Nine municipalities in northern Satakunta and north-western Pirkanmaa – Ikaalinen, Jämijärvi, Kankaanpää, Karvia, Kihniö, Merikarvia, Parkano, Pomarkku and Siikainen – offer the opportunity to try living in the countryside. The application is open from 1 to 30 April 2025, so now is the time to act!
Experience rural life in practice
Housing experiments offer a unique opportunity to discover the daily life and lifestyle of rural areas. Participants will stay in homely accommodation, learn about local services and activities, and enjoy the peace and beauty of nature. The experiments will take place in municipalities of the applicants’ choice and will last for a week.
“The housing trials will mainly take place between September and November, when the municipalities will be presented without embellishment. The idea is that if you fall in love with a municipality in autumn, you will fall in love with it in summer,” explains Noora Elonen, who coordinates the housing trials in nine municipalities.
Housing experiments in earnest
The housing experiment is not a holiday week. The trial is offered especially to those who are considering moving to northern Satakunta or north-western Pirkanmaa and for whom remote work is possible.
“We are looking for people who are actually planning to move to the area. You can participate alone, with your spouse, or with the whole family,” adds Noora-Mari Syväluoma, the Project Manager.
Rural living sometimes requires a little more will and character from the resident. It might be shovelling snow from the driveway or heating the wood stove before leaving for work. It can also be picking bilberries from the backyard and getting cinnamon rolls from a neighbour. Sometimes life in the country can feel awful and sometimes it can feel wonderful.
“If you feel you belong in the countryside and really want to experience what rural life is all about, we encourage you to apply,” Elonen says.
Join by application and interview
The application is open the whole April at the Ihana kamala maaseutu (Wonderful terrible countryside) website ihanakamalamaaseutu.fi. The application process includes filling in an application form and a possible interview, which will be used to select the participants. The municipalities will cover the cost of accommodation during the trial period, while the trialists will be responsible for travel and food expenses.
You can also find your ideal “municipality match” by taking the playful “Ihana kamala maaseutu” test, where you can find out where you want to live by answering a few questions. Take the test at testaa.ihanakamalamaaseutu.fi.
More information about the project
The housing experiments and the Ihana kamala maaseutu approach are part of the Verkostosta vetovoimaa (Attractiveness through the network) cooperation project managed by Leader Pohjois-Satakunta. The project aims to overcome the barriers for moving to the countryside. Other measures in the project, such as AI-assisted language translations of municipal websites, the development of remote work facilities in rural municipalities and the activation of municipal residents as ambassadors for their own municipality, will support municipalities’ capacity to welcome new residents.
The project is jointly implemented by nine rural municipalities and funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The project will be implemented from 1.1.2024 to 30.6.2026.
For more information visit the website ihanakamalamaaseutu.fi and in Instagramissa @ihanakamalamaaseutu
Contact
Project Manager Noora-Mari Syväluoma
Leader Pohjois-Satakunta, Verkostosta vetovoimaa project
noora-mari.syvaluoma@kankaanpaa.fi
040 190 9440
Project Coordinator Noora Elonen
Leader Pohjois-Satakunta, Verkostosta vetovoimaa project
noora.elonen@kankaanpaa.fi
040 577 1300
See also
