Be inspired

 On 20 April 1815, Baron Gustaf Wrede received permission from the Senate to establish an ironworks near Huruskoski (now Voimakanava) and Ämmäkoski. The ironworks’ workers settled in the immediate vicinity of the works, either in residential buildings constructed by the ironworks or in small cottages on land belonging to nearby farms. Residential and commercial buildings surrounded the works in a rather haphazard arrangement, without any overarching plan. Only a few buildings dating from the 19th century have survived in Varkaus town centre, such as the Central Office and the Tyyskä Local History Centre.

Town planning in Varkaus began in the early 20th century after the Varkaus ironworks passed into the ownership of A. Ahlström Osakeyhtiö and Walter Ahlström became the company’s managing director. Ahlström set about vigorously developing Varkaus’s timber processing industry. The ironworks’ population grew rapidly during the years of major construction. The ironworks was responsible for town planning, housing policy and public services whilst Varkaus was still without municipal autonomy.

Walter Ahlström had a vision of an entire town built around industrial facilities. Ahlström played an active role in the planning of his town; his aim was to create a new kind of industrial community in which all functions formed part of a cohesive whole.

A. Ahlström Limited commissioned the architect brothers Ivar and Valter Thomé to draw up Varkaus’s first town plan in 1913. The plan was approved in 1916; it placed industrial buildings along the Huruskoski river and in Pirtinniemi, administration and services on Päiviönsaari, and residential areas in a hierarchical order in Kommila and Kosulanniemi. These areas were linked by Ahlströminkatu, a boulevard-style park-like street.

The main features of the Thomén brothers’ plan are still evident in Varkaus’s townscape. Their work was continued by, amongst others, Karl Lindahl, Carolus Lindberg, Alvar Aalto, Kalevi Väyrynen and Olli Kivinen, initially on behalf of the company and, from the 1940s onwards, increasingly on behalf of the town. The townscape of Varkaus has been shaped by some very renowned architects, many of whom have also designed numerous industrial, administrative and residential buildings familiar to the people of Varkaus.

The online exhibition ‘A City of Layers’ at the Varkaus Museum Centre Konsti showcases Varkaus’s architectural heritage and the evolution of its townscape from the 19th century to the present day: saranat.fi/verkkonayttelyt/varkaus/

General information about the town of Varkaus

• The market town of Varkaus was founded in 1929
• Varkaus was granted town status in 1962
• Population as at 31 December 2022: 19,764
• The area is 524.93 km², of which 139.27 km² is water
• The coastline is 940 kilometres long

Varkaus – Creative energy from Eastern Finland

• A developing, competitive, environmentally conscious and international industrial region
• A safe, vibrant and economically stable city
• A pluralistic and innovative culture as the foundation for cooperation between the city and civil society

Varkaus is situated

• in the province of Northern Savo
• in the province of Eastern Finland
• At the junction of national roads 5 and 23
• along the Saimaa Deep Waterway

The distance from Varkaus

• 76 km to Kuopio
• 88 km to Mikkeli
• 118 km to Joensuu
• to Jyväskylä 125 km
• to Helsinki 317 km

Varkaus. The name puzzles the young traveller, and even the seasoned traveller may not be entirely sure why it is called that, nor who gave it that name.

But many would probably agree that the name originally comes from the Sámi language: VYÖRKÄ. And if you believe even a little in the magic of history, that splendid word means something like a hiding place.

Exciting. Indeed it is! So what was hidden in the cache?

A fur hat, firewood, playing cards, elk bones, ear flaps, a partition, frozen knee-highs, a crossbow, a baby’s dummy, a goose feather – a tickle-tickle barn, a harvest, an earthworm, or the Ämmäkoski dam, an arrow, a chair, a loose nose. Oh, and last but not least, TREASURE! And if it’s treasure, of course, I’d love to find it.

But without a treasure map, where does the treasure bus set off from? From outside the swimming pool? From under the Pirtinvirta bridge? From Tumi’s hot dog kiosk? From the steps of the hardware shop? The bus doesn’t set off from anywhere, as there’s no treasure map. Oh, straight, bend and curve! Yet there really is treasure in Varkaus!

And if you look really closely, you’ll find a fresh idea: that treasure is hidden right here, everywhere. When you set out to look for it, it’s best to start with yourself. That treasure is you. And me, too. And you’ll find it, as long as we stay friends.

Jukka Itkonen

‘Warkaus Takes You Away’ tourism brochure
The ‘Warkaus Takes You Away’ brochure invites you to discover Varkaus, with its industrial cultural heritage stretching back nearly 300 years, the natural beauty of Lake Saimaa, culture and events combine to create a unique destination. In the brochure, you’ll find the best tips on sights, activities, accommodation, restaurants and experiences all year round. Browse the digital version and be inspired by Varkaus’s fascinating history and present-day life.
Warkaus sweeps you away / Finnish
Let Warkaus sweep you away / English 

‘Holiday in Savo’ travel brochure
The ‘Holiday in Savo’ brochure weaves together what the Joroinen, Leppävirta, Pieksämäki and Varkaus regions have to offer into fascinating discovery tours and round trips that invite you to explore the region’s history, natural gems, culture, events and unique destinations, not to mention accommodation, dining and experience services. Browse the digital versions and choose your favourite activities for your holiday:

Holiday in Savo / Finnish
/ English 

Enjoy Varkaus in good spirits
. Take note of these tips for responsible tourism: 

Guide for the Responsible Traveller / Visit Saimaa

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guides: Alvar Aalto in
Varkaus, Kalevi Väyrynen in
Varkaus, Karl Lindahl in Varkaus
, In the Footsteps of Thomé in
Varkaus, Cycle to Art – Varkaus Outdoor Art Tours