For a new resident

My name is Aapo and I live in Kauppilankylä, Jämijärvi. Our family moved here when my parents decided to return to my mother's birthplace.

The most wonderful thing about the countryside:

🧡 There aren't too many people - you can always find your own peace if you need it.
🧡 Space to do things and have fun – you can do almost anything on the land.
🧡 Small circles and a close group of friends - here we know each other and are considered one.

The most terrible thing in the countryside

🌧️ Few shops – if you need something special, you can drive further.
🌧️ No other horrible sides!

This is how you can get a taste of rural life:

Living in the country is highly recommended! Hanging out with friends in the village is the best, and there is always something to do.

I'm Lelle, and I live in my hometown, Jämijärvi. I was never one of the young people who had to move to the city, but I was open to all options. I was very comfortable in a city with a million people and I could have stayed that way if graduating to work in international trade in the middle of the recession hadn't forced me to return to Finland after my studies. And then work in my hometown would suck me in. This has happened at every turning point in my life since then. I'm not living in that dream of a country house yet, but I haven't lost hope! As you know, life still brings many, many changes.

The most wonderful thing in the countryside

🧡 People – There are still plenty of active people working for the common good in the country. They are more precious than gold. 

🧡 Everyday speed – Getting from one place to another is fast, you can get everywhere by bike or car. And you don't have to worry about parking. 

🧡 A dream opportunity – There is space to keep various pets and domestic animals. If I lived in an apartment building in the city, I wouldn't even have a dog.  

The most terrible thing in the countryside

🌧️ Too much to do – There are all sorts of fun things happening in the villages, but there's not always time or energy, because there are so many chores to do in a single-family home. 

🌧️ Euros invested in housing don't yield the same results as in the city - Even though you can live here much more comfortably for the same money. 

🌧️ Snow removal and mosquitoes – I am one of those people from the countryside who don't enjoy gardening. In my dream house there is no lawn mowing or mosquitoes and snow removal disappears like magic😊. Apart from mosquitoes, this could also be possible in the countryside. PS Our roads in Jämijärvi are very well maintained in the winter. 

This is how you can get involved in rural life

Get to know people! Join an activity that interests you! Activities in the countryside are often organized by yourself. I admit, it's more laborious, but so much more rewarding. You enjoy doing things and achieving success together many times more!

The couple stayed in a cottage in the Jämi area, and Petra stayed a little further away from the city center in a spacious detached house, which is also used as tourist accommodation. Both highly praised the comfort and homeliness of the accommodations. The aim of the living experiments was to try out what everyday life in the countryside could feel like in practice – with its services, people, hobbies and job opportunities.

From Bingo to Pääsky – Jämijärvi welcomed

The week started spectacularly with the Ihana kamala maesutsu ‑living event day, during which the experimenters visited open event locations in Jämijärvi. The day culminated on the first evening with bingo led by the mayor Aku Autio, which got to the heart of the community atmosphere. The following day, Autio also welcomed the experimenters by introducing the municipality of Jämijärvi, its services and development prospects at a municipal information event held at the Pääsky school center. At the same time, they toured the school center's beautiful new facilities.

Throughout the week, the program included several shared experiences, such as guided frisbee golf with a local club member, and a Lean-to Tour in Hämeenkangas, which, in addition to nature, offered the opportunity for peaceful conversations and atmospheric resting places.

Smoke sauna, horseback riding and employment opportunities

The trial week included experiences that will stay in your memory for a long time. Sari and Juuso were able to enjoy a smoke sauna and hot tub evening organized by the Tykkö village association, which turned out to be the highlight of the entire week. The atmosphere was warm, the food was tasty, and the discussions were rewarding. Also, mushroom trips to Hämeenkangas, fitness sessions, and village visits deepened their picture of living in the country.

“A great evening in the smoke sauna and hot tub! And Rahtipalvi sausages to the bone, oh my!”, they described their mood.

Petra spent her week doing a variety of activities: a horseback riding trip in Niinisalo, a farm visit to a dairy farm, and playing volleyball with a volleyball team. Everyday life also included two days working as a teacher near the capital region, taking care of cats, and getting to know the municipality's rental housing supply. One of the most important encounters was a discussion with the school principals in Jämijärvi and Kankaanpää. Petra is a teacher who is about to graduate, and she wanted to find out about concrete opportunities to move and find employment in Jämijärvi.

“The most important thing for me was to talk to the school principals, because I gained valuable information about the employment situation for teachers,” Petra says.

All the experimenters felt that a lot was done in Jämijärvi to make them feel welcome. Sari and Juuso summarized their feelings about the housing experiment:

"The week exceeded expectations because a lot of effort had been made for us, and we felt really welcome. There were nice activities and events planned for the week, and we got to know several residents in a relaxed atmosphere."

Insights into everyday life in the countryside

The experiment opened up new ideas about what things should be taken into account if moving to the countryside became a current issue. Nature, silence and unhurriedness were common themes that both groups of experimenters highlighted as important elements. Sari and Juuso stated that peace and closeness to nature were exactly the things they set out to find. At the same time, they discovered that everyday practices, such as shopping and services, would require their own arrangements:

“Taking care of everyday matters requires driving further afield, to Kankaanpää or even Tampere, and therefore two cars would be almost essential for us.”

Petra, on the other hand, quickly felt at home in Jämijärvi and noticed that her leisure activities blended well with what the local area has to offer.

“During the week I got a good feel for what everyday life could be like living in Jämijärvi. I could have stayed there for a longer period of time.”

Practical visits to, for example, rental apartments and residential areas provided a concrete understanding of the possibilities of the area and increased the realism of moving to the country.

“Now it would be much easier to think about where to start looking for an apartment, for example. Getting to know the municipality's rental apartments was also very enlightening. I feel that clean or renovated rental apartments are attractive to move if buying an owner-occupied home is not yet a current idea,” Petra adds.

The attractiveness factors of the countryside were therefore the concrete everyday experiences and insights that only arise when you get to try out life in a new environment in practice.

The Wonderful, Horrible Countryside housing experiments are coordinated by Leader and managed by Northern Satakunta. Networking brings attraction -a cooperation project together with municipalities. The project was co-financed by the European Union, and the project period was 1 January 2024–30 June 2026. Nine municipalities from Northern Satakunta and Northwest Pirkanmaa participated.