Historic Vittinki iron mine in Finland opens new nature trail, tracing roots of Ostrobothnia’s industrialisation

A nature trail has been opened to the public this summer at the historic Vittinki iron mine in Ylistaro, South Ostrobothnia, Finland. The project, surprisingly popular with locals, was carried out by the Ylistaro Asemanseutu Development Association, which constructed a 1.7 km trail through the area, restoring old ore quarries along the way. The path was officially opened to visitors on Midsummer Day. Safety fences, an easy route connecting the mines, and steps into the largest mine have been installed.

The site is part of the region’s cultural history, as it was significant to the industrialisation of Ostrobothnia. The first written record of ore mining at Vittinki dates back to 1563. Production facilities were established in Vittinki in the 17th century. Initially, fire-setting was used to extract iron ore. This labor-intensive and time-consuming process involved heating a rock with a fire then quenching it with cold water to cause it to crack.

The Vittinki mine was a significant catalyst for Ostrobothnia’s industrialisation, says local history expert Harri Ritari. “The roots of industrialisation can be found in Vittinki. The first foundry in Ostrobothnia, which ran almost entirely on Vittinki ore, was established in Orisberg in the 1680s.”

Gunpowder production began in Seinäjoki in 1825 at Finland’s first gunpowder factory. This allowed for the continuation of ore extraction using homemade gunpowder, and later, dynamite. Industrial ore extraction in the area ended in the 1830s, but some research and drilling were carried out until the late 20th century.

The mine has been worked on voluntarily, with estimated costs of around €50,000. The final value of the volunteer work was greater than expected. “We stopped counting sometime last fall, and by then we had worked for about €50,000,” says Johanna Punkari, the association’s chair. The association plans to continue developing the site, including creating a website. “History is a strong part of this mining area, and we would like to open it up more to visitors using modern channels,” Punkari reflects.