Viitala pulses with exercise – ‘People make the village’

Over 20 people stand in front of a log building. Large outdoor grills are in front of the group.

For Timo Mylläri, who lives in the village of Viitala in Peräseinäjoki, peaceful countryside, good hobby facilities and smooth transport connections make the village the best place to live.

“When you go skiing, you go over Loukasneva and look at that scenery, so it’s not worth paying two thousand euros for a week in Lapland. That really chases work thoughts away,” describes Mylläri, chairman of the Viitala youth association.

Space for sports opportunities is created in the village: from the fitness trail behind the youth association house Sovintola you can reach nature trails, e.g. to Lake Kalajärvi. In addition to renovated trails and repaired information boards, Timo mentions the popular Tiera cottage on the Nurmo border.

“In the best winters, over 600 skiers visit the Tiera cottage. We do quite a lot of work to make sure the tracks are good.”

We do quite a lot of work to make sure the tracks are good.

At Sovintola people dance partner dances, and you can challenge a friend to table tennis. The pupils of Alaviitala school have come up with a disc golf course for the school yard alongside the ice hockey rink.

As one of the village’s strengths, Timo mentions the lively primary school and the Riskunmäki housing area, which is popular with families with children.

“It may be that families like to move to a place where they can attend a village school and where services are close by. From Seinäjoki the journey is only about fifteen minutes.”

Popular events have included, among others, the Autumn Dinners and Easter gatherings that draw people to Sovintola. Anyone can rent the community hall’s facilities to hold their own activities.

“The walls don’t make the village. People do.”

A ski trail runs through sparse, low coniferous woodland.

Timo’s tips for the village of Viitala in Peräseinäjoki:

  • A local oddity is Haasoja. Haasjärvi has been drained to farmland, and today it resembles a ravine-like landscape.
  • The Käännekallio lean-to on the youth association’s fitness trail is a nice destination for cooking sausages over the fire.
  • Here you can find information on fitness trails and nature routes https://www.seinajoki.fi/…/liik…/kuntoradat-ja-luontoreitit/