Location: Finland

Alvar Aalto Route: Curated Journeys Through Timeless Architecture

Welcome to the Alvar Aalto Route – a journey where the magic of architecture and design comes alive, inviting you to see the world through a redesigned lens. Alvar Aalto (1898–1976), the visionary of modern architecture, shaped spaces with a profoundly human approach. His creations are more than buildings; they are experiences that resonate with the soul. Scattered across Finland and beyond, they serve as gateways to a reimagined world.

In 2021, this extraordinary route was honoured with the prestigious certification as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, affirming its role in the rich tapestry of European heritage. The Alvar Aalto Route offers more than a journey through architectural masterpieces—it extends a warm invitation to immerse yourself in a space where design, nature, and the human spirit converge in harmony.

This catalogue is your guide to a curated collection of Aalto experiences. Each package is a thoughtfully designed adventure into Alvar Aalto’s world, seamlessly blending his iconic architecture with the unique flavours of local life. From serene Finnish landscapes to vibrant European Aalto destinations, these journeys offer something for everyone. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a devoted admirer of Aalto’s work, we warmly welcome you—and continually seek new partners to enrich the experience.

Step into spaces that defy the ordinary, where every curve, every material, and every detail tells a story that redefines how you perceive the world around you. This is the essence of the Alvar Aalto Route: an invitation to rediscover beauty, functionality, and the interconnectedness of life through the lens of one of modern architecture’s greatest minds.

Let us help you navigate this adventure and uncover how Aalto’s vision can transform not just physical spaces but also the way you view the world itself.

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Alvar Aalto Route

The Mill Manager’s Dinner in Kantola

This is where factory managers once lived, and later it became the home of the officers’ and foremen’s club. Throughout its history, Kantola has been a place for relaxation, celebration, representation, and negotiation. Built in close proximity to the Sunila pulp mill, it forms part of the comprehensive ensemble designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto – from Kantola, the factory was always under the watchful eye of its management.

Sunila became something never seen before – a groundbreaking collaboration of five major industrial companies, a pioneer of its time, and a source of national pride. It was an icon for an industrializing and modernizing Finland.

The Mill Manager’s Dinner pays tribute to the region’s industrial history and Kantola’s legacy as both a home and a club. The menu is inspired by the area’s rich history and local ingredients.

The evening features a seven-course tasting menu created in collaboration with Tee Mulle Catering by Teemu Suomalainen. The dinner can be combined with live music or other entertainment to suit the client’s requirements.

For whom: Available for groups by reservation (minimum charge for 8 people).

Sales and bookings: Sunilan Kantola Oy
+358 44 244 7702

Photos: Sunilan Kantola Oy

Ahlström Noormarkku Works

Ahlström Works is a unique historical industrial area in Noormarkku, Pori, and it is one of the most significant and best-preserved ironworks in Finland.

The story of A. Ahlström Corporation is a notable part of Finnish industrial, architectural, art, and design history. The area offers cultural tours at the Makkarakoski sawmill museum, the Ahlström Voyage exhibition, and the world-renowned Villa Mairea. In the Ahlström Voyage exhibition, visitors can explore art glass from the Iittala, Karhula, and Riihimäki glass factories that were part of the corporation, as the exhibition showcases a remarkable collection of works by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva, as well as several unique pieces of the Savoy vase designed by Alvar Aalto. Additionally, there is an impressive scale model of the ironworks area on display. Architects Alvar Aalto and his wife, architect Aino Aalto, had a long and fruitful collaboration with Ahlström, resulting in masterpieces of Finnish architecture and design, which can be explored on the cultural tour “In the Footsteps of Alvar and Aino Aalto.”

Noormarkku Club House is a high-class Rôtisseurs restaurant. Accommodation is available in cozy guesthouses. The spirit of the guesthouse Vainiola, which underwent a renovation designed by architect Alvar Aalto in the 1940s, has been preserved to this day. The air-conditioned rooms in the guesthouse are furnished with Artek furniture, including several unique pieces.

Kantola Architect Brunch

The Kantola Architect Brunch is inspired by the story of Aino and Alvar Aalto, as well as the architecture of Sunila. This three-course brunch features ingredients typical of Kymenlaakso, with flavors that reflect the Italian culture Aino and Alvar adored, as well as Finnish nature and design. The taste experience is presented by Sunila’s factory manager in an apartment built for Lauri Kanto’s family. Welcome to an architecturally inspiring environment!

Kantola is designed by Alvar Aalto and completed in 1937 as the residence for Lauri Kanto, the director of the Sunila pulp mill. Today, the building is owned by Sunilan Kantola Oy and is used for meetings, parties, accommodation and other events. Kantola Architect Brunch is a collaboration between Sunilan Kantola Oy and Kat’s Cafe, which can be enjoyed on request and tailored to meet the customer’s needs.

Alvar Aalto Kymenlaakso Cycling Route

Kymenlaakso is the single region in Finland with the most buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. If Jyväskylä is called the Aalto capital, Kymenlaakso can rightly be called the Aalto region. In total, Kymenlaakso has dozens of buildings designed by Alvar Aalto: detached houses, apartment buildings and blocks of flats, as well as industrial plants.

On the cycle route you can discover Alvar Aalto’s architecture of the 1930s-1950s in Karhula, Sunila, Hamina and Inkeroinen.

Most of the buildings designed by Alvar Aalto were placed freely in the landscape, taking into account the shapes of the terrain. As a result, the connection to nature is a natural continuum for the views of the houses and apartments. Nature, light and their connection to the dwellings were important to Aalto. The overall architectural approach and the typical elements of Aalto’s formal language are repeated in all the Aalto projects in Kymenlaakso.

Aalto succeeded in adapting his buildings to nature and adding both creativity and artistry to their austere simplicity, and even today people are still attracted to Aalto buildings.

A tourist interested in architecture, history and design can easily spend several days exploring the buildings designed by Alvar Aalto, but also stay overnight in apartments designed and decorated in his style.

There are 4 areas on this route with buildings designed by Aalto:

Inkeroinen factory area

The buildings designed by Alvar Aalto for the Inkeroinen Factory Hill were completed between 1937 and 1956. The complex consists of factory buildings, semi-detached houses on the Rantalinja, terraced houses on the Tervalinja, three detached houses, three blocks of flats, a school on the Tehtaanmäki and detached houses on the Karhunkangas.

Hamina Petkele residential area

In Hamina, you can discover the environment of the Summa paper mill designed by Alvar Aalto and the housing designed by him for the paper mill workers and management in the Petkele residential area.

Apartment buildings in Karhula

Alvar Aalto’s design in Karhula is represented by the apartment buildings completed on Karhunkatu between 1945 and 1947, known as the ‘tennis houses’.

Sunila factory and working-class housing area

Alvar Aalto’s handiwork is immediately recognisable from the moment you arrive in the extensive and coherent residential area. The factory, completed in 1938, and the adjacent residential area, originally built between 1937 and 1939, form a whole whose design clearly shows the influence of Alvar Aalto’s 1930s modernism.

For more details and directions see the route in Outdoor Active

By Visit Kotka-Hamina

Villa Mairea and Ahlström Works – cultural and culinary experiences

In Noormarkku, Pori, you’ll experience a comprehensive journey into architecture and design through guided tours of the worldrenowned Villa Mairea and Ahlström’s unique historical industrial area with its museums.

This experience is a feast for the senses, combining culinary delights at Noormarkku Works area with a
journey through history, design, and architecture. Villa Mairea’s aesthetic brilliance is a tribute to Aalto’s
genius as well as the relationship between modern design and natural beauty. In Ahlström’s Noormarkku
works, come and meld culture, architecture, and gastronomy, and ask yourself how architecture can
elevate and redefine the cultural landscape.

Villa Mairea and the Ahlström Ironworks are a harmonious marriage of art, design, and industry. Designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto, Villa Mairea is an architectural gem amidst a pine forest, while the Ironworks area invites you to stroll through a living museum of industrial heritage. Together, they offer a rich cultural experience highlighting the creative synergy of Aalto’s design and Ahlström’s industrial legacy.

Lahti and Jyväskylä – Aalto and Saarinen architectural path

In Lahti and Jyväskylä, Alvar Aalto and Eliel Saarinen’s architectural masterpieces are on vivid display.

Begin your journey in Lahti and encounter Aalto’s tranquil mastery at the Church of the Cross, resonating with spiritual harmony, and Saarinen’s meticulous Art Nouveau in Lahti City Hall. In Jyväskylä, see Aalto’s Muuratsalo Experimental House and Säynätsalo Town Hall, culminating in a comprehensive experience of Finnish architectural heritage. This tour weaves through the legacy of two Finnish greats, their distinctive yet complementary styles forming a rich tapestry of design right in the middle of Finland. Each structure narrates a tale of architectural evolution, challenging and reshaping your perceptions, leaving a lasting impression of their transformative influence.

Villa Skeppet – Aalto’s personal design journey

This journey offers a unique insight into a residence that blends Mediterranean warmth with Aalto’s signature Nordic touch. Explore rooms where architecture tells personal stories, spaces that pulsate with intimate narratives. As well as observing architectural excellence, explore how thoughtful design can create environments that echo with personal histories and deepen our appreciation for the transformative power of architecture.

Experience a guided tour of Villa Skeppet, where Aalto’s personal touch and Mediterranean influences are evident. Discover the unique history of a home designed as a token of friendship and explore the various architectural solutions that Aalto developed throughout his illustrious career.

Paimio Sanatorium

Paimio Sanatorium, Alvar and Aino Aalto’s international breakthrough design, is one of the most renowned buildings in Finland. Completed in 1933, it is a masterpiece of humane modernism and a true gesamtkunstwerk. Designed as a tuberculosis sanatorium and having served as a general hospital, Paimio Sanatorium has now entered a new era of the philosophy of well-being.

Enclosed by a vast forest of tall pine trees, the iconic site invites you to unwind in its tranquil ambiance. Explore the corridors, sense the luminous light and colors of the Sanatorium as you take a guided tour, discovering the stories of the past. A hike through nature trails or outdoor meditation, Paimio Sanatorium offers the perfect retreat to rejuvenate senses. Lenghten the stay by accommodating on-site, enjoy the local cuisine and various spaces of the Sanatorium.

Säynätsalo Town Hall – live-in architectural heritage

Explore this architectural gem where Aalto’s vision of form and function is realised in each minute detail.

This tour offers more than a simple walkthrough—it invites you to stay and soak in the community spirit that the building embodies. As you explore this space, you have the unique opportunity to extend your
visit with an overnight stay, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the unflustered landscape that inspired Aalto’s design and experience the communal essence of the thinking behind his designs.

Tour in brief: Join us at the Säynätsalo Town Hall, a cherished historical gem reflecting Alvar Aalto’s brilliance. Uncover the stories and facts of Alvar and Elissa Aalto during our guided tour, which is
suitable for all ages and backgrounds.

Why not extend the experience with an overnight stay? That way, you can create an even deeper connection with this iconic masterpiece and live like a local in our warm, inviting atmosphere.

Finland – Designed by Aalto

Embark on a country-spanning odyssey to discover the heart and soul of Alvar Aalto’s architectural legacy. Begin in Turku, where Aalto’s modernistic early works stand as monuments to his evolving style. Find yourself in Helsinki, where the iconic Finlandia Hall and the Academic Bookstore exemplify his philosophy of form following function. In Jyväskylä, the Aalto2 Museum awaits, a space where Aalto’s genius blurs the lines between practicality and artistry.

Journey to Säynätsalo to admire the Town Hall, a beacon of community and design, and explore the Muuratsalo Experimental House, a canvas of Aalto’s daring creativity. Venture to Kauttua Ironworks in Southwest Finland, a magnificent home to six Aalto structures, including the Terraced house and riverside sauna. Finish up at Villa Mairea, a residential marvel that harmonises with the natural world. This tour is a true tribute to Aalto’s vision, a chance to see the built environment through his transformative lens.

This five-day tour commences in Turku with Aalto’s first modernist works and progresses throug Helsinki’s iconic landmarks, such as the Finlandia Hall and the Academic Bookstore. The tour then ventures to the historically rich Kauttua Ironworks, followed by visits to Säynätsalo Town Hall and the Muuratsalo Experimental House. The excursion concludes with a tranquil stay at Villa Mairea, a serene
architectural haven.

Artisans and Aalto retreat in Raseborg

Retreat to the picturesque Raseborg, where architecture and artisanry coalesce with the splendour of nature.

Begin your escape in the coastal charm of Ekenäs, witnessing Alvar Aalto’s smallscale architectural wonders like Villa Skeppet. Then, journey to the historic Fiskars Village, a cradle of Finnish art and design. Here, amidst the legacy of ironworks, discover the vibrancy of local craft, and let each boutique and
workshop unveil a story of tradition and innovation. This retreat is an invitation to experience the integration of creativity and natural beauty.

Tour in brief: Redesign your retreat with Raseborg’s unique blend of Alvar Aalto’s architecture, local art, and crafts. Day one immerses you in Ekenäs’ architectural treasures like Villa Skeppet, Chappe and local culinary delights. Day two invites you to the artistic Fiskars Village, a historic ironworks site now bustling with workshops and boutiques.