Embark on a unique architecture journey inspired by Alvar Aalto’s design legacy and discover some of Finland’s modernist gems by train and bus. The route combines urban culture, scenic landscapes and timeless design, with all 13 Aalto UNESCO sites, highlights including the iconic Villa Mairea, the striking Church of the Three Crosses in Imatra and the distinctive Sunila industrial and residential area in Kotka.
This tour is ideal for architecture enthusiasts, cultural travelers and anyone looking to experience Finland from a fresh perspective.
Let us plan your round trip in Finland around these sites, and more. Contact us!
Aalto Works – 13 sites in Finland
Paimio Sanatorium
An internationally unique, well-preserved tuberculosis sanatorium complex.
A masterpiece of humanist modernism, in which the architecture, lighting, and color scheme have been designed to promote patients’ well-being and healing.
Villa Mairea
A masterpiece of modernist residential architecture, its significance deriving from its perfect synthesis of art, architecture and nature.
The building represents organic architecture and, at the same time, is a study in the possibilities of modern living.
Seinäjoki Civic Centre
Seinäjoki’s administrative and cultural centre is an integrated, modern town centre where the town hall, church and cultural buildings form an architecturally coherent whole.
Its value is based on holistic urban planning and the ideal of public architecture strengthening democracy and civic identity by providing communal gathering places for town residents.
Säynätsalo Town Hall
An architectural symbol of modern municipal democracy. The building emphasises the importance of municipal self-government, which interweaves citizenship, community and architecture.
The site’s value comes from the building’s design solutions that underpin a sense of community, and from its unique brick architecture.
Muuratsalo Experimental House
The Aaltos’ laboratory for experimental architecture and research.
The building tells a unique story about the architect’s own approach to research and his constant desire to experiment.
University of Jyväskylä, Aalto Campus
A modern university-architecture complex, its brick buildings, landscape and functionality constituting a coherent pedagogical environment.
It gets its value from the ordered, organic design of the campus, and the way the architecture supports teacher training and the development of science.
National Pensions Institute KELA
An example of a building that combines the development of the welfare state with human-centred office architecture.
The value of the building lies in its high-quality materials, the design of the spaces and circulation routes, the use of natural light, and the building’s significance as a symbol of societal modernisation.
Photo: Maija Holma © Alvar Aalto Foundation
House of Culture
The House of Culture is a modernist expression of culture and community.
The site gets its value from the combination of modifiable interiors, architectural uniqueness, and the civil society represented by the building. The building symbolises a cultural institution designed for everyone.
Photo: Maija Holma © Alvar Aalto Foundation
Studio Aalto
The historical heart of Alvar and Elissa Aaltos’ design work and architectural creativity.
The value of the building derives from its role as a concrete hub for the Aaltos’ working methods and design processes. Natural light, open workspaces, and experimental solutions served as the starting points for the design of the Studio building.
The Aalto House
Exemplifies the key features of modern living and the architects’ personal design philosophy.
The value of the building comes from its authentic interior, the diverse use of materials, and the fact that it represents a synthesis of the architects’ own family life and creative work.
Finlandia Hall
A national and international monument, its value being linked to its role as a symbol of cultural diplomacy and modernism.
The building’s marble façade, monumental massing, and location in an urban park emphasise its role as a state-owned, representative building.
Church of Three Crosses
An innovation in religious architectural modernism. The building gets its value from the unique combination of natural light, modifiable spatial layout, and forested environment.
The church’s architecture embodies the dialogue between spirituality and nature.
Sunila Pulp Mill Residential Area
The ideal of functionalist town planning, in which industrial plants, residential buildings and nature form a coherent whole.
The area represents early industrial modernism, where employer and employees, architecture and social well-being meet.
Want to come and visit Finland?
In addition to these sites, there are more Aalto sites to visit. Not to talk about other architectural and cultural sites. We are happy to organise your tour, including all the travel, accommodation, visits and experiences.
