Most charming manor houses in Finland

Louhisaari manor castle was built in the late medieval ages by the remarkable Fleming noble family. The present main building was completed in the 1650s and represents the rare palatial architecture in Finland. The grounds have an extensive English-style park, complete with paths. Louhisaari belonged to the Fleming family for over three hundred years. The lack of money forced them to sell the manor to the family of Mannerheim in 1791. Finland’s Marshall C.G.E. Mannerheim was born there in 1867.The festive floor and the service floor are in 17th-century style and furnished to match. The middle floor, where the actual living quarters were, was modernised during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the rooms in this part of the castle reflect the interior-decoration styles of that time.Government of Finland bought Louhisaari in 1961 and opened it to the public couple of years later.Nowadays it’s open in summer time. Admission to the museum only in the company of a guide, tours in Finnish at half hourly intervals.

The history of the Haikko manor dates back to 1362 when a Dominican monastery owned the site. Jöns Olafsson Stenbock bought the manor and Haikko was a residence of Stenbock family for next 400 years. In 1871 it was bought by general Sebastian von Etter. Several members of the Russian Imperial family visited Haikko because von Etter was a close friend to czar Nicholas II. During the revolution in 1917 Grand Duke Kiril´s eldest son Wladimir was born and christened at Haikko. He was the nearest aspirant to the imperial crown of Russia and he became later the head of the Romanov family.Current main building was built in 1913. The Vuoristo family purchased the manor in 1965. Today Haikko provides conference center, spa and hotel facilities.

The history of the Sjundby manor castle dates back to year 1417. The present main building was built in the 1560’s by Jakob Henriksson. It was made of grey stone and had also a defensive purpose. Sjundby has been a residence for several noble families. The most well-known owner was Sigfrid Wasa, the daugher of the king Eric XIV. After her Adlercreutz family had owned Sjundby over 300 years to the present. Only exception was in 1944-1956, when the Porkkala area was rent to Russians and used as a garrison.Sjundby is one of the finest stone buildings in Finland. The castle is in private possession but is also open to visitors (contact info@seaction.com).

Brinkhall manor house dates back to the 16th century. The current main building was built in 1793 and it was the first neo-classical manor house in Finland. It was designed by Gabriel von Bondorff. The interior is from 1920s. Brinkhall is also known as remarkable gardens. The English garden was one of the first in this style in Finland in the beginning of 19th century.The manor is today owned by the Finnish Cultural Heritage Foundation. Brinkhall´s premises are available for meetings, conferences and private parties or functions. A summer café also operates at Brinkhall.

The manor house of Vuojoki is one of the most beautiful empire mansions in Finland. Vuojoki is mentioned in historical documents in the 16th century. First manor was established in 1626 by Gottfrid von Falkenberg.Vuojoki Mansion did not really flourish until the 1830s, when captain Lars Magnus Björkman (ennobled in 1834 Björkenheim) bought it. Lars Magnus Björkenheim built the current buildings and drafted an ambitious greenhouse and garden plan. "Vuojoki Castle", as people called the Mansion that time, completed in 1836. It used to be the second biggest manor in Finland. The main building, two annexes and the greenhouse, Orangerie, were designed by C.L. Engel.Vuojoki manor is owned by the municipality since 1934. Today it’s open to the public, a permanent exhibition about history and guided tours are available. The mansion provides also conference and restaurant services.

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 celebrates 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.

Kuitia is the oldest remaining manor house in Finland. It was built of stone probably in 1480s by noble Joachim Fleming. There has been a manor house in same location from the beginning of the 15th century. Earliest known owner of Kuitia was Maunu Tawast, a bishop of Turku, who donated manor to his brother in 1439.

The first record of Suitia (Svidja) is from the year 1420. First known owner was Björn Ragvaldsson, the judge in the Raasepori. After him Fleming family started to use Suitia as their secondary residence. The third owner, Erik Fleming was a remarkable Councilor of State of Sweden. He fought succesfully against Danish army and drove them away from Finland in 1523. After the war Erik Fleming lived in Suitia and extended lands and improved the manor. The present grey stone manor was completed by him about 1550. Flemings lived in Suitia near 250 years. Their era ended up in 1730, when the Russians had demolished Suitia badly in the Great Northern War. Since it has been owned by several families. It was restored to the late medieval outfit in the beginning of the 20th century by August Wrede af Elimä. Only battle in Suitia was fought in 1918, when the unit of white army defended it against red guards. The government of Finland reclaimed Suitia in 1934. Nowadays it’s rent to Helsinki University.

Earliest record of the manor in Kankainen dates back to 1346, when there were at least two buildings in the village. First manor was built in the 15th century by Klaus Lydekesson Diekn, the commander of Turku castle. Next owners were the famous noble family Horn, who built the present stone manor castle in the mid-16th century.The third floor was removed during the renovation in 1762-1763 and rebuilt again in 1935. In the 1990s Kankainen was donated to Åbo Akedemi (University of Turku). It’s a rare well-preserved manor representing the building style of Swedish medieval manor castles. Finnish National Board of Antiquities has defined Kankainen as national built heritage. Today it’s used as conference and festive center. Guided tours available for visitors.

Malmgård is one of the most magnificent manor houses in Finland. The history began in 1606 when Carl IX of Sweden donated 30 local farms to Estonian war widow Catharina Hess von Wichdorff. She later married Ernst (Larsson) Creutz from the near Suur-Sarvilahti manor house and Malmgård was merged to the property of Creutz family .The current main building was built between 1882-1885 by governor Carl Magnus Creutz. The architect was F. A. Sjöström, who designed it in a Dutch Neo-Renaissance style.Today Malmgård is still privately owned by the Creutz family. They farm organic food and there’s also a local brewery. Beers and can be tasted in the manor restaurant. Guided tours in manor house are available for groups from April to September (visits have to be reserved in advance).