The road – known in Satakunta as Kyrönkankaantie road, in Pirkanmaa as Hämeenkankaantie road, and in Ostrobothnia as Pohjankankaantie road – was one of the main roads in medieval Finland, and is now preserved as a museum road. It was once the only route from Satakunta and Häme to Ostrobothnia that was accessible in the summer. The first documented mention of the summer road of Kyrönkankaantie is from 1459. As a cleared road, it was first mentioned in 1556. Kyrönkankaantie road served as a postal road north of Turku in 1645–1675. The significance of the road was reduced, as the post line was moved to the coastal route in 1675. The summer road of Kyrönkankaantie was made a museum site in 1982.
LOCATION
- The road runs through Kauhaneva-Pohjankangas National Park.
- The road is marked with signposts.
Literature:
- Kyrönkankaantie, Kirjoituksia luonnosta, tien historiasta ja käyttömahdollisuuksista. (Writings about the nature, history and uses of the road.)
- Lions Club Hämeenkyrö, Lions Club Ikaalinen et al. Ikaalinen, 1996, Kalle Luoto: Pirkanmaan historiallisesti merkittävät tiet. (Pirkanmaa roads with historical significance.)
- Pirkanmaa Regional Museum, 2011. Carl Berquist: Wäge Charta Öfwer Finland och Norrland, circa 1757: Digitised in the digital archives: http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=21990283
- The association’s video on Kyrönkankaantie road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2yqb6gjrQA