Murtovaaran talomuseo
A Crown forest croft in the Valtimo wilderness, with about 16 buildings with birch-bark and split-log roofs, which tell of life in a remote hill settlement.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
People lived at Murtovaara from the 1840s until 1985. The oldest buildings in the museum are the two smoke cabins (savupirtti) and the threshing barn (riihi), built by the first resident. The site was originally a smallholding (mäkitupa), and in 1868 it became a Crown forest croft. The croft's residents lived from small-scale farming, livestock keeping and forest work, and the house accommodated workers from nearby logging operations.
In 1931 the holding became an independent settlement holding (asutustila). The last resident, Hilja Lipponen, lived at Murtovaara until 1985. The property was bought in the 1960s, and in 1967 its yard was sold to the Karjalaisen Kulttuurin Edistämissäätiö (Karelian Culture Promotion Foundation) for use as a museum. Museum operations began in 1972.
Today the yard is Finland's only hill-settlement museum. The buildings were made of wood using traditional methods, and their roofs are covered with birch bark and split logs. The tradition of birch-bark roofs survived longest in Eastern Finland, and it is maintained at Murtovaara. A forest path of about half a kilometre leads to the yard.
Highlights
- Finland's only hill-settlement museum
- About 16 wooden buildings with roofs of birch bark and split logs
- Smoke cabins heated by a stove without a chimney
- Half-kilometre forest path to the yard
- Traditional craft courses in summer
Permanent exhibition
- Murtovaaran pihapiiri – About 16 buildings of the Crown forest croft, including the smoke cabins, the threshing barn and storehouses, tell of everyday life in a hill settlement.
- Founded
- 1972
- Operated by
- Karjalaisen Kulttuurin Edistämissäätiö
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 14 · Under-15s enter free. |
| Admission and café ticket | €12Instead of coffee you can choose tea, soft drink or juice; €4 for children. |
| Door-opening fee for a group outside opening hours | €60 |
The admission and café ticket can be bought in advance from the online shop, or in cash from the guide.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available · 500 m to the entrance
From the car park it is about a half-kilometre walk along the path to the yard.
The museum is far from built-up areas, in the middle of the forest.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
Coffee and coffee bread are served in the yard (gluten-free coffee bread is also available).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum has a guide. An English-language guided tour is possible, for which a door-opening fee of €60 is charged. In summer, traditional craft courses are held, for example a birch-bark pot-making workshop, a scything course and a wooden spoon-carving course (advance registration required). |
