Seurasaari

Seurasaari [ sɛu̯rɑsɑ ː ri ] ( swedish Fölisön ) is an island in the Finnish capital Helsinki. It is a popular recreation area and location of an open air museum, which presents the Finnish construction and home decor.

Location and use

The approximately 0.46 km ² large island Seurasaari is located in the bay Seurasaarenselkä a few kilometers northwest of the city center, opposite the city beach Hietaniemi. It belongs to the district Meilahti and is connected via a 200 meter long wooden pedestrian bridge to the mainland. Bus 24 connects the city center to the opposite end of the bridge, in the summer there is a boat connection from Kauppatori place after Seurasaari. The uninhabited island is dominated by glaciated knobs of granite and woods. In addition to various water birds to wildlife include tame squirrels.

Thanks to its parkland and two beaches Seurasaari is a popular recreational area for the inhabitants of Helsinki. On the island, various festivals are held every year, of which particularly the Midsummer Festival ( Juhannus ) attracts many visitors.

History

By the end of the 19th century, the island served as grazing land of the manor Meilahti. Then also indicated by the Swedish name Fölisön ( " foal island "). In the 1880s, the island became a popular destination for city dwellers Helsinki. This gave the island the Finnish name Seurasaari ( "Company Island" ). 1889 leased the City of Helsinki Seurasaari and gave the island the non-profit society serving Helsinki ( Helsingin Anniskeluyhtiö ) to use. The serving society developed Seurasaari to a recreational area with a network of trails, a boat dock, a restaurant and a dance pavilion. 1891-92, the bridge was built from the trunks of trees that had been felled by a strong autumn storm. In 1909 the open-air museum Seurasaari was founded, as to the painter Akseli Gallen - Kallela and architect Yrjö Blomstedt threatened with demolition Kleinpachthof Niemelä was transferred from the Central Finland Kong Inca gas after Seurasaari. Under the first curator Axel Olav Henkel Seurasaari was converted into an open air museum modeled on Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden. Since 1956, the Seurasaari Foundation ( Seurasaarisäätiö ) supports the work of the museum.

Open-air museum

The Open Air Museum Seurasaari includes 87 historic buildings dating from the 17th to the 20th century, representing the building traditions in different parts of Finland. With the Kleinpachthof Niemelä from Kong Inca gas and the farm Antti from the Finnish west Säkylä are located on the island two complete Farms. The wooden church was built in 1685-86 by Karuna and moved to the completion of a new church in 1912 after Seurasaari. Other notable buildings are the estate Kahiluoto from Taivassalo in Southwest Finland, the rectory of Iisalmi, the farmhouses Kurssi from Kuortane, Ivars from Närpes, Selkämä from Pieksämäki, Halla from Hyrynsalmi and the house Pertinotsa from Suojärvi, which is an example of the Karelian tradition. The grounds of the museum is freely accessible, to enter the building but a ticket must be purchased.