UNESCO World Heritage Site Verla

UNESCO World Heritage Site, Verla Groundwood and Board Mill, is quite simply unique. This living piece of history tells you an interesting story of a small village around a cardboard mill.

Surrounded by beautiful landscape of forests and lakes the mill has been the heart of its village since 1870s, first as a working mill and since 1972 as a Finland’s first mill museum. Verla was nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

The mill buildings with the machinery and other equipments were left untouched in their original positions. The authenticity of Verla Mill was one of the factors behind its acceptance as a World Heritage Site in 1996.

Ordinary and therefore special

Verla is not only a locally significant entity representing typical industrial activity from the 19th century, but also a fine Finnish example of the early development of the country’s business sector and wood processing industry. Verla is a rarity in itself, as it is the only World Heritage Site that represents the wood processing industry.

At Verla, the village surrounding the mill, the rapids with their power-generation equipment and mills, the workers’ dwellings and the buildings and structures for log floating and sawmill operations make up a wonderful whole.

In addition to the museum, Verla also has a lunch café, wine shop and the craft shops. You can also spend the night in the area in the quaint workers’ cottages built in the 1890s.

Location is owned andmaintained by UPM-Kymmene ltd.