Mässkär Nature Station 

The building on Mässkär Island that is now the Mässkär Information Station used to be harbour pilots´ and the coast guard´s house. It has been renovated for the present use. Metsähallitus has rented the nature information station out to Mässkär lotstation rf, a local association which offers lodging and conference services and maintains a café there.
 

Opening Hours

Mässär Nature Station opening hous (masskar.fi)

Entrance                         

There is no entrance fee to the nature information station.

Contact Information

Address: Mässkär Nature  Station, Mässkär, Pietarsaari, Finland
Mailing Address: Mässkärs lotsstation rf, c/o Anders Boström, Raatihuoneenkatu 4 C 7, 68600 Pietarsaari, Finland
Tel. int: During summer tel. int. +358 6 729 4092, at other times +358 6 723 1940
Fax: int. +358 6 729 4096

Mässkar Nature Information Station is managed by Mässkärs lotsstation rf .

Directions

Mässkär Nature Station is located in the Pietarsaari (jakobstad.fi) archipelago about 10 km from the town of Pietarsaari and 3 km from Ådö fishing harbour. The nature station can only be reached by boat or over ice during winter. In early spring many skiers visit the station. When the ice is thick enough, there is a snowmobile track from Ådö fishing harbour to the nature  station, which is lined with reflectors. When there is enough snow an unlit ski trail for classical cross-country skiing is made from the old fishing harbour at Pietarsaari to the nature information station.

Directions by Boat

• There is a marked water route to the nature station.
• The nature  station is found on the list of visit harbours.
• Mässkär, coordinates: Euref-Fin (~ WGS84) lat: 63° 43.697' lon: 22° 35.038' ETRS-TM35FIN: N: 7074274 E: 282039.
• The closest harbours which can be reached by car are Ådö fishing harbour and Alholma harbour, which is where taxi boats depart from.
  • To get to Ådö fishing harbour from the centre of Pietarsaari Town take Skutnäsinkatu Road west and continue onto Kisorintie Road and then Ådöntie Road. There are signposts along this route directing visitors to the harbour.
  • To get to Alholma harbour from the centre of Pietarsaari Town take Pietarinpuistikko Road continue onto Ebba Brahen puistikko Road and finally take Alholmantie Road. There are signposts from the UPM-Kymmene Oyj parking area to the harbour.
  • There are boat launch ramps at both harbours.
• Boat transport Ådö fishing harbour - Mässkär - Ådö fishing harbour (masskar.fi).
• Excursionmap.fi

By Public Transportation

• From southern Finland Pietarsaari can be reached by coach or by taking a train to Pännäinen and a coach from there to Pietarsaari.
  • Train (vr.fi) and coach (matkahuolto.fi) timetables
• From the Pietarsaari town centre visitors can take taxis to Alholma harbour and continue from there by water bus or taxi-boat to Mässkär.
  • The Pietarsaari tourist office (jakobstad.fi) has information on water bus timetables

Services

• There is a summer café and restaurant at the nature station.  
• Lodging and conference services
• A reservable sauna for 15 to 20 persons.
• Drinking water from a tap.
• Visitors may stay overnight in their boats at the nature station's pier.

Cooking Shelter and Nature Trail

• There is a cooking shelter and a dry toilet at the harbour.
• There is a 1,4-km-long nature trail on the island.

Notices

• Safety on hiking

Waste Management

• There is a recycling point Roska-Roope (pidasaaristosiistina.fi) at the Mässkär harbour.
• Read more about Hiking Without Littering.

Accessible Services

• There is an accessible toilet at the nature information station.
• There is a road along which persons with wheelchairs can get from the harbour to the nature information station. There is an accessible toilet in the area as well as a ramp along which those with wheelchairs can get into the summer café.
• There is a wheelchair ramp at the harbour.

Mässkär Island

There are about 50 summer cottages and a calm naturally sheltered harbour on the island of Mässkär. The island is located near the town of Pietarsaari (jakobstad.fi) on the west coast of Finland. Life on the island is lively during both summer and winter. There are many rocky cliffs on the island but also lush herb-rich forests. A small mire brings even more versatility to the island's nature.