On the Move: Secular and Sacred Tourism 

Text: Heikki Uimonen

My field notes from the first listening walks on 3 June on the south side of Nauvo main street read as follows:

“A lawnmower, a garbage truck and a concrete truck – clearly morning commuter traffic, just after 7 am. Jackdaws and pigeons. As the walk continues, the traffic noise diminishes considerably. Indeed, it is almost perfect hi-fi soundscape, with the sounds of swans and birds of the deciduous forest coming from directions 10 and 14 o’clock over the water. Flies and other buzzing insects can be heard in nearfield.”

I noticed no significant differences in the sonic environment compared with that of the year 2000. The neighbourhood is almost unchanged, except for the ventilation of the new buildings and the trampoline in the garden, which, based on my personal experience, was invented to cheer up children and annoy neighbours. The sound of the nail gun from the construction site next to the main street signifies the community’s economic prosperity.

The neighbourhood’s serenity and tranquillity are safeguarded by ‘Private Property’ signs, particularly on the lawns by the strait. Dumping rubbish is also strictly prohibited. ‘All overnights stays prohibited in the area’, is stated in three languages. My colleague Kaj Ahlsved told me that some of the plaques are there to deter unwanted visitors, such as tourists from the beach.   

Another reference to extra communal traffic can be found next to the bulletin board of the medieval Nauvo church. It adds a historical dimension to theme by presenting a map of the St. Olav Waterway, a route which “leads pilgrims 1,200 km from Turku to Trondheim”.  Nearly a thousand years ago, people travelled via Nauvo from the nearby city of Turku to the medieval city of Nidaros (now Trondheim, Norway) to visit the burial site of Olaf Haraldsson (995–1030), who was considered the most important saint in the Nordic countries during the Middle Ages.

The signs and the bulletin board in Nauvo manifest themes of travel and movement. There is yet another connection between tourism and pilgrimage, as it has been stated that the beginning of contemporary mass tourism was based on religion. Catering was required for those who undertook long journeys to sacred sites for various reasons, whether personal or communal.

Undoubtedly, soundscapes change due to the large number of people travelling from one place to another. There is research available on the different aspects of tourism and soundscapes, and deservedly so. Not only mass tourism, but silent retreats and other, more bespoke getaways from everyday life also have their own particular relationship with sounds and sonic environments. A curious trickle-down effect of the tourist industry are the smartphone trekking applications – used by our team, so yes, it has an impact on our work too.

Nauvo is a seasonal tourist destination, as evidenced by both local comments and statistics. Its 1,300 permanent residents are joined by summer visitors, bringing the total population to 10,000, some of them seasonal workers on temporary contracts. The idyllic midsummer environment described above is accompanied by the hustle and bustle of a harbour, which attracts expensive yachts in need of special services. Compared to the year 2000, the number of small enterprises, restaurants with background music and pop-up clothing shops has increased remarkably. Locals and visitors are seduced by events such as Nauvo Chamber Music Days, Satahanka Camp for Sea Scouts and Saaristo Poker Run for speed boats and water scooters. 

These preliminary observations suggest that we have a long way to go in finding out how Nauvo’s seasonal soundscape has changed over the years. Indeed, there are natural environments for those who wish to enjoy them, as well as affordances for those searching for action and nightlife. How has this changed over the years, and what will the future bring? 

The route to Nidaros prompts us to reflect on how these themes have existed from the Middle Ages to the present day, and on how they continue to resonate in today’s world. In the end of they day we are not talking about tourism or pilgrimage. We are talking about human beings who are on the move and communicating through sounds, making and interpreting sounds and bringing their cultural understanding of sounds with them. Ultimately, this is a topic that deserves more scholarly attention in the context of contemporary global migration.