Things to do in Oravais in Ostrobothnia – 7 tips

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Oravais is a small town in Ostrobothnia with a big place in the common history of Sweden and Finland. The decisive Battle of Oravais was fought here in 1808, but we also found a nice mill environment, church, small local surprises and a really nice campsite by the sea. Here are our 7 best tips for things to see and do in Oravais.

Oravais in Ostrobothnia

The centre of Oravais is not much more than the church, the supermarket and some small shops. In other words, this is a small village and we had no idea that we would stay two days - or that it would be such a long report. But there is a lot of history in Oravais and we, who are travelling with a motorhome, liked the nice parking place at the harbour.

When it comes to language, the majority of the population in Oravais have Swedish as their mother tongue and you can speak Swedish everywhere.

Oravais, or Oravainen as the town is called in Finnish, is located on the coast of the Ostrobothnialess than five kilometres northeast of Vaasa.

1. Discover the history of the Battle of Oravais

The Battle of Oravais was a battle of the Finnish War, fought on 14 September 1808 at the village of Oravais in Ostrobothnia. The battle pitted a Swedish army of 5 500 men under Carl Johan Adlercreutz against a Russian army of 7 000 men under Nikolai Kamensky.

The Battle of Oravais was not only bloody, but also decisive. After fighting during the day and a successful Swedish attack, the tide of war turned. The Russians showed up with fresh new troops, while the Swedes began to run out of ammunition. The Swedes were defeated at Lillträsket, and Swedish troops stuck behind enemy lines had to fight their way out by force. Late in the evening, under the cover of darkness, Adlercreutz ordered a retreat.

The Swedish army lost more than 1 200 men in killed, wounded and prisoners of war, and the effects of the defeat were immediate and catastrophic. The defeated army was finally forced to leave Finland completely, and the Battle of Oravais was the turning point of the war. Sweden lost Finland to Russia, and Finland became an autonomous part of the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917.

The Tales of Ensign Stål

Fänrik Ståls sägner is a work of poetry by Finland's national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, published in two collections in 1848 and 1860. The collection describes both real and fictional events during the Finnish War of 1808-1809, when Sweden lost Finland to Russia. 

The work features 15-year-old Wilhelm von Schwerin and Lotta Svärd, who symbolises one of the women who followed their husbands in the war. In Oravais, some of the legends come to life, and you can visit Lotta Svärd's stone, for example. By the way, did you know that the Swedish Pilot Corps is inspired by the Finnish Lotta Svärd movement?

Wilhelm of Schwerin

Wilhelm von Schwerin was a Swedish count and second lieutenant aged just 15 who took part in the Finnish War, where he showed great courage. In one battle, he commanded two cannons and when the enemy attacked and his subordinates fled, he loaded and fired the cannons alone.

At the Battle of Oravais, von Schwerin again showed great courage when he was tasked with defending a bridge. He was wounded and forced to retreat, but realised that he and his men were surrounded. By ordering the group to throw themselves onto horses and shout 'hurrah', they managed to break through the enemy line.

The next day, von Schwerin was again severely wounded and sadly died from his injuries. In Oravais you can see 'Wilhelm Schwerin's bridge' and in Karleby you can see the place where he was treated for his injuries. Runeberg wrote the following about von Schwerin in Fänrik Ståls sägner:

It was when the bloody day of Oravais...
To grief went up,
When victory itself became defeat,
Who broke our hope.
Then, they say, his courage shone brightest,
That's when his winged plumb line was most likely to hit,
The hottest cannon was fired at that time,
When he splashed it red with his blood.

2. Visit the Oravai Battlefield and the Furir Residence

The Oravais battlefield is today a memorial site, with many different memorials and signs telling about the horrors of the war and its aftermath. It is interesting to walk around and learn more about the event that dramatically changed the history of Sweden and Finland.

Furirbostället, which also seems to be called Fänrik Stål's centre, is located right next to the Oravais battlefield. The large house contains a small exhibition on the Battle of Oravais, and in the summer a café is occasionally open.

When we arrived, the place was full of life and movement. There were children and adults alike wearing clothes from the past, and games were organised that were typical of the period.

3. Check out Oravai Church

Oravais Church is surprisingly powerful for a small town like Oravais. The church, which is a wooden cross church, was built between 1795 and 1797 in the neoclassical style.

Inside the church are the altarpieces 'The Crucified' and 'The Last Supper', painted in 1819 by the Swedish artist Johan Erik Lindh.

4. Take a trip to Kimo Bruk

Kimo Ironworks was founded by the Swedish-German Petter Heijke in 1703, who chose the site because there was a deep enough harbour here. By 1792, Kimo Works was Finland's most productive ironworks, exporting iron to Stockholm and further afield in Europe. At the end of the 19th century, iron processing became unprofitable, and two hammer forges were converted into a sawmill and grinder.

Today, Kimo Mill serves as a kind of cultural centre with an old mill environment, various historical buildings, museum, café and events. However, the opening hours are very limited, possibly for certain events, and when we were here nothing was open. Nevertheless, we found it nice to stroll around the beautiful surroundings.

The revolving stand in Kyroboas

At the top of Kimo Bruk is Kyroboa's rotating grandstand, which is used by Oravais Teater for summer theater. Perhaps the most fun thing to do is to watch a play here, but it's also interesting to take a look inside the structure, which rotates so that the audience can see new scenes during the play.

5. Eat at Fjärdens Kaffestuga

If you get hungry when you are in Oravais, you can stop by Fjärdens kaffestuga for a bite to eat. There's a nice outdoor terrace overlooking the water, and we were also very happy with our lunch (the chicken burger with chèvre is recommended!). By the way, next to the coffee house there is a "stone exhibition", showing different types of rocks from all over Finland.

6. Enjoy an ice cream from Amalia Sweethouse

Next to the Amalia flower shop in the centre of Oravainen is a cute little building called the "Amalia Sweethouse". Here you can buy artisan ice cream from Gunilla Norrlin Chocolates in the Maxmo archipelago. It is not exactly cheap to buy an ice cream here, but very good. We tried the flavours "strawberry" and "French chocolate cake" and can highly recommend both!

7. Stop by motorhome at the port of Oravai

Oravais harbour was an important port with a lot of traffic in the 18th century and until the beginning of the 20th century. Today this is a quiet marina, where you can also find a beach and a diving tower. The harbour also has a nice parking area for motorhomes. For 20 euros/day (2023) you get access to electricity, rubbish collection, the possibility of emptying the latrine and fresh toilets and showers.

We stayed here for two nights, with a lovely view of the sea.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

From Oravais it is not far to the larger city of Vaasa, which offers art experiences and interesting museums. You can also visit the Kvarken archipelago, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here you will find more tips:

• Things to do in Vaasa
• Things to do in Jakobstad