Haikko Manor, Porvoo, Finland - SpottingHistory.com

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.

References:

Haikon kartano

User Reviews

Lauri Salonen (22 days ago)
If you're looking for a nice remote spa with excellent gym, this is the place to go. Staff is very polite and it's easy to find the place. When it comes to the spa, there are various selection of saunas and pools there even though the whole spa area is not that big. I came here to get some exercise and relax at the spa and wasn't disappointed. Only minus would be that the spa would need some modernization and the spa might get a bit crowded if you come during "rush hours".

Andrey Rodionov (29 days ago)
Hotel Haikko is lovely place to spend weekend before Christmas. Comfortable room, dinner in the mansion, swimming pool, saunas and gym. Everything was very pleasant as always! And winter fairytale outside!

Michael Bippes (2 months ago)
Located in the eastern part of Porvoo, the hotel is placed in a beautiful parcel directly at the seaside. The SPA and the gym are included in the room rate. Small but cozy and WARM bathrooms. Breakfast is very good as well is lunch and dinner. Parking lot is close by. If your budget allows, you might want to make a stay at the manor, which offers an even more sophisticated breakfast and splendid suites. Will come back if I stumble across Porvoo or the surrounding area once again.

Ari Kemppinen (2 months ago)
Saturday after 5PM the pools, tubs and saunas were packed full. Those who did not fit in were walking around aimlessly. And more guests were coming in. It is really a mystery why the weekend packages are more expensive than during the week days, when the whole experience sucks. Breakfast was okay. For a vegan the supper was a surprise, seitan was nicely prepared and presented. Will not return.

Sebastian Vretscher (4 months ago)
Conference location that has good breakfast and a huge park that extends to the sea. The manor itself is extravagant, rooms in other buildings more rustic but very comfortable and clean. The buffet is as good as a buffet can get and serves a few regional specialities in addition to regular plates.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Royal Palace of Aranjuez

Palacio Real de Aranjuez is a former Spanish royal residence. It was established around the time Philip II of Spain moved the capital from Toledo to Madrid. Aranjuez became one of four seasonal seats of government, occupied during the springtime (from about holy week). Thereafter, the court moved successively to Rascafría, El Escorial and wintered in Madrid. Aranjuez Cultural Landscape is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the Christian conquest, Aranjuez was owned by the Order of Santiago and a palace was built for its Grand Masters where the Royal Palace stands today. When the Catholic Monarchs assumed the office of Grand Master of the Order of Santiago, Aranjuez became part of the Royal estate. This fertile land, located between the Tajo and Jarama Rivers, was converted into the Spanish monarchy"s most lavish country retreat: during Spain"s Golden Age, Aranjuez became a symbol for the perfection of nature by mortal hands, as El Escorial was for art.

Such excellence was based on strong Renaissance foundations, as Charles V envisaged this inherited estate as a large Italian-inspired villa, a desire continued by Philip II who appointed Juan Bautista de Toledo to design leafy avenues that ran through the gardens and farming land. A series of dams was constructed in the 16th century to control the course of the Tajo River and create a network of irrigation canals.

The splendour of the estate was only enhanced by the Bourbon monarchs, who would spend the whole spring, from Easter to July, at the Palace. Phillip V added new gardens and Ferdinand VI designed a new system of tree-lined streets and created a small village within the estate, which was further developed by Charles III and Charles IV. As Ferdinand VII and Isabella II continued to visit Aranjuez during the spring, the splendour of this site was maintained until 1870.

The Royal Palace, built by Phillip II on the site of the old palace of the Grand Masters of Santiago, was designed by the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo –under whom construction began in 1564– and later Juan Herrera, who only managed to finish half the project. Although glimpses of the original layout still remain, the building itself is more characteristic of the classicism favoured by the Hapsburg monarchs, with alternating white stone and brick. The original design was continued by Phillip V in 1715 but not finished until 1752 under Ferdinand VI. The rectangular layout that Juan Bautista de Toledo had planned, and that took two centuries to complete, was only maintained for 20 years, since in 1775 Charles III added two wings onto the Palace.

Real Casa del Labrador

As the Prince of Asturias, Charles IV was a frequent visitor to the pier pavilions built by Ferdinand VI and grew up playing in the Prince’s Garden. When he became King, he decided to build a new country house at the far end of these gardens, known as the Casa del Labrador (the labourer"s house) due to its modest exterior that was designed to heavily contrast the magnificent internal decor. It was built by chief architect Juan de Villanueva and his pupil Isidro González Velázquez, who designed some of the interior spaces. These rooms, developed in various stages until 1808, are the greatest example of the lavish interior decor favoured by this monarch in his palaces and country retreats. Highlights at this Site include the combination of different types of art and the luxurious textiles, in particular the silks from Lyon, as well as wealth of original works on the main floor, where Ferdinand VII added various paintings and landscapes by Brambilla.

King"s Garden, the Island Garden, Parterre Garden and the Prince"s Garden

Phillip II, a great lover of gardens, paid special attention to this feature of the Aranjuez Palace: during his reign, he maintained both the Island Garden, designed by the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo, and the King"s Garden, immediately adjacent to the Palace and whose current layout was designed by Philip IV. The majority of the fountains on this island were commissioned by Phillip IV, while the Bourbons added other features such as the Charles III benches.

Phillip V made two French-style additions to the existing gardens: the Parterre Garden in front of the palace and the extension at the far end of the Island Garden, known as the Little Island, where he installed the Tritons Fountain that was later moved to the Campo del Moro park by Isabella II.

The Prince"s Garden owes its name and creation to the son and heir of Charles III who, in the 1770s, began to use Ferdinand VI"s old pier for his own enjoyment. He also created a landscaped garden in the Anglo-French style that was in fashion at the time and which was directly influenced by Marie Antoinette"s gardens at the Petit Trianon. Both Juan de Villanueva and Pablo Boutelou collaborated in the design of this garden.

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