Nurmijärvi: Discover culture and trails

Nurmijärvi combines cultural sites connected to Aleksis Kivi with hiking trails in the municipality. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose different focuses: learn about local history and art, or set aside time for longer outdoor routes. The Seitsemän veljeksen route offers a choice between short day trips and multi-day hikes.

Culture and Aleksis Kivi

A bronze sculpture in Kirkonkylä, Nurmijärvi, commemorates Aleksis Kivi. The statue was created by Aukusti Veuro in 1934. Kirkonkylä Library also has a dedicated space for the writer: the Kivi Room houses first editions of his works, as well as research publications and other literature about him. Those interested in Kivi’s work can therefore find both a sculpture in the town and a literary collection in the library.

Nurmijärvi Church, the wooden church in Kirkonkylä, was inaugurated in 1793. It is known as Aleksis Kivi’s confirmation church and is one of the Road Churches. These historical connections add to the picture of Nurmijärvi’s cultural history. You can keep the church in mind as a destination for a culturally focused stay.

Exhibitions and collections

Galleria Ville, maintained by the municipal cultural services, is an exhibition space that mainly hosts exhibitions by professional visual artists. The Nurmijärvi Museum, the Nurmijärvi Art Association, and the local art school also hold regular exhibitions there. The gallery is located in Nurmijärvi’s main library, close to the bus station and services in the center of Kirkonkylä. This specific connection to the town center is helpful for getting your bearings.

The Nurmijärvi Art Museum showcases various aspects of local history and craft. Its Aleksis Kivi section includes more than 300 volumes of Kivi’s works in different languages. An extensive photographic collection dating from the 1960s onward offers a cross-section of Nurmijärvi’s more recent history. The wartime section also displays wartime memorabilia, objects, handicrafts, and literature from Nurmijärvi. Other items in the collection include cobalt-blue and gold-patinated objects from the Savitorppa ceramics workshop. The museum also displays artifacts from Finland’s first pharmaceutical factory, founded in Nurmijärvi. Its themes thus range from literature and recent local history to crafts and industrial history.

Hiking and nature in the municipality

The Seitsemän veljeksen hiking route is about 33 kilometers long within the municipality. It is suitable for both short day trips and multi-day hikes. Hiking and excursions are its main uses; some sections are also used for cross-country skiing and cycling. There are rest stops along the route, as well as food, washing, and accommodation facilities.

The route passes through Kaanaan Forest, which is now a nature reserve. This section makes nature part of the route choice, alongside Nurmijärvi’s historical and cultural themes. Another described outdoor experience is the path between Kirkonkylä and Myllykoski, which is about four kilometers long in total. The two routes therefore offer different distances to plan for, without the shorter distance indicating anything about duration or difficulty.

When choosing where to stay, you can weigh culture and physical activity as separate interests: the collections and exhibitions focus on literature, art, and local history, while the hiking route also offers multi-day trips in the municipality. This makes it possible to assess Nurmijärvi based on the themes you want your trip to center on.

Other places in this section: Sammatti, Kerava, Hanko, Åminnefors, Siuntio, Järvenpää, Skuru, Espoo.

To the broader travel overview: Uusimaa.