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Our nostalgic artist residencies in Old Varkaus

All amenities, courtyard sauna, city bikes, city center and Saimaa beach within walking distance

Take a break from everyday life - Focus on what matters!

Luminous and cozy two- to three-room residences and the inspiring milieu of Old Varkaus give room for creativity. Artists of all fields are welcome and you can also bring your pet along.

Check out our residences

  • Choose a residence of approx. 52 square meters: Tuuli, Niitty or Aurinko, which have a combined living room and bedroom, a large kitchen, own toilet+shower and free WI-FI.

  • Or choose the 80-square-meter Taika, which has two living rooms, a spacious kitchen with dishwasher, private toilet and shower, and free WI-FI. Taika's specialty is musical instruments; piano, organ harmonium, drums and a guitar, all of which are available to our guests.

See what else we offer our residency guests

What does it cost?

Currently, we offer residency periods of different lengths at own expense. The length of the residency period is one to four weeks and the price includes:

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  • Accommodation + Free WI-FI

  • At the start of the residence period, basic supplies in the kitchen (coffee, tea, salt, sugar, oil, basic spices)

  • Free parking (electric car charging and heating plug to be agreed separately)

  • A city bike for the whole period

  • Right to work in the Artists' studio "Kollektiivi" including Graphics press

  • One hour private sauna session per week

  • self-service of washing, drying and ironing of laundry

  • Possibility to change linen and towels once a week / on your own if necessary

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Your contact person for residency matters: Annikka Heikura

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Art residency residents

Heikki Lonka, Tuusula Finland - architect and writer

Monica Doin, Rio de Janeiro Brazil - visual artist, photographer

A little about the history of our region

Varkaus Ruukki, founded in 1820, was still booming at the end of the 19th century, but in 1907 the company ran into difficulties and the debtor Paul Wahl & Co ended up selling Ruukki to Ahlström Oy, which focused on the wood processing industry.

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In order to succeed, Ahlström had to take care of investments other than industrial ones. In addition to forest industry facilities, roads and bridges were built, as well as apartments and various facilities for workers and officials. The company was also responsible for medical care, schooling, parish work, library, fire department, public order and social care.

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The growth of the factory caused the population of Varkaus to grow and it started to become more "urban-like". In 1913, Walter Ahlström ordered the first site plan for Varkaus from Valter and Ivar Thomé.

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In the plan, industrial buildings were placed along Huruskoski and Pirtinniemi, administration and services on Päiviönsaari, and settlements in the surrounding areas in Kommila and Kosulanniemi. The areas were connected by Ahlströminkatu, a wide park lined with linden rows as the central axis of the settlement, which gave the area an urban stamp.

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The community's modern church was also built in the residential area of Kommila-Kosulanniemi, built according to garden city ideals. The placement of the apartments followed the hierarchy of the society: the factory management lived in their own area, as well as officials, foremen and workers in their areas.

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Below is a map of Old Varkaus and a video with which Walter Ahlström (1875 - 1931) tells about the development of this area..

The Taideniity building, Niittylä II (completed in 1916) is an impotant part of the Old Varkaus area and a protected site.

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