We visited Petäjävesi on an overcast day in early July, as part of our tour around southern and central Finland. This really is a very small site, just the church and it's surrounds. We've seen lots of small wooden churches now on the World Heritage Journey, in Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and neighbouring Norway, and this one felt quite similar as well.

It dates from around 1765 and is almost entirely original from that time, although the bell-tower is a later addition. Inside there's some fascinating carvings and decorations that are excellent examples of vernacular art - just local artisans doing their own thing, so they look quite unusual and eccentric, particularly the large carvings of Jesus and the apostles.

Although it was out of service for over a century, these days it's an active church with services every Sunday, and is a popular wedding venue as well. It's generally only open during the summer months - dates and times can vary so check the official website for details. And of course it's closed while services are happening.