Finland - The Old Church Gravel Loop
"From the official route's website: https://www.bikeland.fi/en/lakelandbycycle-vanhan-kirkon The Old Church Gravel Loop is an epic 442km and 5-8-day rollercoaster-like route on some forgotten backroads of the western Jyväskylä region. It connects the rural villages and towns of the area as well as a number of splendid natural sites to some great services mainly on rarely-used logging routes and old connecting routes. Like the Goblin’s Grave Gravel Loop, it features nicely rolling and flowy gravel roads deep in the Central Finland’s taiga, a loads of little sand beaches for swimming as well as several unique lodging options. Naturally, loads of great quality camping on the way too. The route also passes by the old log church of Petäjävesi. Built in 1763–1765, it is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage sites in Finland and ranks among the most valuable remaining tours de force of log construction."
In 1763, Finland was under Swedish rule, and the Finns found themselves in a weak position vis-à-vis the Swedes. Gutsy and headstrong, they were considered more primitive and their language was found inferior, a state of affairs that, of course, did not please them. The residents of Petäjävesi obtained in 1728 already a permission from the Crown of Sweden to build a small village church yet the Crown had done nothing to further the matter over decades. The locals thus started work on their own accord and based on their own plans. The church has since then served Petäjävesi people in four centuries and is still in excellent, and nearly original, condition after repairs in the 1920s. In 1994, the Petäjävesi Old Church was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a unique example of the long-standing tradition of Nordic wooden church architecture and timber construction. It is situated in the village of Petäjävesi next to the Lemettilä farm that has been inhabited since the 17th century.
