SUNILA AND KANTOLA – LIVING HISTORY OF FORESTRY AND INDUSTRIAL LIVING
Experience yourself Aalto’s gift for modernism:
Life’s preciousness for everyone from apprentice to master in the Sunila Mill residential area.
How has the forest industry shaped our living environment and everyday life?
Sunila residential area in the city of Kotka was created to respond to the needs of the forest industry, when the Sunila pulp mill was planned, built and started after the mid-1930s. Sunila area became the most abundant work of Aaltos’ which was implemented, and for the next decades it was a textbook example of industrializing Finland.
Every employee from worker to manager lived next to the pulp mill, and the company provided services to improve the quality of life in the community. Today, in the Sunila residential area, you can visit the Mill Manager's house Kantola, peek at an apartment designed for workers or visit Mankeli, a visitor centre built in the original wringer room of the workers' laundry building.
Includes
Guided tours of the Mill Manager's house Kantola and of Sunila residential area, including a visit to a worker's apartment or the Mankeli, exhibition- and multipurpose space. Catering is available for groups in Kantola, ranging from a light coffee break to the Architect’s Brunch or the memorable Mill Manager’s Dinner.
When visiting in Sunila, we also recommend adding a visit to the award-winning parks of Kotka city or Shifting to Wood – A tribute to the Kymenlaakso forest industry exhibition by Kymenlaakso Museum in the Maritime Centre Vellamo. There is also possibility to stay overnight or longer in different workers apartments in Sunila area, which are available on rental platforms. We also have accommodation rooms in Kantola.
Good to know
The buildings are not fully accessible, and part of the tour of Sunila involves walking. Please contact us in good time if you need further information or suggestions for a most accessible visit.
There is parking space in the yard of the Mill manager's house Kantola, and free parking is also available elsewhere in Sunila. Buses run through the Sunila residential area, but there are fewer bus services in the evenings and at weekends. The timetables for local transport in Kotka can be found in the route guide: https://jonnejaminne.fi/en/
When visiting private homes, it is a good idea to be prepared to take off your shoes or use shoe covers. You do not need to take off your shoes at Kantola or the Mankeli multipurpose facility. In winter, however, we ask that you remove your ice grips or spiked shoes.
We kindly request that our four-legged furry friends do not participate in indoor visits. Assistance and guide dogs are, of course, welcome when working. If you have a guide or assistance dog with you, please let us know in advance so that we can reserve a private apartment suitable for your tour.
Photography for personal use is permitted in Sunila, Kantola, and Mankeli. In private apartments, it is always a good idea to ask for permission to take photos on site, as these are private homes. However, please be considerate of other guests and individuals when taking photos, and do not publish any offensive material. We love to see the photos and videos taken by our guests: the hashtags we use on social media are #sunilankantola #aallonsunila #sunilanaaltokodit. All material photographed for commercial or marketing purposes must be agreed in advance and communicated when making the reservation. We grant permission on a case-by-case basis.
Valokuvat: Julia Kivelä/Cursor Oy, Vesa Hovi/Cursor Oy, Carl Irjala/Kotkan kaupunki, Karri Laitinen/Pro Sunila ry, Noora Räsänen/Sunilan Kantola Oy
Availability
All year around
Groups by advance reservation only.
When to book?
We recommend booking as early as possible.
Tours for groups must be booked at least one week in advance. If you would like catering services at Kantola, we recommend booking at least two weeks in advance.
Duration
Starting from 2 hours
Group size
We recommend a maximum group size of 25 people for visits.
Please inquire separately for larger groups.
Languages
Finnish, English
Limited availability: German, Swedish, Spanish
Price
The price varies depending on the size of the group and the duration of the tour. The price includes guides and entrance fees to the sites visited.
Optional: Catering services in Kantola.
Reservations and information
info @ sunilakantola.fi
+358 44 244 7702
See also the status of the booking calendar: link to the booking-calendar.
Sustainability
The cultural and industrial history and architecture of the Kantola and Sunila areas are close to our hearts. That is why we want to offer guided tours of the buildings and area to groups and tell as many interested people as possible about them.
We book guided tours of the Sunila residential area for our customers from local tour guides or experts living in Sunila. We can confidently leave our customers in the hands of these professionals. The apartments to be visited are audited by the neighborhood association Pro Sunila ry, Kantola, or professional guides.
Read more about Kantola's sustainability goals here: Link to responsibility at Kantola (opens in a new window).