Area

Archipelago

UNESCO

Area

Orange painted trail markers on the main network; Retkipaikka notes blue markers on the spur toward Sommarösund.

Route Signs

Open / Good Condition

Retkipaikka – Luontopolkumies: Sommarön luontopolku+

Location

63.16394°N, 21.30308°E

Parking coordinates

FinlandCountry

OstrobothniaRegion

MustasaariCity

Södra VallgrundVillage

Hiking TrailsCategory

Activities allowed

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

5.4 km

Distance

about 1.5–3 hours depending on loops, photography, and whether you walk the full 5.4 km crossing

Est. Time

Soil

Surface

Point-to-Point, Wide Track

Route Type

Light Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

Rate & Review

Be the first to write a review for "Sommarö Nature Trail"

Share a photo from a recent trip

Answers to your questions

Finland Ostrobothnia Mustasaari Hiking TrailsSommarö Nature Trail