Punkaharju (Os)
Map with all coordinates of described sights: Punkaharju is an Os in the former municipality of Punkaharju , today a district of Savonlinna in the province of South Savo . It separates the lakes Pihlajavesi and Puruvesi in the Saimaa area. Punkaharju is a national landscape of Finland . The area has been a nature reserve since 1991, managed by the Finnish forest administration Metsähallitus and is part of the Natura 2000 areas. The protected area is 6.5 km².
Os Punkaharju
- North end: 61 ° 48 ′ 40.8 ″ N , 29 ° 17 ′ 48.6 ″ E , south end: 61 ° 45 ′ 46.2 ″ N , 29 ° 22 ′ 57.1 ″ E
In the last ice age , about 10,000 to 12,500 years ago, meltwater streams piled up long walls of sand, gravel and earth beneath the inland ice cover. After the ice melted, these remained as prominent ridges. In Finland they are called "Harju", in German mostly Os or Esker. The Punkaharju is a particularly impressive specimen and has therefore been declared a national landscape of Finland .
As early as the 18th century, a trunk road was built from Vyborg in Russia on the northeast bank of the Gulf of Finland over the Punkaharju to Savonlinna . It was important for geopolitical reasons, because at that time large parts of Finland belonged to the Russian Empire. The development of the border region served to protect against the then second local great power Sweden .
The interest of Tsar Alexander I and his successors in the scenic beauty and the forestry uses of the forest triggered further diverse developments. The tourist development for the "summer retreat" of the Russian Tsar and his entourage began. Hotels emerged. A railway line with a station at Punkaharju was built. Many buildings from that time are now tourist destinations.
The systematic research into the possibilities of forestry use began. The forest research institute METLA and the arboretum in Punkaharju developed from this.
Valtionhotelli
The Valtionhotelli, in German "State Hotel" is the oldest building that is connected to the nature reserve founded in 1840. The wooden house planned by the architect Ernst Bernhard Lohrmann stands on top of the Os. Originally it was an accommodation for three foresters and travelers. It was then opened as Valtionhotelli in 1845. The building was expanded and rebuilt several times. Restorations took place in 1978 and 1979.
Tsarina's villa
- 61 ° 48 ′ 3 ″ N , 29 ° 18 ′ 27 ″ E in the immediate vicinity of the Valtionhotelli
The lack of accommodation in Punkaharju led in the 1890s to the construction of one of the most famous outbuildings, the "Keisarinnan huvila", in German "Villa of the Tsarina". Originally the building designed by the architect Sebastian Gripenberg was called "Villa Punkasyrjä". The tsarina probably never stayed here. The name is not really justified. Perhaps the builders thought the tsarina could have stayed there. According to a second theory, Nikolai II had planned a trip to Punkaharju with his partner Aleksandra Feodorovna, where the empress would have been housed in the villa.
Kruunupuisto
The Takaharju sanatorium, now called “Kruunupuisto”, is located about 3 km south of the Lusto train station on a small Os “Takaharju” west of Punkaharju. It was founded in 1903 as one of the first Finnish sanatoriums for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The architect Onni Törnqvist designed the Art Nouveau building. With its 135 m long south façade, optimally oriented towards the sun, it was the longest Finnish building at the time. Art Nouveau decorations mix with functional and simple hospital architecture.
In the first few years it was only two-thirds full. With the completion of the railway connection to Punkaharju, the capacity utilization improved. From 1921 on, the property served as a military hospital, as a hospital for military personnel and civil servants. Its importance as a pulmonary hospital decreased significantly. From 1966 the facility was converted into a rehabilitation hospital. In 2005 the Hotelli Finlandia moved into the building complex. Today Kruunupuisto is a hotel and rehabilitation center.
Old station, Lusto station
The railway line from Parikkala via Punkaharju to Savonlinna was completed in 1908. From 1906 to 1908 the station building was built according to plans by the architect Bruno Granholm . As the most important train station in the area around Punkaharju, it was named Punkaharju Station . The main building in Art Nouveau style has largely been preserved true to the original. The design and equipment of the station, some of the outbuildings and its surroundings are far more representative than was usual for Finnish stations of this time and size. Art Nouveau decorations take up elements of Karelian folk art. The wooden building stands on a solid natural stone base. The station is located in a park and is accessed via a 270 m long avenue of lime trees. Significant for the representative architecture was the neighborhood of the upscale tourist destinations: Valtionhotelli, the villa of the Tsarina, Finlandia, the Kruunupuisto. For a long time these goals could only be comfortably reached via this station. The entire ensemble is remarkable in terms of culture and architecture. In 1993, 1994 and 2005 the station was carefully restored and renovated.
When the station was closed in 1989, the only remaining station in the municipality in the Punkasalmi district was named Punkaharju Station (see below).
In 1994, at the opening of the Finnish Forest Museum and Information Center Lusto , the station was put back into operation. Since the original name was now used in the district of Punkasalmi, the name was changed to "Bahnhof Lusto".
From the late 1990s to 2015, the station building served as an exhibition and advice center. It is intended to make the main building accessible to the public again in the future.
Finlandia
Hotel Finlandia was one of the most modern accommodations in Finland when it opened in 1914. Valter and Ivar Thomé designed the hotel, which shows the influences of romantic nationalism and art nouveau with a touch of baroque and renaissance motifs. Only two weeks after it opened, the First World War broke out and left the hotel practically empty. The hotel continued to run until 1935. After a foreclosure auction, it became state property.
During the winter war , the hotel served as a military hospital and later as a rehabilitation center for soldiers. After the wars, the hotel business was only less successful. The hotel and the adjoining buildings were again owned by the state in 1981.
Kiss bridge
In the 1930s, the Finnish Tourism Association built Pususilta , in English Kussbrücke , to shorten the links between Finlandia and the Valtionhotelli. The name of the bridge probably comes from romantic affections, inspired by a beautiful natural setting.
The bridge was rebuilt in 1983.
Salpa line
After the October Revolution , Finland had declared its independence and thus independence from Russia. In the winter war the Soviet Union tried to bring Finland back into its sphere of influence. This was only partially successful. Finland was preparing for possible future attacks by the Soviet Union and began building a 1200 km long defense line, the Suomen Salpa ("Finnish Bar"), commonly known as the " Salpa Line ". Numerous defenses were built between 1940 and 1944, including at Punkaharju. Most of them were replenished and disposed of after WWII. The trenches and shelters on the Kuikonniemi peninsula at Punkaharju were restored from 2001 to 2003 and are open to the public. They are located around 2 km south of the Valtionhotelli, east of the road over the Harju in the forest.
Runeberg's hill
The highest point of Punkaharju is 25 meters above the lake and is named Runeberg's Hill after Finland's national poet . In honor of the national poet, a 3.5 m high stone was erected here with a verse from one of his poems. The road administration and the Finnish Forest Research Institute jointly erected the stone in 1939. Runeberg had visited the Os of Punkaharju twice in June 1838. He probably didn't write the poem here, however.
Forest research station
The planned forest management at Punkaharju began around 1840. Experiments with exotic tree species began. Particular attention was paid to the maintenance of the landscape and the multiple use of forests.
The research focuses on:
- Cultivation and rearing of exotic species
- Areas of origin of conifers and the influence of climate change on the development of trees
- Genetic diversity of forest trees
In 1917, building on these beginnings, the METLA Forest Research Institute was founded.
Arboretum
The Arboretum Punkaharju provides information on indigenous and exotic tree species that can be used for forestry in Finland. Different firs, pines, spruces, larches, thuyas and other tree species are presented. It was developed under the direction of the forest research institute METLA .
Finnish Museum and Science Center for Forest Culture LUSTO
"Lusto is a national museum and science center for forest culture - an international meeting place and a place that tells of the interaction between man and forest in the past, present and future." With these words Lusto describes the comprehensive offer, which is aimed at everyone, from the interested layman to highly specialized experts in practice and research. Permanent and changing exhibitions, events, work demonstrations and theme days present the forest, its ecology and its use.
The main themes of the permanent exhibitions are
- The century of forest improvers: An important goal in the 20th century was the development of sustainable forest techniques. The intensive use must remain in harmony with gentle and caring treatment of nature.
- The era of machines: Numerous tools and machines of all types and sizes show the technological development in forestry and forest industry.
- Old forest work place: From the felling of the trees, to the transport of the wood with horses, rafts, trains or trucks, to the processing in the sawmill or the pulp production are covered.
- Bioenergy and innovation: Wood-based forms of energy from traditional heating to pellets and liquid fuels are presented. Wood-based materials are in product development where they are not expected.
- Forests of the Finns: living space, livelihood, place of origin for food and place for recreation, the forest is for people, a place for hikers, hunters, berry pickers and nature lovers. Folk tradition, myths, stories and beliefs are associated with it.
Temporary exhibitions on current topics complete the offer.
Attractive presentations with original objects, images and film material, miniature models and objects that can be touched and tried out appeal to all age groups. Most of the explanations are bilingual in Finnish and English.
Lusto has extensive collections with around 13,000 objects, 350,000 photographs and negatives as well as 1,500 different films and a library with around 15,000 publications. All of this is a fund for exhibitions. By arrangement, visitors can also use it on site. Some of the holdings can be searched online via a joint museum database for several Finnish museums, KANTAPUU, and a joint website for Finnish archives, libraries and museums, FINNA.FI . Lusto also offers image and information services.
Punkaharju train station
At the southern end of Punkaharju is the main town of Punkaselmi of the Punkaharju municipality, which was independent until 2013 . The local train station was built in 1908 by the same architect as the Lusto train station (see above) and was originally called Punkaselmi train station . When the station that bore the name of the municipality was closed in 1989, the only remaining station in the municipality in the Punkasalmi district was named Punkaharju Station .
When the disused, former Punkaharju station was reopened for the opening of the Lusto Museum , it was given the Lusto station .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Finnish Forest Administration Metsähallitus , Punkaharju National Park , English website with extensive information on the subpages
- ↑ Map of the Punkaharju nature reserve (PDF file, Finnish, English, Russian)
- ↑ Luke Research Center in Punkaharju (website)
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Web page of the tourist information Punkaharju , English page about sights
- ↑ a b Web page of the Hotelli Punkaharju (operator of the Valtionhotelli) (English web page for the history)
- ↑ web page of the tourist information about Kruunupuisto
- ↑ Forest Research Institute METLA in Wikipedia
- ↑ web presence of the Forest Research Institute METLA , under the umbrella of now Luke is
- ↑ Finnish Forest Museum Lusto website
- ↑ KANTAPUU , museum database of several Finnish museums (Finnish)
- ↑ FINNA.FI , joint website of Finnish archives, libraries and museums (Finnish, Swedish and English-speaking)