Parkano is a town in Pirkanmaa, Finland. In 2021, it had 6,300 residents. Parkano has various places to visit, nature experiences and events

Understand

Parkano is a traditional industrial town with a history strongly linked to wood processing and the paper industry. Today, the town's industry has diversified, with metal and electronics industries, among others, operating in the area.

Get in

Parkano is a traffic hub, lying on national roads 3 (E12) and 23, on regional roads 274 and 332, and on the Finnish main railway line. Road 3 leads from Helsinki via Tampere and Parkano to Vaasa, where E12 merges with the Blue Highway and continues to Mo i Rana in Norway. Road 23 leads from Pori via Parkano, Keuruu and Jyväskylä to Joensuu. Road 274 comes from Karvia and road 332 from Kuru.

By train

Parkano is on the main Finnish railway, between Helsinki and Oulu, at the section Tampere–Seinäjoki. However, the railway station in the centre is on the defunct Pori–Haapamäki line. There is no connection bus for the 7 km from the station on the main line, but buses between Parkano and Kihniö can be used if they happen to combine. Timetables for the trains are available from VR.

• 1 Parkano Railway Station, Uudenasemantie 366 (7 km north-east from the centre). The railway station on the main line. 

By bus

There are coaches from Helsinki, Tampere, Seinäjoki, Vaasa, Kankaanpää and Keuruu, the last two on school days only. They stop at the centre. For timetables, see Matkahuolto.

Get around

By taxi

• 2 Parkano taxi station (Parkanon taksiasema), Parkanontie 64, ☏ +358 3 448-2213. (updated Jun 2022)
• Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

See

• 1 The Forest Museum of Parkano (Parkanon metsämuseo), Rännärinmuseotie 112, ☏ +358 44 7865 516. The Forest Museum presents the history of forest work from the rise of the sawmill industry in the 1860s to the mechanization of the 1960s. In the area of the forest museum there is an exhibition hall, a lumberjack, a sauna, a horse stable and forest machines. In addition, in the vicinity of the museum you will find a nature trail, Messukallio, beach, sheds and campfire sites. (updated Mar 2021)

Parkano church

• 2 Parkano church (Parkanon kirkko). Parkano church is a wooden cross church. The church was commissioned in 1805. The church's belfry, made of red granite, was completed in 1889.  

Do

• 1 Seitseminen National Park (Seitsemisen kansallispuisto). Seitseminen National Park is a nature reserve in Ylöjärvi's Länsi-Aure and on the borderlands of Ikaalinen. There are marked routes and nature trails. Seitseminen Nature Centre offers accommodation in the immediate vicinity of the national park's outdoor and camping areas. It is about 33 km from the centre of Parkano via Parkano-Kurutie 332. A hiking trail called Paroonin taival runs from Parkano via Aurejärvi to Seitseminen National Park.  

Buy

• 1 Eurohamsteri, Pahkalantie 1. Discount department store. (updated Mar 2021)
• Market day is a traditional event on Fridays in Parkano. Parkano market is located along the main street in the old centre.

Eat

• 1 Lounaskahvila Kokki Katriina, Sepänkatu 9, ☏ +358 40 5120 658, katriina.vaaranurmi@kokkikatriina.fi. Lunch M-F 10:30-14:00. Traditional Finnish food. Coffee, refreshments, pastries, savory and sweet to enjoy on site or as a take away. €8.50. (updated Jan 2021)
• 2 Parkanon Auto-Grilli, Parkanontie 43. Fast food. (updated Mar 2021)
• 3 Raijanholvi, Parkanontie 53, ☏ +358 40 7270 365, raijanholvi@raijanholvi.fi. M-F 10:00-15:00. (updated Jun 2022)
• 4 Wanha Brankkari, Keskuskatu 1, ☏ +358 207 305 760, info@wanhabrankkari.fi. M-Tu 11:00-14:00, W-Th 11:00-19:00, F 11:00-00:00, Sa 12:00-00:00. (updated Jun 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Pahkalanniemi Camping, Urheilukatu 30, ☏ +358 400 408590, info@pahkalanniemi.fi. (updated Jun 2022)

Go next

Routes through Parkano

Vaasa ← Jalasjärvi ←

N  S

→ Ikaalinen → Tampere