300 m
Kilpinen House
Kalajoki
(Remember to respect private property!)
This yellow house is one the oldest surrounding the Market Square and it belonged to a famous carpenter master Efraim Kilpinen (1862-1951) and his son Oskari Kilpinen (1895-1980).
They are known for their production of the kantele –instrument, which is the national instrument of Finland and a big part of Finnish cultural heritage. The road behind the house is named Kannelkuja (“kantele ally”).
Efraim and Oskari lived and worked in their home, making over 4000 individual kanteles over the span of their career. The instruments were mainly manufactured to Fazer Music Store, but they were also sold overseas to America and Canada, as well as to other Nordic countries and Germany.
Both Efraim and Oskari have received high prizes for their contributions to keeping the tradition of building kanteles alive.
According to Efraim himself, he got enchanted as a young man when he heard kantele being played by a blind musician called Akilles Åckerström in Oulu.
However, the idea of starting to manufacture kanteles came from a famous folk singer and actor Pasi Jääskeläinen, who noticed Efraim’s carpenter skills when he was teaching carpentry in Haapavesi. Pasi asked if Efraim could build him two kanteles, a white one and a dark one. Once they were finished, Pasi took the instruments with him to play on his American tour.
Before Efraim got into building kanteles, he was well known for his skills on making skis. Amongst his regular carpentry work, Efraim also had time to build guitars, violins and mandolins.
You can read more about Efraim Kilpinen from old newspaper articles (in Finnish):
- https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/aikakausi/binding/897509?page=6 “Kahden tuhannen kanteleen tekijä”. Suomen Kuvalehti, 29.7.1933. Kaijanen, Pauli.
- ++https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/aikakausi/binding/751665?page=17++ “Kanteleita karttuu Kalajoelta: kantelemestari KILPINEN kertoo kanteleista – ja vähän muustakin”. Seura, 17.6.1936.
- A collection of newspaper articles and photographs from Sirkka Kilpinen: [++https://plassi.fi/historia\_6.htm++](Kokoelma lehtileikkeitä ja kuvia Sirkka Kilpisen arkistosta: https://plassi.fi/historia_6.htm)
Image description:
- 1: Kilpinen's House, summer 2025. (Lotta Puurula)
- 2: Efraim Kilpinen in his workshop. (Kalajoen kotiseutuyhdistys)
Address
Kannelkuja 1
Tales from Plassi
Welcome to Plassi – the old town of Kalajoki!
This cultural route spans between the Jokela Vicarage and the Havula museum, leaving a trail of unique and fascinating sightseeing spots on the way.
Learn about the history and the cultural significance of the Plassi area!
In short:
The name “Plassi” derives from a swedish word “marknadsplats”, meaning a marketplace.
Plassi has a long history of being the local center for trading, marketing, sailing, handicrafts and saw industry.
The old village structure in Plassi is well preserved and the area is mostly covered in wooden houses from the 1700-1900s.
Guided walking tours are organized around the Plassi area and at the Havula museum by Kalajoen Matkailuoppaat ry (Kalajoki Travel Guides).
- Book a guided tour: 040 5571325
Additional info:
- The route is app. 2 km long
- You can experience the route by walking, bicycling, driving or entirely remotely in digital form
- There is a sidewalk for pedestrians almost reaching the end of the route, but the last 300 meters you have to walk on the side of the road
- Some of the buildings on the route are privately owned and inhabited - please, remember to respect private properties!
This route is designed in collaboration with Kalajoki Culture Services, and Sari Alajoki, the expert in built heritage.
The old black and white photographs are from Kalajoen Kotiseutuyhdistys (Kalajoki Local Association).
Image description:
- 2: Map of Plassi from 1869 (by C.G.W. Laudelin).
Places in this collection
