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Wood, Water & Workshop in Kouvola

Location: Kouvola, Finland

Duration: 2 days

Sites: Tehtaanmäki residential district and school in Inkeroinen, Kouvola, Art Centre Antares, Youth centre Anjala

Available: May-September

Accommodation: Not included

Transportation: Not included

Themes: Aalto homes, Art, Boat trip, Modernism, Nature, Residential areas

From 262 € per person

Experience the industrial Tehtaanmäki and create your own mindscape. The tour takes you to the Ankkapurha Cultural Park, besides the foams of the River Kymijoki and the Tehtaanmäki residential area. At the Art Centre Antares in the countryside sceneries of Sippola the tour culminates into a workshop and exhibition. On this tour, you can be inspired by the layers of history and create something new of your experiences.

Tour highlights:

  • A guided tour in the Tehtaanmäki residential area, with an indoor visit to a building
  • Ankkapurha rapids
  • A boat ride on the River Kymijoki and coffee served beside campfire
  • The grounds of the Anjala Manor House
  • Sauna at the Ankkapurha Cultural Park
  • Workshop in Art Centre Antares
  • Art exhibition in Art Centre Antares

 

The tour takes you to the industrial community at Tehtaanmäki and presents you the residential area designed by Alvar Aalto. The region is filled with history of the woodworking industry from the 1870s onwards. Tehtaanmäki contains the traditional and the modern – Aalto was hired in the 1930s to design the Anjala Paper Mill and homes for the mill workers. A new type of working-class world was created: verdant and communal area built near the river, providing a setting for housing, school, interests and work.

You will be guided through the residential area, where the houses are still used for their original purpose. The Anjala Paper Mill Aalto designed is also in operation. After the tour we take a boat trip along the River Kymijoki and have a cup of coffee served beside campfire. Accommodation takes place on the grounds of an old manor. In the evening you can relax in sauna by the river.

On the second day, it is your turn! You will be taken to an art workshop at the local Art Center Antares nearby. Interpretate all what you have seen and experienced, in your way and personal style.

The tour includes a boat trip at river Kymijoki.

Engineer house at Mäntyrinne in Inkeroinen. Photo: Alvar Aalto Foundation

See Alvar Aalto's interpretation of a good living environment, experience the landscape on and off the riverbank, get to know the history of the Finnish woodworking industry. Let the place inspire you and get creative.
Veneretken maisemaa, Kouvola, Kymijoki
During the boat ride you will learn about the history of River Kymijoki.
Restaurant Ankkapurhan Helmi serves a fresh lunch buffet
Restaurant Ankkapurhan Helmi serves a fresh lunch buffet
The Art Center Antares
The Art Center Antares is situated in a former dairy building.
Känkkäränmäki
The Anjala Manor House and Youth Centre Anjala are situated in the midst of the natural environment of Känkkäränmäki.
The Art Center Antares
The Art Center Antares showcases Finnish and international contemporary art.

Programme by day

Day 1: Tehtaanmäki and Ankkapurha Culture Park

The tour starts at the Ankkapurha Culture Park in Anjala beside the River Kymijoki. From there, we follow the timeline of history to Tehtaanmäki, a residential area designed by Alvar Aalto. The industrial community which arose at Tehtaanmäki in the 1870s obtained a modern update when Alvar Aalto was hired in the 1930s to design the Anjala Paper Mill and homes for the mill workers.

The various strata of human settlement are still apparent in the area. The Stone Age residential area in the middle of the built neighbourhood integrates the past into the present. The oldest industrial buildings date from the 19th century, and the houses designed by Aalto are from 1937 to 1956. The buildings designed by Aalto for the Tehtaanmäki area include industrial production buildings, Rantalinja semi-detached houses for the shift supervisors, Tervalinja terraced houses for the workers, spacious Mäntyrinne engineers’ houses and three housing blocks for the clerical employees of the mill.

The houses designed by Aalto and the entire area are still used for their original purpose. These stages of life are the venue for living, playing tennis and working. During the tour you can get to know the area, Aalto’s buildings and also visit an indoor attraction.

The tour continues with a two-hour boat ride on the wild and rugged River Kymijoki. The river separates the built-up area of Inkeroinen from the rural Anjala, and the river has served as the venue of many a historic event. During the tour, you can hear stories of the tumultuous stages of the River Kymijoki and experience the residential area beside the river from a new perspective. The tour includes coffee served beside campfire on the banks of the river.

Supper with delicious Finnish food is arranged at restaurant Ankkapurhan Helmi.

One highlight of the active day is relaxing sauna and get-together at the sauna building.

Overnight stay is in the grounds of the old manor house at Youth Centre Anjala in the midst of the natural environment. Youth Centre Anjala offers accommodation in cosy apartments. The apartments have 3 to 4 bedrooms and shared lounge, toilet and shower facilities.

Useful information

If you wish, supper can also be served at the sauna building.

Further information on Youth Centre Anjala and Ankkapurha Culture Park.

 

After breakfast there is a possibility to take a walk on the Känkkärä nature path. The trail on the riverbank offers a beautiful view to the surrounding milieu. The length is 2.3 kilometres.

The tour is brought to a head at Art Centre Antares in Sippola. Sippola is an old and idyllic rural village located about 20 kilometres from the Ankkapurha Culture Park. Antares with its art gallery housed in an old dairy represents countryside villages of the 21st century.

In the art workshop of Antares, you can combine the spirit of history, Alvar Aalto’s design approach and the dark blue of the River Kymijoki to form your own unique experience and create your own mindscape. The workshop content can be landscape painting, drawing after a live model, playing the traditional Finnish stringed instrument kantele or an elective creative workshop involving painting or drawing.

In the summer, Antares has an exhibition of high-standard modern visual art and sculptures.

Useful information

The content of the workshop can be chosen by the customer, for example landscape painting, drawing or playing kantele.

Further information on  Art Centre Antares.

 

Sites included in this trip

Entrance hall of Inkeroinen Tehtaanmäki elementary school photo Maija Holma Alvar Aalto Foundation

Art Centre Antares

Kouvola

Antares is located in a former dairy in rural landscape. It houses an artist residency, arranges workshops and displays art exhibitions during summertime. 

Entrance hall of Inkeroinen Tehtaanmäki elementary school photo Maija Holma Alvar Aalto Foundation

Youth centre Anjala

Kouvola

Youth centre Anjala is situated in the Ankkapurha Cultural Park. Anjala hosts camp schools for children and youth as well as adventure days for all and many other tailormade events.

Information on this trip

Good to know

  • Ankkapurha Culture Park is located in the middle of the Kymenlaakso region, in the city of Kouvola, stretching over Anjala and Inkeroinen.
  • The River Kymijoki runs through the park, and a bridge over the harnessed rapids connects the two neighbourhoods into the culture park.
  • The dam can be crossed on foot or by bike, cars can be parked nearby on both banks.
  • The Tehtaanmäki residential area and school designed by Aalto are located in Inkeroinen.
  • The historical Anjala Manor House and its garden, Youth Centre Anjala with the accommodation and restaurant Helmi, and the summer cafe Makasiinikahvila are located in Anjala.
  • All the sights of the Ankkapurha Culture Park are within walking distance.
  • Address: Ankkapurha Culture Park, Ankkapurhantie 15, 46910 Anjala
  • Distance from Helsinki 133 km, from Kotka 33 km, from Kouvola railway station 23 km.
  • The train stop closest to the destination is Inkeroinen, which is 3.3 km away from Anjala and 2.2 km from the eastern entrance of the Culture Park. By taxi it only takes 10 minutes to get from the Inkeroinen train stop to the park.
  • The distance between Ankkapurha Culture Park and Art Centre Antares is 18.4 km, c. 23 min by car.
  • There are stairs along the tour.

Included

  • Guided tour on foot at Ankkapurha Culture Park.
  • Guided boat ride on the River Kymijoki.
  • Campfire and coffee on the banks of the River Kymijoki.
  • Lunch, dinner and breakfast in restaurant Helmi at Ankkapurha.
  • Accommodation in cosy apartments. The apartments have 3-4 bedrooms, shared living rooms, toilets and bathrooms.
  • Sauna
  • Workshop in Art Centre Antares, including teaching and materials
  • Art exhibition in Antares in summertime
  • Lunch at Antares

Optional services

  • Accommodation in a single room as an additional service.

Excluded

  • Transportation is not included in the trip, but is available as an additional service.

Example price 262 € per person

  • From 262 € per person, in a group of 10-24 persons.
  • An extra night 106.70 €, board and lodging. VAT is included in the price.
  • Available from May to October, excluding Midsummer Eve and Midsummer’s day.
  • The programme can be adjusted according to needs of the group.
  • All rights reserved.
  • We follow the general terms and conditions for package tours. More detailed sales conditions are available on our website.

Inquiries and bookings

Example price 262 € per person

  • From 262 € per person, in a group of 10-24 persons.
  • An extra night 106.70 €, board and lodging. VAT is included in the price.
  • Available from May to October, excluding Midsummer Eve and Midsummer’s day.
  • The programme can be adjusted according to needs of the group.
  • All rights reserved.
  • We follow the general terms and conditions for package tours. More detailed sales conditions are available on our website.
Kouvolan matkatoimisto Oy

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