Kerava Off The Beaten Path

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Take a walk to this old stone bridge over Kerava river near Kerava manor. The address is Kivisillantie (that translates to "stone bridge road" - what a surprise). If you are looking for a nice swim: don't even think about it. The river water is muddy and shallow. However, its great for kayaking and canoeing, and this is a good spot to enter your vessel for there's a platform for that purpose especially.

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How did folks live in the olden days? If you're interested in old customs and ways of life, then visit Kerava museum. It is an old farm with several buildings in their original surroundings (the main building was built at the end of the 1800th century) and exhibits artefacts of country life in southern Finland from the 1800th century til the 1930's.
Great rustic atmosphere, just within walking distance from the railway station, address Museokatu 1. On the east side of the railway tracks.

Special events on the traditional Kerava-day Fair (Wanhan ajan markkinat) in June in the garden with people wearing olden days outfits, folk dancing etc. Best outfits competition. At Christmas time, an exhibition of the old customs and traditions of the season.

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With a total area of 7,5 ha comprising the back woods of the Kerava manor and the near fields all the way to the river, the Merikallio birdpark offers a safehaven for birds to nest. Here you can watch birds in untouched nature and, indeed, it's a wilderness in miniature. If trees fall, they are left there lying, bushes are not trimmed in any way and so on to provide a natural habitat and maintain biodiversity. ( so remember to take your boots or hiking shoes rather than dancing shoes, heh-heh...)

The park was founded by the Kerava Society together with the town council and it's named after Professor Einari Merikallio (1888-1961) who was a prominent scientist, studied Finnish birds, published several books and who lived and worked at Kerava teaching biology at the local school.

There are pictures of birds along the path so as to help you identify which birds are which. About 40 different species are nesting here and the total number of sightings is said to be 47 different bird species. Very educational!

However, I find it hard trying to listen to a nightingale sing while at the same time there's a continuous humming of cars coming from the busy Lahti motorway nearby.

Address: Kivisillantie, Keravan kartano
Free entry

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If you walk to the east side of the railway tracks and near Kerava church, you'll see a nice looking wooden house. This is a place where people can have their wedding receptions or big birthday parties and such like. It is owned by Kerava town. The present Manor house was built in the 19th century and it was recently renovated in the 1920's style. It's not otherwise open to public so you can only get in if somebody invites you to their celebrations. However, I don't think you need to worry that you miss something extraordinary.

This one is at the railway station, it was build in 1932 in Tampere, Finland. Price then was 1 million mark, those was old marks then and before the euro time ;)