New cultural route links homes of three Finnish presidents

A new cultural trail opening this month connects the childhood and former homes of three Finnish presidents in Nivala, Haapajärvi and Pielavesi as part of Oulu’s 2026 European Capital of Culture programme.

The President’s Path features the museums of K. J. Ståhlberg, Kyösti Kallio and Urho Kekkonen, offering visitors insight into their personal lives and histories, according to trail coordinator Heidi Pökkylä.

In Nivala, the Kyösti and Kalervo Kallio Museum displays furniture from the president’s home, his son’s sculptures, and a rare nine-swastika chain of the Order of the White Rose of Finland. Kallio, who became president in 1937, had a long political career including terms as a senator, four-time prime minister and six-time parliamentary speaker.

In Haapajärvi, the childhood home of Finland’s first president, K. J. Ståhlberg, houses a wooden butter tub confirmed to have been used by him as a child. The museum, once slated for demolition, now attracts around 300 visitors annually. Ståhlberg, a champion of legality and democracy, was dismissed from his civil service post in 1903 for refusing to sign a decision that would have aligned Finland’s conscription with Russian military demands.

In Pielavesi, the Lepikko croft, Urho Kekkonen’s birthplace, completes the trail. The museum, opened in 1966, features an actor portraying Kekkonen to greet visitors. Only about half of the exhibits are original to the home.

An online cultural map, Atla, provides additional stories and audio about the presidents. Organisers hope the trail will attract young families and students, with current visitor numbers at the museums ranging from 300 to 1,000 annually.