Visavuori Finland

The residence of renowned sculptor Emil Wickström (1864–1942), Visavuori consists of three buildings, the oldest of which is Wickström's 1902 house, built in Karelian and Finnish Romantic styles. This has an unusual octagonal lounge with a carved wooden ceiling. The fascinating studio next door (1903) is filled with dozens of models and sculptures; it also has a turret from which Wickström, a keen amateur astronomer, stargazed. The bronze foundry under the studio (Finland's first) is now a pleasant cafe. A modern building, the Kari Paviljonki, is dedicated to the work of Kari Suomalainen, Emil Wickström’s grandson, whose long career as a political cartoonist spanned several decades.Visavuori is 4km (signposted) off the motorway.