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.