Every design for Pihtipudas

Pihtipudas sits at the top of Central Finland, where highway 4 heads north towards Oulu and the land breaks up into lakes: Alvajärvi and Muurasjärvi, Saanijärvi and Elämäjärvi, and the northern ends of Kolima and Kolkku.

What makes it unlike its neighbours is a love of throwing things a long way. Pihtipudas is known for its annual javelin carnival, the upper secondary school even offers a javelin line, and Keihäänheittäjä, the javelin thrower statue, says it all. It is also known for Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala, the inventor of pesäpallo, Finland's own take on baseball. Its history runs further back than most: the Village of Rönni at Rönnynkylä, on the north-east shore of Saanijärvi, is a Mesolithic site with the bones of one of the earliest dogs found in Finland. The church was built by Simo Jylkkä, one of the best-known master builders of his century.

The image to keep is Putikonlahti on a still summer evening, with Sallilan puisto green and Pihtiputaan kotiseutumuseo keeping the older stories close.