Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson was a Finnish author and artist, best known for the Moomin stories. She was born on August 9, 1914, in Helsinki, and passed away on June 27, 2001, also in Helsinki. Jansson spent a lot of time on Pellinge Island, which was her beloved summer retreat and a source of inspiration. Many of the events in the Moomin stories were based on experiences on Pellinge and its surroundings. The Moomin Valley, created by Tove Jansson, is world-famous and has touched countless people around the globe. Jansson’s legacy lives on strongly in both literature and art, and her significance to Finnish culture and the world is considerable.
Places to visit in Pellinki
Tove Jansson and Tuulikki Pietilä spent 28 summers on Klovharun, a small skerry in the outer seaband, and in 1991, Tove donated the cottage to the Pellinge Heritage Association. During the summer months, the cottage serves as an artist residency, except during the visiting week at the end of July. Please note that Klovharun, along with the islets and skerries around it, is a nature reserve. Landing is only permitted during the visiting week, and be mindful of how you move around the island. Leave dogs, cats, and other pets at home or on the boat. The outdoor toilet is not available to visitors.
Warm memories of Tove and Tuulikki still thrive on Pellinge, and there aren’t many public attractions open to the general public. If you wish to acquaint yourself with Tove’s legacy on Pellinge, we warmly recommend visiting Klovharun during the visiting week or booking the Island Riddles adventure, based on the book “The book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My?”
But equally warmly, we suggest simply strolling around the villages of Österby or Söderby, taking a walk along one of the smaller sandy paths, or booking a boat trip to explore the cliffs and skerries further out. Boat trips are offered by Seasport and Johan Sundbäck boattaxi.
Car parking in Pellinki
We ask that visitors respect housing areas and do not park along roads to block traffic. Smaller roads always lead to a cottage, and unfortunately, you won’t find deserted beaches reachable by car on Pellinge.
