The Pauhalla statue, located in Pyhäjoki, serves as a reminder of a time when fishing was an important livelihood in the Raahe region. Herring, in particular, has been fished from the waters of the area. The plump spawning herring was called pauhakala. It was caught during the pauhapyynti season using pauhapaatti boats. Pauha refers to a herring shoal where waves roar during a storm. The word has remained in use in the Raahe region to this day.

Artist, sculptor Prof. Kari Juva sculpted the bronze Pauhalla statue in 1987. The front of the statue bears the inscription: "God grants great catches to the sons of Pyhäjoki", while the back reads: "To the work of past generations."

The old fishing banks of Pyhäjoki tell a story of the fishing traditions of the past centuries. Boats were set to the sea, nets were dried, and the boats were tarred in the fishing banks. There are dozens of protected boat and net houses and fish sheds on the three fishing banks of Pyhäjoki.

Kaukonranta fishing bank at the mouth of River Pyhäjoki, Kaukontie
Jokipuoji fishing bank along the southern fork of River, Jokipuojintie
The old fish harbour of Parhalahti along River Liminkaoja, Kalarannantie, Parhalahti

In the historical vicarage of Pyhäjoki, situated between the town of Raahe and beach resort Kalajoki, Cultural Center Wild Goose offers unique accommodation in private rooms, suitable for 1-3 people. According to the seasons, we have 2 to 4 rooms available, with shared toilets and showers, and guests can also use common kitchen with complete utilities. Sauna can be reserved separately. We can also arrange rental of kayaks, bikes and other hiking equipments. For children, we have summer tent with Mother Goose and her friends, and for film enthusiasts, we can arrange screenings of Finnish short films and documentaries.

The traditional Pyhäjoki Local Heritage Week is full of things to see and experience at various locations.

MONDAY 1.7.
6 PM: Movie screening at the library: Herman Wiirretjärvi's Pyhäjoki film

TUESDAY 2.7.
12 PM: Summer day celebration by the Pensioners' Association at Annala Museum
5 PM – 7 PM: Tuesday Market at Pauha Square in front of the town hall. Seelarit and Silja will lead a sing-along starting at 5:30 PM. Register as a vendor at info@pyhajoki.fi.

WEDNESDAY 3.7.
4 PM – 8 PM: Discarded book sale at the library
6 PM: Singing evening at Pirttikoski at Kuusiniemi Bridge

THURSDAY 4.7.
6 PM: Summer evening gathering at Liminkakylä village hall. Seelarit and Silja will sing and lead a sing-along.

FRIDAY 5.7.
3 PM – 6 PM: Pop by the yard! A map of the visitable locations will be published at pyhajoki.fi/culture

SATURDAY 6.7.
11 AM – 3 PM: Local heritage market at Pauha Square in front of the town hall.
12 PM – 3 PM: Pop by the yard! A map of the visitable locations will be published at pyhajoki.fi/culture
3 PM – 4:30 PM: California Tour, starting from the parking lot of Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall, Vanhatie 2.

SUNDAY 7.7.
10 AM: Service at the church. Includes those who were confirmed 50 years ago.
11:30 AM – 1 PM: Meal at the parish hall
1 PM: Local heritage celebration and the unveiling of Pauha-Matti or Pauha-Maija at Annala Museum. Coffee will be served afterwards.
2 PM – 4 PM: Pyhäjoki vehicle enthusiasts gather at the S-Market parking lot. Come admire the old vehicles!

Welcome to celebrate village day in Parhalahti school yard on Sunday 9.6. from 12:00 to 15:00.

MAGICIAN ROOPE'S MAGIC SHOW This year, the Village Day is literally magical, as magician Roope Ylitalo will be performing.

The family-friendly magic show reportedly features floating tables, disappearing objects, and shape-shifting items – astonishing feel-good magic.

In addition to his magic tricks, Roope has promised to make balloon animals for the children at the Village Day.

LEPPÄKEIHÄS CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 The Leppäkeihäs throwing championship is once again up for grabs. The contest is lighthearted with a touch of humor and unofficially playful – though taken seriously as the championship is at stake.

There are categories for men, women, and those under 14 years old. Winners in the men's and women's categories will receive an axe as a prize, undoubtedly giving them an advantage in future years' Leppäkeihäs qualifiers. To enter the competition, sign up on site on Sunday.

AND MUCH MORE! Pony rides Vintage vehicles Obstacle course for children Tapani Lisko's exhibition of vintage photographs Best of the Year 2024 Village stick throwing contest

At the sales market, there will be summer flowers, licorice by the meter, ice cream, Scouts' raffle tickets, hair care products, Oriflame products, pea soup by the Martha's, and treats from the village association's café.

This year's event will be hosted by familiar voices from Radio Mega, Radio City, Iskelmä, and Radio Pooki, including Mika Kuki.

Parlahahti is a lively and cozy village in North Ostrobothnia in Pyhäjoki, on the shores of Bothnian Bay.

Road number 8 crosses the village. The center of Pyhäjoki is a few minutes away by car - even by bike it takes just 15 minutes. The nearest town Raahe can be reached by car in 20 minutes and the southern neighboring municipality Kalajoki in less than half an hour away.

There are over 350 inhabitants in Parhalahti, around 160 households.

The "Tuesday Market" is a meeting place for local residents, summer visitors, and tourists. Welcome to join this relaxed, feel-good event.

The yard of the Pyhäjoki municipal hall transforms into a market every Tuesday during the summer. The Tuesday markets start at 5:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM. The first Tuesday market will be held on May 21st, and the last on August 27th.

The municipality sets up 6 sales stalls and 4 tents in the market, and the market is free for both sellers and visitors. Sellers can also bring their own furniture to designated spots. Besides the municipality, organizations and associations participate in the event, bringing their own themes.

Tuesday markets are held every Tuesday evening. Markets may also be canceled if interest among sellers and presenters is low on some days. Pyhäjoki municipality will announce in advance the confirmation and program of the Tuesday market on their website at www.pyhajoki.fi.

Reservations for sales spots and registrations can be made at info@pyhajoki.fi or by calling 040 359 6000.

Built in 1837, the Eteläkylän Isosilta bridge in Pyhäjoki is the oldest wooden strut-frame bridge still in use in Finland and a national road museum site.

The four-arch double-strut bridge stands on wedged stone supports and is 77.5 metres long and 5.8 metres wide. The bridge has been maintained and repaired multiple times but, according to a study conducted in 1987, the load-bearing structures of the bridge still held some of the original timber. The local Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment initiated a full renovation of the bridge in 2018. The renovations will be conducted with due consideration to the old structural models and work methods, and the Finnish Heritage Agency has provided instructions for the work. In fact, a pleasant smell of tar wafts in the area surrounding the bridge.

Since the deck of the bridge is made of wood, it has been slippery when wet. It is said that a lorry carrying people on their way to a dance once veered off the bridge as a result. Apparently no one was hurt, however, as everyone managed to hop off the lorry bed in time. According to another story, some prison escapees burst through railing during a chase.

The church of the Pyhäjoki parish was designed by Karvala & Silvennoinen and completed in 1977 after the previous one designed by Carl Ludvig Engel was destroyed in a fire in 1974. The church is the third built in Pyhäjoki: The first church was built already in the 16th century. The candle chandeliers and the baptismal font dating back to that time decorate the present church of Pyhäjoki. Built in 1736 within the first church, the bell tower designed by Simon Knup still serves the parishioners. The second church of Pyhäjoki was a large 1200-seat empirical cruciform church drawn by C.L. Engel, and it was completed in 1844. The fire that broke out of a lightning destroyed this magnificent building in the midsummer night of 1974.

The designer used the following words of a psalm as the starting point: “Lift up your hearts to the Lord.” The church combines a modern exterior appearance to an interior that exudes sanctity and harmony. The central positioning of the items salvaged from the burnt church creates a striking link between the old and the new. The wall of the church hall is adorned by sculptor Kari Juva’s brick relief ‘Ten Virgins’. The evocative piece also serves as a statement of faith and an acoustic element.

The atmospheric museum area of Annala includes 22 buildings with nearly 8,000 objects. The most important function of the Annala museum is to describe rural life before the era of tractors. The museum is open in the summer, when changing exhibitions, concerts, summer theatre performances and other events are also organised in the area.

The museum is open for visitors during summer. Groups can reserve a tour outside of the opening times as well.

The traditional Christmas at Annala opens the holiday season in Pyhäjoki. The event features vendors, music, rice porridge, a glögi café, festive lights, old-fashioned Christmas spirit, and of course, Santa Claus! For the little ones, there’s also an elf-themed activity trail and horse-drawn carriage rides.

The event takes place in the courtyard of the Annala local heritage museum. The charming Annala museum area has 22 buildings, housing nearly 8,000 items. The main purpose of the Annala museum is to showcase rural life before the era of tractors.