METLA 8. Valtionhotelli (State hotel) 10. Stone Boundaries PUNKAHARJU RESEARCH PARK Punkaharju's Valtionhotelli is the oldest lodging house The beauty of Punkaharju was discovered early on. in Finland and hence, its history is full of interesting In 1803 Tsar Alexander I urged that the esker forests AND NATURE CONSERVATION AREA details. The buildings represent the versatile and rich be protected. Punkaharju was submitted to the state Finnish architecture of wooden constructions. in 1840 and since then the esker has been fostered as CULTURE TRAIL Finnish national landscape. After many eventful phases The oldest part of the hotel was built in 1845 as a forest the stone boundaries of the Punkaharju Crown Park warden's house where modest lodging facilities were were finally constructed. A sturdy stone wall was built also provided for tourists. The architecture, designed by to separate the state land from private land. Piles of Bernhard superintendent Ernst Lohrmann, represents stones are still left of this construction, locally called one of the first Swiss shalet-style buildings in Finland. "the Crown fence". The stone piles are protected by the In 1879 the forest warden's house was extended by National Board of Antiquities and as such, they will be adding an annex of ten guest rooms. After the extensi preserved. on the building was used as a lodging house, and the forest warden moved to a separate residence. In 1893 11. Metla Research Unit the number of increased Punkaharju guest rooms was by another ten when a kitchen was added in the and, wing 1899, Near to the esker area there is also the Research Unit became much it is building as today. facilities ofthe Finnish Forest Research Institute (Met la). Metla is an independent research institute under the The hotel was completely renovated during 1978-1979, auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. and the restoration was one of the most demanding It provides information on forest ecosystems, various ones ever performed in Finland in the field ofwooden forms of forest use as well as forestry and timber trade construction architecture. Punkaharju's Valtionhotelli and industry. can said to be be a monument to Finland's earliest en deavours in forest tourism conservation, management, Metla Punkaharju Research Unit is specialized in re and different types of recreational activities. search into forest genetics and forest improvement. The Punkaharju research area was established in 1924. The 9. Empress's Villa 1850 hectares of research forests and area comprises 720 ha of nature conservation areas. The 1898 ofconsecutive extensions year was a year and rapid growth at the hotel. A separate annex build We hope that you have enjoyed your visit to Punkahar Punkaharju is a narrow esker formation between Puru ing, the Empress's Villa, also called "Villa Punkasyrjä" ju and have learnt something of its past and present. vesi and Pihlajavesi, two lakes that are part of the Lake in old documents, was built less than 200 metres from Thank you for coming and we hope to see you again. Saimaa water The esker was formed approxi the main hotel. There is no knowledge of how and why system. the Villa its and neither is there mately 10,000 years ago during the most recent glacial got name, any proof to period. It has been estimated that it took some 30 show that an empress was accommodated there. The METLA years wooden contains its for the esker to build up: loose soil was brought with building merely guest rooms and PUNKAHARJU glacier water along a crevasse in the continental ice architecture is very different from the hotel building. The indicates the revival of Renaissance and sheet to form the seven-kilometre esker. style Neo Punkaharju Research Unit has some resemblance to some villas built at the end of Finlandiantie 18 The Culture Trail chance be 9878-3362 Punkaharju provides a to ' 19 1 1 the Karelian Isthmus. The century on Empress's FI-58450 PUNKAHARJU come acquainted with many spots ofhistorical interest Villa was repaired in connection with the renovation of te 1.+358 10 2111 fax +3sB 10 211 4201 in the esker The trail is km and it is Jyväskylä area. 3.5 long sign the Valtionhotelli completed in 1979. with white direction www.metla.fi/pu posted marks on trees and signs. Oy, Editing and layout: Metla/ E. Beuker, K. Huttunen, J. Hyvärinen The trail may be joined at any point. It is also suitable E. Matikainen,T. Nikkanen, E. Oksa, S. Ruotsalainen /3.2007 Oma for fitness enthusiasts, because the topography is rolling, Photos: J. Lehto, E. Matikainen andT. Nikkanen ©Translation: Pirkko Huuskonen and occasionally even physically demanding. Kirjapaino and in Lime lane in the The first parks. tree was planted guests were accommodated in Hotel early 1900s for aesthetic as well as practical pur of the lane served Finlandia in 1914. poses. In the era steam engines, July These its it as a firewall. Lime trees live to a great age. During early days almost still in trees, which are 100 years old, are ivas a popular holiday good condition. "esort for the aristocracy )f St. Petersburg. 3. Lusto The First World War caused hard times and reduced tourism. The hotel became burdened with debts and, Lusto, the Finnish Forest Museum and Forest consequently, the ownership of Hotel Finlandia was Information Centre, designed by architect Rainer modern architecture. The transferred to the state. In 1933 the state conveyd it to Mahlamäki, represents the Finnish Tourist Association. basic exhibition, several special exhibitions, theme and events lead the visitor through the forest, days The state re-purchased the dilapidated buildings and from the past into the future, to study the diversified them the Rehabilitation rented to Punkaharju Hospital. interaction between man and the forest. Lusto was After the renovation which was completed in 1982 the opened in June 1994 and the annex was completed Finlandia facilities are used as an annex to the Kruunu in 2005. spring puisto Rehabilitation Centre. In the courtyard there is a life-sized sculpture called 6. Kissing Bridge Ajomies (Haulier) by Herman Joutsen. It pays tribute to the man and horse teams, that used to toil The bridge was built by the in forests. Visitors can freely use the Metsäkätkö Finnish Tourist Associa (Forest Hideaway) barbecue hut behind Lusto. tion in 1930's to shorten the 1. Old Station Railway distance from Hotel Fin 4. Boat Shed landia to the esker area and The Punkaharju Railway shed the shore ofLake Valtionhotelli. The bridge Station, designed by Bru The shingle-roofed boat on have been named after Puruvesi was in 1997 to a church may no Granholm, was com completed protect the romantic endearments and the constructionwork was carried out pleted in 1906, in connec boat, partly expressed by those using the bridge, enchanted by the tion with the construction as a local team effort. The church boat shore is part scenic nature. The bridge was repaired by the Finnish of the Savonlinna-Elisen ofthe Lusto courtyard area and the boat can be rented Institute in and it Forest Research 1983, was officially from Lusto. Small boats can arrive in Lusto by landing vaara railway. The station the church boat if the boat under the inaugurated for use - along with kisses, naturally. curtilage includes other buildings, mostly built in the on shore, can go esker's under the main road the station itself, an old warehouse stone bridge or bridge. same year as e.g. 7. Museum Road and cellar, as well as two outbuildings. The gazebo at southern end ofthe built in 1928. 5. Hotel Finlandia the platform was The old road the used country on ridge was originally as a trail by huntsmen, and with time it developed into The station was closed in the 1970s due to significantly Hotel Finlandia, locally called "Vinska", has a place an important throughfare. The history ofthe ridge road reduced railway traffic. Today the station is used as the in the history of hotels in Finland. The building was dates back to the 16th when a road connection Guidance Centre and Exhibitions facility of the Punka designed by the architect-brothers Valter and Ivar century, was built from Vyborg Castle to Olavinlinna Castle, harju nature conservation area. Thomen. As signs of the era after Art Nouveau and The road used for nationalistic it contains themes of founded in 1475. was particularly romanticism, typical courier service but was also used of soldiers. 2. Lime tree lane Baroque and Renaissance, such as oval-shaped win by troops You the same road and march motifs and bowl ornaments. can use very original dows, gable x The lime tree, especially the common lime (Tilia forward to the next point of interest, the courtyard of in urban environments lanes vulgaris) is common along Valtionhotelli. .