Culture and sights

Myllysaari is located in the middle of the city of Valkeakoski, between the crossing of two lakes, Mallasvesi and Vanajavesi. Myllysaari, translated Mill Island, literally used to be an island whose shores were dotted with grain mills since the Middle Ages. Walkiakoski rapid gave driving power a papermill that was built on this location in 1871. Nowadays the old factory buildings are home to Myllysaari museum. The area is a nationally significant cultural environment.

The permanent exhibition of Myllysaari museum is called “Vana – wake” , the track left by a boat moving through water. It is a journey of Valkeakoski and Sääksmäki from the Iron Age through to today. The story brings distant trades and people to life.

Translations are available in English, Russian, German and Swedish. Several changing exhibitions take place at the museum every year.

In Myllysaari there is also The Finnish football museum. It displays more than 100 years of Finnish football history through uniforms, trophies, and featured legendary Finnish players.

One of the unique items of Myllysaari museum is a genuine Venetian gondola. The gondola was acquired by the legendary paper mill director Juuso Walden.

The Football Museum of Finland is located at Valkeakoski, a town of 20 000 inhabitants 145 kilometres north of Helsinki, the capital of the country. Valkeakoski is one of the football centres of Finland, its football club Haka (est in 1934) a ninefold national title holder and cup winner for twelve times.

The Football Museum was established in 1993 by Aimo Pulkkinen, Mikko Rikkonen, Esko Malm, Juhani Peltonen, all four ex-Haka players and Jaakko Rautalin, representing Koskenpojat, another football club at Valkeakoski.

In addition to numerous exhibits from the history of football in Finland, the Football Museum houses the Hall of Fame of Finnish football.

The Kauppilanmäki open-air museum is situated a few hundred metres to the south of the canal.  There are five houses that illustrate the way paper workers lived from late 19th century to the early 20th century. There are  also a Workers’ Hall, a genuine smoke sauna, a carriage shed and storage houses. Changing exhibitions, work shows and various events and performances are arranged on the premises.

Open during the summer of 2024: June 19th to August 11th, 2024 Wednesday to Sunday, from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Situated on the shore of the Lake Vanajavesi, near the magnificent Sääksmäki suspension bridge. Visavuori is a museum entity comprising the Home and Atelier Museum of the artist Emil Wikström and the Kari-Pavilion exhibiting the works of Wikström’s grandson, the artist Kari Suomalainen. Known simply as Kari, he was the most famous cartoonist in Finland. The atelier also houses a small winter garden, an organ and an observatory. Open all year round.

Voipaala, situated at the foot of the Rapola Ridge, was transformed from a village into a manor in the 17th century.  The mansion is set in a two hundred-year-old baroque park. The main building  of Voipaala Manor, completed in 1912, today houses an art centre.

Voipaala is a meeting place for friends of history, cultural events, art and wellbeing.

Voipaala manor’s art centre presents high-quality contemporary art throughout the year. Take a look at the exhibitions and seat yourself next to the delicious goods of the manor café in the main building. There are many types of events in the area, from market days to concerts.

You can also enjoy nature on a walk to Rapola hill fort, which you can reach by a nice trail from Voipaala.

The Rapola ridge, situated in Sääksmäki, a junction of the ancient Häme waterways, is one of the most valued cultural sites in Finland. In addition to the remnants of Finland´s largest ancient hill fort, built some thousand years ago, the area boasts remnants of prehistoric dwellings, cemeteries, sacrificial stones and an ancient grain field. There is a guided path through the hill fort beginning at the car park of Voipaala manor.

The Sääksmäki stone church was built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. It burnt down in 1929, and was consecrated in 1933. It was restored during the years 1998-1999. The stained glass windows and the paintings in the ceiling were done by well-known local artist Kalle Carlstedt, and the relief by another local artist Aukusti Veuro. There are two old sculptures of saints: St. Olaf, 14 th century, and St. James, 15 th century.

Open from May 16th to September 11th, from 10 am to 6 pm.

The town theatre of Valkeakoski is a small, high quality local theatre. The theatre has operated in one form or another since 1909 when the theatre building was completed. This old, romantic house comprises of a 228-seat main stage and a separate 60-seat small stage. There is also a 100-seat cafe.

The theatre employs full time manager/director, secretary and a costumier. The actual lifeline of the theatre are the enthusiastic hobbyists who work as actors, light and sound technicians etc.

The theatre invests into the local know-how and organises training for the hobbyists.

Twice a year the people of the theatre gather together to check, clean and repair the theatre building and the equipment.

The theatre has two to three opening nights per year plus off-productions and visiting shows. The Actors’ Association organises two to four times a year Cafe Teatro evenings that can be anything from the field of the performing arts.

The 850-seat covered stage serves also as a venue for free concerts, singalongs and other public events. Contact the town’s cultural affairs office for stage rentals.

The Forest Theater, build in middle of the forest by volunteers, is an ideal venue for music events and summer theater performances. The theater has good, natural acoustics and seating for up to 350 people. Forest theater also captivates audiences with its natural essence and atmosphere.

Garden cafe Tervapääsky (Swift) is located in cultural scenery near Sääksmäki church. The building is designed by Lars Sonck and was build in 1912-1913. Open only in July.