The wooden church of Pihjalavesi was built between 1780-1782. In 1778 small village of Pihjalavesi requested to build their own church, because it was long distance to nearest church. The parish of Keuruu denied the request, but the building of smaller chapel was allowed without any public funding. Local inhabitant built anyway a church and sold grain and tar to fund it. When the church was completed, local vicar got admonition from the chapter.
Pihlajavesi Wilderness Church was designed by famous church builder Matti Pärnä-Åkerblom. There are many legends of church, you can for example find figures of people in the inside wall of the church. Remarks are probably originated from the people reclining to the wall during worships.
The cemetery surrounding church was established in 1785 and used until the beginning of the 20th century. Some parts of the church were renovated in 1870s and again in 1930s. It’s open in summertime and popular venue for worships, concerts and weddings.
Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.