Touch of light

After two days of intensive resting because of flu, we were ready for an excursion: we visited the Laukko manor in Vesilahti. 

The written history of Laukko manor dates back to year 1416, but according the folklore the local chieftain Matti Kurki received it as a manor from the king of Sweden in the 13th century. The most famous of the medieval lords of Laukko was Klaus Kurki, the tragic hero of a ballad called The Death of Elina. In real life Klaus’s son Arvid became the last Bishop of Catholic Finland. At around the beginning of the 16th century the Kurcks had a stone castle built at Laukko as a symbol of their might and prosperity. The Kurki family owned Laukko until 1817. After that it has been owned by several families, for example famous industrialists Adolf Törngren and Rafael Haarla. Nowadays Laukko is a residence of the Lagerstam family.

The present neo-classic manor house was built in the 1930s. The estate reopened to the public in the summer of 2016, as the estate celebrated its 600th anniversary. For the first time, visitors can see the estate in its entire splendor. The visitors can now admire the main building’s unique collections of arts and antiquities and stroll in the estate’s vast gardens and grounds.

Laukko Manor is also well known for its recent history with horses, both with training racing horses and for breeding horses. Kyra Kyrklund and Aki Ylänne are known to have trained there during the early days of their careers. 

More interestingly, Elias Lönnrot finished The Kalevala, the 19th century work of epic Finnish poetry, while working as a teacher in Laukko. Lönnrot also compiled a poem called Elinan Surma, Finland’s most famous folk ballad based in Laukko from oral and written entries of the 1700’s

This summer there are four exhibitions in Laukko manor. In the late medieval cellar sculptor Virpi Kanto hosts an exhibition called Touch of light, enigmatic concrete sculptures.

On the first floor of the main building one of Finland’s most internationally renowned contemporary artists, Marita Liulia shows her new artworks, abstract landscape paintings and dancer photos. 

The gallery floor of the main building Jukka Rintala exhibits his unique evening gowns and paintings. 

Paintings by Helge Dahlman from the manor’s own collection are displayed in the gardener’s house. 


+24,5°C, sunny