The Alpua Church Stone

In Kirkkoniemi in the village of Alpua, high up on a ridge top by a road leading to a ski cabin stands a boulder resembling a pulpit. It is said that, long ago, beggar monks and priests held sermons at the site for people living in the wilderness. When Vihanti did not yet have a church of its own, legend has it that the Church Stone was the starting point of the journey to transport the deceased to the Luohua cemetery. According to folklore, during the Russian occupation of the Great Northern War, people gathered at the stone for church service. The area is currently protected.

Driving directions: The Alpua Church Stone is located on top of a tall ridge in Kirkkoniemi. When driving along the Vihanti–Pulkkila road, turn southwest onto Hiihtopaikantie by the Alpua village.