In the Footsteps of Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Looking for something different to do on your winter holiday, or do you have a free weekend you'd like to spend outdoors? In Äänekoski you'll find a culture route full of stories, where you can follow in the footsteps of the artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela. This route suits locals and travelers who are interested in nature and our region's history. You can explore the route year-round, but in winter you can conveniently reach the islands over the ice, and according to tradition the artist's outings took place right around March.

Äänekoski is said to have picture-perfect scenery, and a small peek into history shows that this claim is quite literally true. Akseli Gallen-Kallela in particular is said to have been fond of the landscapes of Lake Keitele and Äänekoski. Let’s travel back in our minds about a hundred years and think about all that Gallen-Kallela saw and experienced on his journeys. The Suolahden Wanha Asema area became especially familiar to Gallen-Kallela on his trips, and he is said to have wandered the forests of Kirppuvuori for months on end. We visited the places immortalized by the artist and immersed ourselves in history.

The landscapes of the works can be found along the route in different parts of Äänekoski; in Suolahti and Konginkangas. We went to see what the views look like today. Were these what inspired Gallen-Kallela? Are these works and places familiar to you? There are numerous stories about the artist's trips in Äänekoski, some of which are true and some have been shaped to fit by the storytellers.

In the historical landscapes of Lintulahti

We started the route at Lintulahti Neste, where Gallen-Kallela's story has been immortalized indoors. We left the car in the service station yard and headed across the road onto the ice. Those moving on the ice should take the weather into account and stick to familiar routes only, and look after safety. We slung our camera gear on our backs, hung ice awls around our necks, and set off along the snowmobile track toward Haapasaari, which features prominently in the famous Keitele painting. 

Gallen-Kallela's Keitele painting comes to life today in photographs. The landscapes of Keitele have not changed significantly in just over a hundred years, and on a beautiful winter day it’s easy to understand what drew the artist back to these views time and again.

Also the original landscape for Gallen-Kallela's painting Lake Landscape at Sunset has been identified in Konginkangas. Looking from Lepolanvuori toward the lake, it’s easy to imagine the source of inspiration for the painting being found here. What do you think? Lepolanvuori has a lookout tower as well as Gallen-Kallela's storehouse, where the artist is said to have spent the night. Yle's Arvo Vuorela and Jaana Polamo published a comprehensive article about Lepolanvuori a few years ago, and you can read the article at: https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11374476

From Konginkangas toward Suolahti

There is plenty of information about Gallen-Kallela's time in Suolahti in various sources. We wanted to reach the landscapes that inspired Ilvesluola and other works and headed toward the boulder fields of Kirppuvuori. In the shelter of the winter forest it’s not hard to see what in these landscapes inspired numerous paintings. Majestic trees and rock outcrops form a compelling whole. In these surroundings the mind rests, and the route culminates at the top of Kirppuvuori, where incredible views over Keitele open up.

Despite our efforts, we did not manage to find the weathered pine visible in the work Ilvesluola, and we were left wondering whether time had done its work on that tree in particular. More about the background of Ilvesluola is provided in Seija Heinänen's presentation of the piece as part of the Tunnemaisema exhibition. The artist is said to have visited on these trips also the pine stands of Sirkkakangas and the rugged wilderness forests of Pietinen to immortalize the landscapes.

At Suolahden Wanha Asema, history meets the present day

From the rock outcrops it’s a good idea to descend to Suolahden Wanha Asema, where a secret attic chamber of Gallen-Kallela can be found upstairs in the station building. The station area has a long history, and Gallen-Kallela is known to have spent time there with stationmaster Ahonius. The spirit of the era has been preserved in the Wanha Asema area, and you can easily spend several hours with the services and stories here. You can also explore the area from your sofa using modern technology here.

The route ends at the Sörkkä shore in Suolahti. There lies an old wooden boat from which Gallen-Kallela is said to have drawn inspiration for his work Purren valitus. At this time of year the boat is almost impossible to find due to the snow conditions, but especially in summer this spot is definitely worth a visit for history enthusiasts. 

Tips for the route

Set aside a full day to complete the route, or if you wish you can split the sights across different days. We drove between the locations by car, but in summer the keenest can even cover the distance by e-bike. In some places it’s more challenging to move on foot in winter, so snowshoes, for example, can be a great help in the snow. 

You can find the route map here! Not all sights are marked on the map, so the route can be tailored to your interests. For example, Sirkkakangas and Lepolanvuori are worth exploring even if the historical angle doesn’t interest you.