Plassi Harbor
Kalajoki has a long tradition of sailing and boat building.
Big sailing boats and ships were built in Kalajoki during the 1500-1600s, but the busiest boat building period dates to the 1700s.
Already in the 1500s Kalajoki had a harbor where foreign ships were taxed. The Plassi harbor was still accessible to large vessels in the 1600s.
The local people have also sailed abroad on business trips themselves, and some served as sailors on foreign vessels.
Up until the 1870s the vessels in Kalajoki were sailboats. The first operating steamboat, Oulu, came from Oulu in 1877. The last ship that visited the Plassi harbor was Kaiku from Vaasa, in 1937.
In 1874 some local farmer-shopkeepers decided to build their own boat – father of the idea being Antti Santaholma. The idea resulted in a sailboat Kalaja, which sailed the seven seas for ten years before it sank near New Foundland after another ship crashed into it.
Probably the most well known locally built ship was Ansio, made by a master boat builder Anders Gustav Östman (1818-1900) and his sons Gustav, Frans and Victor.
A copy of Ansio is still sailing in Kalajoki making day-time cruises to the archipelago of Maakalla and Ulkokalla.
Book a seat from Ansio and sail to the unique islands of Maakalla and Ulkokalla:
- https://kaljaasiansio.fi/
- The sailing season lasts from May until August.
- The cruises leave from the Rahja harbor, at the address of Konikarvontie 22.
Image descriptions:
- 1: Plassi Harbor in the 1930s.
- 3: Making of Aallotar by Ville Bäck.
- 4: Sailboat Kalaja. The painting is hung in Havula museum.
- 5: The master boat builder Anders Gustav Östman.
Kalajoen kotiseutuyhdistys
- 2: Plassi Harbor, summer 2025 (Lotta Puurula)
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).