Jeturkasti in Teijo National Park is an ancient shoreline, commonly known as a devil’s field, pirunpelto, in Finnish folklore. I visited Jeturkasti in winter when the ground was free of snow. While Teijo National Park is undoubtedly more picturesque in the summer, I intentionally chose to visit during the off-season to avoid crowds and enjoy the peace and quiet of this unique site. Teijo National Park was established in 2015 and it attracts about 100 000 on a yearly basis. Jeturkasti is the largest of the national park’s few ancient shores. There is a nice viewing deck and a picnic table at Jeturkasti.
We’ve previously written about other devil’s fields in Finland, such as the stunning devil’s field in Kasnäs on Kemiö Island and Rumavaara in Pudasjärvi. It’s fascinating how folklore attributes these rocky landscapes to the devil’s handiwork. People believed the devil had either thrown the rocks carelessly or that only he could have plowed such a field of stones.
These rock formations are common along the ancient shorelines of the Litorina Sea, easily recognizable due to their sparse vegetation. Jeturkasti, formed around 9,000 years ago, emerged when the waves of the Baltic Sea, or more accurately, the Litorina Sea, washed over its beach stones. Today, it sits 80 meters above sea level.
What sets Jeturkasti apart from some other devil’s fields is the unique size and shape of its stones, which are small and rounded, typically 10–20 cm in diameter. The rocks are primarily granite and gneiss. A variety of lichens and mosses grow on the rocks and in the spaces between them. Among the rocks, you can spot up to 15 larger holes believed to be manmade. These are referred to as caveman’s refrigerators reflecting their presumed purpose.
There are two trails to Jeturkasti, a 1.4 kilometers long demanding accessible trail and 4.9 kilometers long circle trail called Jeturkasti ancient trail:
Demanding accessible 1.4 km trail
The demanding accessible trail to Jeturkasti begins at a small parking area located at Skoilantie 354, Salo. The trail is generally 2 meters wide, but during this time of year, there are a few large water puddles along the way. The incline reaches up to 12% when starting from the parking area but is gentler elsewhere. The ancient beach is located 0.7 kilometers from the parking lot. Unfortunately, the parking area does not include designated disability spaces and can only accommodate a few cars, so finding a spot may not always be guaranteed.
Jeturkasti ancient trail is a 4.9 km long circle trail
The best starting points for the 4.9 km circular trail, Jeturkastin muinaispolku, are the Kariholma parking area at Matildanjärventie 20, Salo and the Matildajärvi parking area at Matildanjärventie 86, Salo. It’s recommended to follow the trail clockwise. The route is well marked and winds through a bright pine forest, occasionally climbing small rocky hills, and follows the shoreline of Lake Matildanjärvi for just under a kilometer. For 0.7 kilometers, this longer trail overlaps with the accessible trail.
Read more about Teijo National Park at Metsähallitus website. The website seems to have many link and redirection issues, especially in English, but hopefully they will get sorted out soon.
You can access Teijo National Park also by bus from Salo. During the summer, the bus goes directly to Matildanjärvi parking lot, from where you can access the Jeturkasti ancient trail. Check out Salon Paikku website for details.
Special to remember: This is Natura protected area, and caveman’s refrigerators are protected archaeological remains under the Antiquities Act. Dogs should be kept on a leash, as is required throughout Teijo National Park.
When to go: You can visit this area any time of the year but it’s not worth going if the devil’s field is covered in snow. Kariholma and Matildajärvi parking areas are kept open during winter, but the accessible trail and its small parking lot are not.
