Top Historic Sights in Salo, Finland
Explore the historic highlights of Salo
Mathildedal Ironworks
Mathildedal is one of the three Teijo area ironworks villages. It offers all the elements of an idyllic environment: Wooden houses painted with traditional red paint, buildings of the ironwork, history, culture, nature and of course the living village itself. The origins of Mathildedal ironworks go back to 1686. Mr Lorenz Creutz from Teijo was granted a right to build a forgery in Hummeldal. In 1825 Mr Robert Bremer dis ...Uskela Church
The Uskela parish is one of the oldest parishes in Finland. Documents mention it for the first time in 1329. The church hill of Uskela is an old location for the church, with a church at this location since 1440. The small medieval stone chapel, dedicated to St. Anna, was dismantled in 1830.The present church was completed in 1832. IIt was designed by famous architect C. L. Engel. The The belfry was erected in 1860. Insid ...Teijo Ironworks
Teijo ironworks was established in 1686 to the lands of old Teijo manor by Lorentz Creutz. The industrial work ended in 1908, but today there still exists old buildings, restaurant and fascinating manor building and park. The manor is privately owned, but you can walk the road adjacent to it. Teijo church on the hill near the manor is the smallest stone church in Finland. It was built in 1830.Wiurila Manor
Wiurila manor was first mentioned in history books in the 15th century. At that time, it was owned by Magnus Johansson till Wiorela. His daughter Elseby married Henrik Flemming and inherited Wiurila. For 300 years from that day on, the manor of Wiurila was inherited from mother to daughter. In 1787, baron and major general Magnus Wilhelm Armfelt bought Wiurila. His son Gustaf Mauritz inherited the manor of Joensuu, and h ...Teijo Manor
The history of manor house in Teijo dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1686 Lorent Creutz built an ironworks to Teijo and started industrial period of the town. The present Rococo style manor house was built in 1770 by Jakob Kijk, who was the owner of near ironworks site. It was designed by architect C. F. Schröder who also designed Fagervik and Lempisaari manor houses. There were also a church and shop located inside ...Halikko Church
The oldest record of church in Halikko is dated back to the year 1352. The wooden church was replaced probably approximately 1440. Original, two-aisle church was dedicated to St. Birgit. During the Reformation old chalk paintings were overpainted and church was left to dilapidate. Too small and dicky church was renovated and expanded in 1799 and again in 1813-1815. The old sacristy, weapons room and the tomb of famous nob ...Pertteli Church
The Pertteli Church was built probably between years 1500 and 1520 and was dedicated to St. Bartholomeus. First record of the local Uskela parish is from the 14th century and there has been at least one wooden church in Pertteli before. The original stone church was enlarged in the 18th and 19th centuries. Finnish National Board of Antiquities has named the ancient road ("Hiidentie") and the church area as national built ...Haapaniemi Castle
Haapaniemi castle was one of the oldest manor houses in Finland, first record of Haapaniemi dates back to year 1469. The castle manor was built probably between 1450-1525 by the powerful nobleman Henrik Klaunpoika Horn, who owned it until 1540s. After Horns Haapaniemi was owned by another famous noble family Fleming.The castle manor was ruined in the Great Wrath (1713-1721). Fiskars Ironworks bought manor properties in 17 ...Rikalanmäki
Rikalanmäki was one of the most remarkable Bronze and Iron Age towns in Finland. According legends, It was a very wealthy trading centre. The heyday of Rikalanmäki was in 11th and 12th centuries when Vikings and foreign merchants exchanged metals and weapons to fur from inner Finland. There are evidences of indirect trade connections even to the Arabic countries. According the legend Birger Jarl landed to the Ri ...Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Historic Site of the week
Cesis Castle
German crusaders known as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword began construction of the Cēsis castle (Wenden) near the hill fort in 1209. When the castle was enlarged and fortified, it served as the residence for the Order's Master from 1237 till 1561, with periodic interruptions. Its ruins are some of the most majestic castle ruins in the Baltic states. Once the most important castle of the Livonian Order, it was the official residence for the masters of the order.
In 1577, during the Livonian War, the garrison destroyed the castle to prevent it from falling into the control of Ivan the Terrible, who was decisively defeated in the Battle of Wenden (1578).
In 1598 it was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Wenden Voivodship was created here. In 1620 Wenden was conquered by Sweden. It was rebuilt afterwards, but was destroyed again in 1703 during the Great Northern War by the Russian army and left in a ruined state. Already from the end of the 16th century, the premises of the Order's castle were adjusted to the requirements of the Cēsis Castle estate. When in 1777 the Cēsis Castle estate was obtained by Count Carl Sievers, he had his new residence house built on the site of the eastern block of the castle, joining its end wall with the fortification tower.
Since 1949, the Cēsis History Museum has been located in this New Castle of the Cēsis Castle estate. The front yard of the New Castle is enclosed by a granary and a stable-coach house, which now houses the Exhibition Hall of the Museum. Beside the granary there is the oldest brewery in Latvia, Cēsu alus darītava, which was built in 1878 during the later Count Sievers' time, but its origins date back to the period of the Livonian Order. Further on, the Cēsis Castle park is situated, which was laid out in 1812. The park has the romantic characteristic of that time, with its winding footpaths, exotic plants, and the waters of the pond reflecting the castle's ruins. Nowadays also one of the towers is open for tourists.