Kuortane has been permanently inhabited since the 16th century. It´s idyllic landscape is Finnish nature at its most beautiful: lakes, forests and fields. The municipality's main source of livelihood is industry and service industries.
In every three summers Kuortane has a week-long tar burning event. Next time the tar pit will be burning in July 2025. Tar burning is one of the most significant factors in Kuortane's cultural history. Already in the 17th century, it formed an important business for the people of Kuortane. The real heyday of tar burning began in the middle of the 18th century and it brought prosperity to the village until the 1860s. Almost 400 tar pits have been found in Kuortane.The famous two-story peasant houses were built mainly in the early 19th century with the help of tar revenues. The remaining 170 two-story residential buildings in Kuortane represent as a whole one of the most valuable pearls in Finnish peasant culture. |