Killinkoski: Ribbon Factory History and Village Culture

Killinkoski is a village in Virrat with a distinctive cultural and historical profile. Wanha Tehdas is home to the only ribbon industry museum in the Nordic countries. Other attractions include a wooden church designed by Josef Stenbäck and the Kamerataivas Museum in Killinkoski, Virrat. If you’re specifically looking for industrial heritage and village history on your trip, you’ll find several different themes here. For geographical orientation, Killinkoski is on Highway 68 between Virrat and Ähtäri.

Factory History at Wanha Tehdas

The protected old ribbon factory building in Killinkoski was designed by Josef Stenbäck; its oldest parts were completed in 1908. The Holmin ribbon factory began operating in 1898 and was the first of its kind in Finland. These dates represent two specific aspects of the factory’s history: the start of operations at the Holmin ribbon factory and the completion of the oldest parts of the protected building. The old ribbon factory was restored as a ribbon industry museum. Killinkosken Wanha Tehdas is home to the only ribbon industry museum in the Nordic countries.

In the factory complex, the Into Centre presents the life and work of I. K. Inha, the Finnish national photographer who was born in Virrat. Thus, in addition to the ribbon industry, Inha’s life and work are among Killinkoski’s cultural themes. The “Aikamatka” page invites you on a journey back in time to the beginnings of Killinkoski’s factories in the final decades of the 19th century. If you’d like to explore the old factory complex on a guided tour, tours for groups are available by arrangement year-round.

Wooden Church and Community Life

Killinkoski’s wooden church is also connected with Josef Stenbäck: he designed the building, which was built in 1928. The church can accommodate about 130 people. It also has a small parish hall for coffee and catering events. Except during the winter period from Christmas to Easter, a service is held at the church once a month. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider the church building and community life as cultural themes in their own right, in addition to the factory complex.

More Reasons to Visit

A traditional collectors’ gathering and market day are held at Wanha Tehdas on the Saturday of the last weekend in July. This date offers a specific seasonal reason to include Killinkoski in your travel plans. Wanha Tehdas also has a café. The Kamerataivas Museum is also located in Killinkoski, Virrat.

Killinkoski as a Holiday Destination

When searching for a holiday apartment, you can use Killinkoski as a specific place name between Virrat and Ähtäri. The old factory complex is considered a versatile and popular attraction in the village. To focus your search on this location, you could compare different reasons to visit: you can choose the factory complex as your destination or turn your attention to the Kamerataivas Museum. This lets you shape the cultural focus of your stay around two different museum experiences.

More Places to Explore

For more destination ideas, you can also explore Orivesi, Parkano, Ylojarvi, Viiala, Västilä, Laitikkala, Kämmenniemi and Pirkkala.

For the broader travel overview: Pirkanmaa.