Masku | Exploring Finland
Masku is a small town in southwestern Finland, just a few kilometers north of Turku. The name has previously also been spelled as Masko in Swedish, but the around 9600 municipality inhabitants are almost entirely Finnish speaking today, with only 1% having Swedish as their main language. Masku has developed into a smaller commercial center along the main coastal road, the E8, going north towards Rauma and Pori.
A Short History of Masku
The Masku Parish was established in the 13th century, making it one of the oldest parishes in Finland. The current stone church dates to the end of the 15th century and was the center of the parish until the establishment of Masku Municipality in 1870.
In the past century, the industrial and commercial side of Masku has been famous for two things. The first is the digging of sand around Masku, a practice that began in the early 20th century. The sand operations were, however, discontinued in the 1970s. The second is the furniture chain Maskun Kalustetalo, or simply Masku, which was founded here in 1984. As of 2024, the company has almost 50 stores spread out across Finland and Estonia.
Things to Do and See
Masku has no large dominant buildings in its skyline. It has a large commercial area along the motorway, but otherwise, you have to look a bit closer to find the small gems. The most famous building is the old medieval stone church from the 13th century. Just a bit to the south is also the local heritage museum, known as Maskun Museo. The museum lies next door to the Rosarium, a rose garden where you can stroll around for a few minutes.
Other attractions within the municipality, but further from the center, are the sand pits left after the sand operations and the Louhisaari Manor. The sand pits have become artificial lakes with sandy beaches. The castle-like Louhisaari Manor is probably best known as the birthplace of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim in 1867. Marshal Mannerheim later became the commander-in-chief of the Finnish defense forces, first during the Finnish Civil War and then later during the Second World War.
How to Get to Masku
- Flights: Turku Airport (TKU) is just a short distance to the southeast. The airport has domestic and international flights, even though the number of flights is a bit limited.
- Car: Masku lies along the motorway E8, just a short distance north of Turku.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 182 kilometers (1 h 50 min)
- Turku – 18 kilometers (14 min)
- Vaasa – 312 kilometers (3 h 40 min)
- Oulu – 658 kilometers (7 h 10 min)
- Joensuu – 587 kilometers (6 h 30 min)
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