Paimio is a town and municipality in the region of Southwest Finland, also known as Finland Proper. Its Swedish name Pemar is, but its population of around 11.000 inhabitants is mostly considered Finnish speaking. The river Paimionjoki flows to the west of the town center, a center known locally as “Vista”. The river is home to several hydroelectric power plants, making the Finnish Electricity company Fortum one of the largest employers around here together with a few manufacturing companies.
This was the birthplace of Vieno Johannes Sukselainen in 1906. He came to hold several significant political positions in Finland, becoming Prime Minister for the first time in 1957 when his government stayed in power for about 6 months. He became Prime Minister again in 1959, that time his government stayed in power for two years.
A Short History of Paimio
Paimio’s coat of arms is inspired by the local nobleman Erik Puranpoja’s seal from the 15th century. It depicts a wood auger surrounded by clover. The auger was used in shipbuilding and is said to be in memory of the local shipbuilding heritage. The clover is related to local agriculture. Maybe it is a tribute to the occupations that were common here earlier. Was this a town of shipbuilders and farmers?
In the 1930s Paimio became known for the Paimio Sanatorium. This was a tuberculosis sanatorium that was designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, one of the greatest Finnish architects of all time. It was used as a tuberculosis sanitorium until the 1960s.
Things to Do and See
In the vicinity of the center of Paimio, you will find the larger grocery stores of K-Supermarket, Lidl, and S-Market. This is also where you will find other smaller shops and services as well as the administrative building of the municipality. The sports center south of the center includes fields for football and athletics as well as an indoor ice rink.
Paimio Sanatorium
Paimio Sanatorium was completed in 1933 and was designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The sanatorium was one of the buildings that contributed to Aalto’s international recognition. It was turned into a hospital in the 1960s but has since 2014 been used as a private rehabilitation center for children.
St. Michael’s Church
St. Michael’s Church is a 17th-century stone church in the center of Paimio. It is a towerless church that can seat around 800 visitors. Visitors are greeted by the impressive gate that also acts as a clock tower.
How to Get to Paimio
- Flights: The closest major airport is Turku Airport (TKU) 29 kilometers to the west.
- Car: Paimio is along Road E18 between Turku and Salo.
- Train: The closest train station is in either Turku or Salo.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 143 kilometers (1 h 29 min)
- Turku – 27 kilometers (24 min)
- Vaasa – 354 kilometers (4 h 17 min)
- Oulu – 647 kilometers (7 h 41 min)
- Joensuu – 537 kilometers (6 h 18 min)
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