Multia reveals itself through its church, historic church village and nature trails of varying lengths. When planning your trip, you can organize these themes by focus: local history sits alongside trails that differ in their locations, lengths and terrain. This makes it easy to decide whether you are more interested in the cultural character of the village or a particular nature trail.
Church and village history
Multia’s church, also known as the Loviisa-Charlotta Church, was completed in 1796. Matti Åkergren designed and built it as a pure Greek cross church; it took on its present neo-Gothic appearance in 1900. The dates should be distinguished: 1796 marks its completion, while 1900 marks its present appearance.
The old church village of Multia lies on an isthmus between bodies of water. The landscape and village layout form a well-balanced historic church village. This means there is more to take in than the church as a single building: the village’s position between the bodies of water and its relationship with the landscape also contribute to its distinctive character.
Another historical reference point is the local history museum. It began operating in 1957 in a granary in Multia. The church and the museum’s history represent different aspects of local history: the church’s architectural style and appearance on the one hand, and the museum’s historical beginnings on the other.
Nature trails by distance and terrain
The Poet’s Path is the school route of poet Einari Vuorela. Its starting point is behind the Halli Bridge, 1 km from the center of Multia. The route crosses varied terrain and runs about 8 to 9 km from Multia to Vuorela. The starting point and the route length are two different points of reference: the 1 km refers to the distance from the center to the starting point, while about 8 to 9 km is the route to Vuorela.
The Joensuonkangas nature trail is located in the Joensuonkangas nature reserve in Sahrajärvi, Multia, and is just over 2 km long. Compared with the Poet’s Path, this is a considerably shorter stated distance. The different lengths help you compare the scope of the trails; they are also in different locations and pass through different natural environments.
The Palsankoski–Housukoski nature trail is also near Multia, in the Palsankoski rapids and fishing area. It is 1.5 km long and 10.5 km from the center of Multia. The trail crosses varied terrain and has significant elevation changes. Its shorter stated distance and described terrain provide a different point of comparison from the two longer trails.
Kulhanvuori is also part of the nature options. The area lies on the municipal border between Multia and Saarijärvi, is a nature reserve, and can be explored on marked trails. Here, the border location and marked trails are the main points of reference; you should not assume that the lengths given for the other trails apply to this area.
Getting there and finding your way
Multia is at the junction of National Road 18 between Vaasa and Jyväskylä and Main Road 58 between Kangasala and Kärsämäki. These two roads provide a clear reference for the town’s location. The nearest railway stations are in Keuruu and Jyväskylä. If you are planning to travel by train, check current connections and schedules before your trip.
When choosing your destination, you can consider travel directions alongside the options available locally: the church and the old church village represent Multia’s cultural character, while the nature trails differ in length, location and terrain. Consider which of these aspects you want to shape your trip, and use it as a starting point for further planning.
Discover more destinations: Sumiainen, Viitasaari, Uurainen, Jyväskylä, Lannevesi, Kuhmoinen, Toivakka, Äänekoski.
For the regional travel overview: Central Finland.
