Kaukaniemi Park
- Benches
- Barbecue area
- Rug washing site
Location on map
What kind of park is it?
Kaukaniemi is a green area in Vehmainen that is valuable in terms of its landscape, biodiversity, and history. Kaukaniemi has many old trees and unusual cultivated species due to the Kaukajärvi manor that once operated in the area, the gardening activities carried out there, and the Saarioinen nursery that was active between 1951 and 1975. Many of the cultivated trees (including balsam fir) are among the largest in Finland. Kaukaniemi features a barbecue area and Vehmainen rug washing site.
What does the park look like?
The Story of the Park
The Kaukajärvi manor originated when Bertel Grahn purchased land and merged farms in the Kaukajärvi area in 1903–1904. The manor’s golden period began with its founding in 1905 and lasted until 1939. Bertel Grahn died in 1940, after which life at the manor gradually quieted down. During the Continuation War in 1941–1944, the manor served as accommodation for soldiers and army horses.
After the war, Saarioinen Oy established a nursery on the manor grounds to meet the post-war demand for useful plants. Artekno Oy also operated in the manor buildings; it was founded in 1953 and produced and traded technical-chemical products, plant nutrients, and textiles. The operations of both Saarioinen Oy and Artekno in Kaukajärvi ended in the mid-1970s. Connecting the manor’s deteriorating main building to the sewer network was deemed too expensive, and it could no longer be used as a residence. The main building and the rest of the manor’s structures were demolished between 1975 and 1985, after which the area gradually became overgrown. Open fields and semi-open park areas filled in with vegetation.
In the 2000s, tree management measures and renewals have been carried out in the area. The birch avenue was renewed in two phases in 2018. The former entrance road, once of great importance and lined by the birch avenue leading to the manor’s main building, still plays a significant role as the main route to the Kaukaniemi recreational area. The current paths in Kaukaniemi follow the old alignments from the manor period. Some of the paths in the manor park and the servants’ yard have become overgrown, but their locations can still be distinguished in the terrain as areas with sparser tree cover.
Kaukaniemi as a whole is dominated by deciduous trees and is mainly of a lush, grove-like character. The aim is to preserve it as such, preventing spruce trees from gradually taking over the area.