A village in the middle of nowhere
”Kerkonkoski is a place for nature and encounters. Here everyone can be their own person and the rush is left to the bigger cities.”
Kerkonkoski is a quaint little village, which could even be described as a Gallic village.
We are safely close to the larger cities, but in the end, on closer inspection, we are in the middle of nowhere.
We are a village that loves nature, encounters with people and the feeling of being unhurried. We always have time to stay for one more cup of coffee in our lively village shop and we are always ready to sit down for a few more evenings in our favourite summer restaurant, Keidas.
Kerkonkoski was awarded twice at the Nurmes Rural Parliament!
Leader-Village Project of the Year 2024 - Kerkolle Kylään -project
The people of Kerkonkoski Ketterä were invited to the national Rural Parliament in Nurmes to pick up an award for the honourable mention in the Finnish Village of the Year competition. Minna Vauhkonen, Tuomas Kullaa and project worker Johanna Koponen, representing Kerkonkosken Ketterä, took to the stage for the second time when Kerkonkoski Ketterä's Kerkolle kylään project was awarded as the Leader Village Project of the Year.
Finnish villages' justification for the choice:
During the project in Kerkonkoski, North Savo, a lot of communication work has been done, and a website has been created to serve the villagers and tourists. The Kerkolle Kylään- project has further increased the sense of community in the village and has brought new volunteers and entrepreneurs into the village association. The preservation of the village school is one of the most important objectives, and the project is working to develop the school. development and marketing work has been carried out. The project has borne fruit, and the village has become visible throughout the North Savo region through various events. The project was implemented by Kerkonkosken Ketterä ry and funded by Leader association Strawberry (Mansikka) ry.
In addition, the village received an honourable mention in the Finnish Village of the Year 2024 competition with the following award: Kerkonkoski is a village of 500 inhabitants, which understands that services are not a given in a small village. Efforts have been made to keep existing services alive through cooperation and by organising events, development nights and stimulating activities. This has kept the village alive, while at the same time increasing the sense of belonging and local pride of its inhabitants. Kerkonkoski is visible in the media and the Kerkolle kylään project has enhanced marketing and communication (Finnish Villages 2024).
