Kokemäki (Finnish:[ˈkokeˌmæki]; Swedish: Kumo) is a town and municipality in the Satakunta Region of Finland. The town has a population of 6,699 (31 August 2024)[2] and covers an area of 531.27 square kilometres (205.12 sq mi) of which 50.04 km2 (19.32 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 13.94 inhabitants per square kilometre (36.1/sq mi).
Finland is constitutionally bi-lingual with a Swedish speaking minority. The municipality is unilingual with the vast majority of the population speaking Finnish. Many, mostly younger, residents are able to understand or speak some English.
It is believed that the Iron Age town of Teljä was located next to the Kokemäenjoki river at Kokemäki.[10] The oldest stone carving yet found in Finland, dated at 8,000 to 9,000 years old, was discovered in nearby Huittinen in 1903. The 10 cm elk's head is in a permanent exhibition at the National Museum of Finland in the capital, Helsinki. Archeological finds from in and around Kokemäki have been dated to the Middle Ages.
Kokemäki is thought to have been founded in the 12th century, maybe even earlier. The Kokemäki parish was established in 1324. While part of the Kingdom of Sweden, the administrative area (slottslän) of Kumogård (Kokemäenkartano) was created in 1331. Kokemäki served as the administrative centre of the historical province of Satakunta until 1634. The Medieval Kokemäki Castle was demolished in 1367.[9]
The medieval trading route of Huovintie goes from Turku, by Kokemäki and the river of Kokemäenjoki. Along the Huovintie were guild houses where travellers could stay overnight. This was located near the Kokemäki church.[9]
The legend states that in 1156 Bishop Henry of Uppsala visited Satakunta on a preaching tour as a part of Eric IX of Sweden's first crusade to Finland. St. Henry's Chapel is a neogothic style brick chapel one kilometre east of the town centre of Kokemäki. The chapel was built in 1857 on the site of a medieval wooden granary which was used by Bishop Henry. It is possible that the original building dates back to between the 12th and 15th century, making it the oldest remaining wooden building in Finland.
Highway 2 passes to the south, running from Helsinki to Pori on the Baltic coast; Highway 11 runs from Pori to Nokia only briefly in the northern part of the municipality; and Highway 12 runs from Rauma to Tampere and Nokia, passing through nearby Huittinen.
Helsinki is 205 kilometres (127 mi) or two and a half hours away by car.
There are two electric vehicle (EV) charging points in Kokemäki, with another 55 within a 160 kilometres (99 mi) radius.[13]
The private coach companies OnniBus and ExpressBus operate services to all major towns and regions in Finland.
Rail
Finnish trains have a reputation for being spacious, comfortable and clean.
The state-owned rail company VR operates a service between Tampere and Pori, stopping at Kokemäki.
The train station is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the west of the town centre at Peipohja.[14][15]
Air
The nearest airport is Pori Airport, which is 43 kilometres (27 mi) or 40 minutes away by Highway 2.
Tampere-Pirkkala Airport is 96 kilometres (60 mi) or an hour and ten minutes away by Highway 12.
Kokemäki has six schools offering primary and secondary education. These are; Tuomaala, Tulkkila, Riste, Peipohja, Lahteenmaki and Korkeaoja High School. There is free pre-school education for all children aged 6. The Peipohjan day-care nursery caters for children aged 9 months to 5 years.
