Discover St. Olav Waterway from Turku, through the archipelago towards Trondheim in Norway!
Route descriptions, ferry timetables and places to stay are linked from the digital maps.
More information about St. Olav Waterway on the dedicated website.
FIND YOUR ROUTE
St. Olav Waterway – The only pilgrims’ path with sauna and sea views every day!
The route through the archipelago, from Turku to Galtby in Korpo, takes 4-5 days, and takes your through Turku, Kaarina and the main islands of Pargas, Nagu and Korpo and is described in detail on our digital maps.
Maps – both as overviews and in details – of the St Olav Waterway are found here. Travelling in different ways on the road and through the sea offers nice variety to your journey.
You can bike, sail or kayak part of the way. Would you like to get to know the archipelago in your own way and find alternatives to main roads? There are many opportunities to wander off route and tread your own path, but it does require some extra planning and time. Beautiful secret places await you along small roads.
Did you know that most of the route within the archipelago belongs to the UNESCO Biosphere area?
A few tips for finding true gems in the archipelago:
- Get advice and tips from blogs in the stories section or from our Facebook community group.
- The main route is described on our digital maps.
- Travel by boat between central Turku, Själö and Nagu. This is great as a 2-3 day hike from Turku to Nagu and return by boat. M/S Vitharun Turku – Själö – Nagu- Turku (summers and weekends during spring)
M/S Östern Nagu – Själö – Rymättylä (Hanka)(summers only), part of The Small Archipelago Trail - Visit the southern archipelago of Pargas and Nagu by using Stage 2b from Sattmark to Granvik. The ferry m/s Viken takes you to Björkholm and Pensar. Book your accommodation in advance and check the ferry schedules as they also need to be reserved in advance. From Pensar you continue by ferry to Kirjais in Nagu. There is a summer shop and restaurant in Kirjais village. Walk 9km up to stage 3 on the main trail or you can continue island hopping from Kirjais to Brännskär, see below. Combine this with the bus from Turku and walking (Sattmark-Granvik 8km + Kirjais to main road 14km) for a short pilgrimage over two or three days.
Route map and links to ferry and bus timetables for stage 2b
Pensar Sandvik
Björkholm - Take the ferry from Kirjais to Brännskär. Bränskär offers accommodation, food and an authentic archipelago atmosphere. You can get to Kirjais by following the St. Olav signs and taking the main road after the Nagu ferry for 6,2 km and then turning left to Kirjais (14,3 km). There is a summer shop and restaurant in Kirjais village. The ferry pier is a 3km walk from the village.
Brännskär - Experience the outer archipelago by ferry. M/s Baldur departs from Pärnäs in Nagu where it can be found next to the Korpo ferry. Visit Nötö, Aspö, Jurmo or Utö. . Plan your route well and you can do a day trip from Pärnäs or visit more than one island per day.
Route map and links to ferry and bus timetables for stage 5
Meritie.fi (ferry information only in Swedish)
Jurmo cultural path is connected to St. Olav Waterway - Charter transport from Korpoström to the outer archipelago and for groups to Kökar.
AspöCharter
St. Olav Waterway for children and families!
For the route between Turku and Korpo, there is a special pilgrim’s passport available for children. The passport follows Olav’s life journey from viking to king and saint. You can collect stamps and solve tasks during your way. The passport is free. Ask for a copy at Turku Cathedral or other churches or libaries along the path, or at the tourist information points in Pargas, Nagu and Korpo. More information and extra tasks are found here.
Photo Gallery
