Nykänen’s grave draws tourists to Jyväskylä

The grave of ski jumper Matti Nykänen attracts visitors every day in summer at Jyväskylä’s old cemetery, particularly from Germany and Poland, Yle reports.

Nykänen, a four-time Olympic winner and six-time world champion, died more than seven years ago. His grave remains a regular destination for both Finnish and foreign tourists.

Liisa Kontunen, the old cemetery’s supervisor, said more than 100 people ask seasonal workers where Nykänen’s grave is during the summer. About one-third of the visitors come from major ski-jumping countries such as Germany and Poland.

“They want to come and see their hero’s grave,” Kontunen said.

The grave is located in a family plot. Nykänen’s father and great-grandmother are also buried there. The modest black gravestone does not stand out from the other gravestones, but it bears Olympic rings donated by the Finnish Olympic Committee.

Kontunen said no other grave at the old cemetery is as popular. Hundreds of people visited Nykänen’s grave after his funeral in February 2019.

Visitors often leave candles or flowers, but these are soon removed. Nykänen’s relatives maintain the family plot and have asked people not to leave additional objects there. They remove extra flowers and candles, Kontunen said.

Kontunen estimates that some tourists travel to Jyväskylä specifically to see Nykänen’s grave and memorial. The memorial, a large steel feather sculpture by sculptor Kaarina Kaikkonen, stands at the Hippos sports park near Köyhälampi.

Nykänen won five Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals and four overall World Cup titles during his career.

The online magazine Como was the first to report the story.